Opened LR2 and nothing in the catalog!

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beki

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HI, me again.. (had prob last week with dragging folder onto another and loosing all data from HD)
Imac, 2.16ghz, 2gb ram, 2'" screen, OS1'.5.4 (i think, latest anyway), upgraded LR1.4 to 2.' last week.

Well after spending 3 painful (not factored for timewise) days recovering 9'% of my lost portfolio i spent a day processing all images for print. Today i was to export them in their various sizes. I open LR as always and am faced with a grey screen, no images and error message when trying to click between library dev etc.. I always do the back up on opening LR. Yesterday, when re-referencing all images lost, each time it would then set off of it's own accord trying to find the other images that had been lost and reimported, and although they are all in the same folder it was never successful so A. i had to manually relink each of the 3'' images! and B. it just kept adding more and more tasks to the top task bar, when i cancelled each one, they didn't go away. So last night i closed down LR hoping today it would open afresh, minus unsuccessful tasks and it opened minus EVERYTHING. I lost a whole day of processing.. and it was time critical as supposed to be exporting and going to print today!! What can i do? I REALLY hope someone can help, and yes i reported this and the other bug. Last night after closing down LR i preformed a TimeMachine back up of system as ususal, this doesn't seem to have any additional info either.. same thing when opening the latest back up - no images.
 
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Hi Brad - I don't profess to be an LR guru (I'll get there, though!)... not even a pro photographer... I'm a "web guy" and an amateur/photo enthusiast who likes to work with the best equipment/software.

Again, I hope Becki can at least save her latest work... I know she has learned invaluable lessons (the school of hard knocks...)

Cheers
 
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Team Effort

FIRSTLY, i'd just like to say that Lightroom Forums ROCKS :cheesy: I feel so priveledged to have had so much input!!

... and yes i take it all on board, the comments/suggestions.. i think the confusion and multiple forums is an example of my headset at that time.. but very valid.. so who wants to strike up a connection then :lol::?: i am GMT-4/5 depending on time of year.

I am now going back over everything that has been offered up to see if there is a hope, however, it does seem that the xmp files do not hold this particular info.. it seems so strange but maybe a fact.. I will report later today on what happens as this will be the end of this issue (i.e. starting all over again or finding lost info and moving on.. )

I will then be emmersing myself in a Lightroom 2 tutorialfest!!! Yes this has been a hardknocks way of realising that LR2 is seriously awesome but also very complex. There is scope for either the user or the SW to mess up, both having equal opportunity to do so - and apparently taking it ;)
 
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OK...
so creating a new catalog and importing the corrupt one didn't work - it tells me after starting import that it can't complete it due to an unknown error.. i am checking raw xmp files and firstly there don't seem to be many of them, and what there are are holding the formating info i lost. Jpgs that had been formatted, i don't see a metadata file, or know how to find it.. I would like to know though :D

so basically i am really hoping that the corruption was caused by TM backing up at the same time the Cat was doing it's thing and not some other sinister reason.. this back up issue is now not able to happen again so all should be well really.. from now on that is..

would love to know though, during my processing is apple s the only thing i can do to save what i am currently doing at that point in time? I really would hate for this to happen AGAIN and will do whatever is necessary to avoid another 'world-rocking'. Although i do appreciate and accept that all things have a purpose and reason, and therefore must happen as is planned out... (such a bummer sometimes though)
 
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Beki, if the import from catalog gets as far as the import from catalog dialog, you could try just one folder at a time. You may be able to find which folder contains the corruption, and rescue the rest. It's worth a shot.

You won't find xmp files for jpegs as the xmp is written into the header of the file itself.

Apple-S (Cmd-S) is a great backup plan. You can turn on 'automatically write to xmp' in preferences, but it can be a little slower, so I tend to Cmd-S at the end of each editing session.

And run regular Lightroom backups - duplicates of your catalogs - in addition to backing up your photos.
 
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import one by one

that is a great suggestion. I will try that, makes great sense and would be interesting to see which one is corrupt for sure. Will let you know how it goes :):right:...

so are we on the same timeline then?
 
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It Worked - It Only Blimin Worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are brilliant :idea:, thanks sooooooooo much:cheesy:.. i have already retrieved some of the lost processing and im sure i'll get the rest back as i go along now..

...Having learned from past expeprience and my ability to make things worse I am now treading more lightly and would just like to ask the Queen of Lightroom a couple more questions - i will not progress any further until i know about the following, gut tells me it might just make things worse again.:oops:
  1. I now have a separate catalog containing this 'reunited' work from my porfolio. My current catalog has been worked in since last weeks problems so both have valid work in them - i hadn't much choice as had to reproduce some of lost work to meet deadline.. (oh no did she make another mess?) Is this the way it will have to be, or do i get to the point where i retrieve all I need from this 'older' catalog and then import all of this into the newer one or, the newer one into this? Then synchronise folders so that all images are showing/referencing? Im a bit stuck as to what is the best thing to do here.. as ultimately all images are coming from same root folder i.e. my Photography Folder within Pictures on my hard drive. In an ideal world i would love there to be only one catalog (you have experienced my cabability for mess-making so it seems the most sensible option), however, as always, am happy to be enlightened.
  2. some of the images have a :!: and it says that there was an error writing the metadata, and asks if i want to import settings from disk or overwrite them, i tried in on one image, and 'imported from disk' - wrong answer, it lost the settings on display, that i wanted and didn't let me go back and undo, so i am assuming i choose 'overwrite settings' instead? or apple s on that image and keep what is on screen? don't want to loose all i have just regained by getting it wrong again.
  3. Others have a :?: saying that the sidecar info is missing, and do i want to continue to track or forget, when i said 'continue', it did nothing...? If i say forget, do i again loose the current visual settings?
Once, again BIG THANKS LRQ and once i get this last bit down i feel i should be back in business!!! Wow!!
 
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Not quite, I'm GMT (or GMT+1 at the moment).

Great to hear it's working so far!

Ok, questions:

1. No, that's not the way it'll have to stay. First, duplicate both catalogs. You don't want to mess them up! Then you select the oldest catalog (the one you're importing your reunited work into) and you go to File > Import from Catalog and import your new catalog with the last couple of weeks work, just the same as you've done to rescue your old catalog. That dialog will give you a choice when it finds the same photos in both catalogs - it can either overwrite the settings with the most recent metadata, or it can create virtual copies, so you have both sets of metadata and settings in the same catalog. Either's fine.

2. That ! is a metadata conflict. It means that the metadata on the disc has been changed, and so has the catalog. Decide which you want to keep. I'm guessing it's the stuff in the catalog. If so, yes, you want to update the xmp to match by using Apple-S.

3. Try Apple-S on those too. It should write new xmp sidecars for those missing ones, getting rid of that message, and keeping the data from your catalog.
 
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Two Is Bettet Than One

Ah, a fellow brit :cheesy: of course, should have known.

im loving it, duplicate is a great idea! that way if i make a mistake (quite likely)? go back to the original.. I can see a wonderful evening of rediscovery and connection ahead of me.

wow can't believe im being so open (www ) with my limitations and LR stupidness lol.. and they say i don't open up in my pyschology course!!
 
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Hey, you can be perfectly open here Beki, we've all got in a muddle at some stage, however long we've been using it!
 
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'one for the team' i think they call it.. lol - I mess up so you (the info seeker) can learn from it and avoid making the same mistakes.
 
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LOL Beki. I wrote a whole book on that basis! Couldn't have done it without people asking questions.
 
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What a nice story - the Queen live, long live the Queen !!:lol::lol:

Beki, there is a whole new way of thinking with LR so an open mind is essential !!
I'll try and keep an eye out for you, my time zone is GMT +12 and +13 from Sunday. That means I'll have an answer before you asked !!:o:o:cheesy:
 
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Team Spirit

Thank Kiwigeoff, gotta admit it feels good to know there is a place to go when things get a bit 'less than light in the room' so to speak - and that i have a big bro looking out for me, i really appreciate it. And Queen V, i think im gonna get a copy of your book brought out to me-have some visitors coming soon. If it is anything as helpful as you have been these last few days (which of course it will be) it will be godsend.

you guys just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :cheesy:
 
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beki;2353' said:
Thank Kiwigeoff, gotta admit it feels good to know there is a place to go when things get a bit 'less than light in the room' so to speak - and that i have a big bro looking out for me, i really appreciate it. And Queen V, i think im gonna get a copy of your book brought out to me-have some visitors coming soon. If it is anything as helpful as you have been these last few days (which of course it will be) it will be godsend.

you guys just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :cheesy:
Click to expand...

Thank you Beki, have a wonderful evening !! It's looking like a typical spring day here - was sunny at dawn and now has some high cloud!!:)
 
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sounds lovely, seems odd it being spring lol.. have been considering your neck of the woods for a dts... enjoy your spring day.. i'll just sweat it out in this hurricane season heat. Another one for the team it seems..
 
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beki said:
ooow i just noticed i lost my J? have i been promoted?
Click to expand...

Nah, just asking too many questions - maybe QV thought you need a promotion!!:lol::lol:
 
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Where are you Beki? Sounds lovely and warm!
 
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beki said:
Bimshire, as the barbadians affectionately call it.. or Barbados to the rest of the world.
Click to expand...

That must be a nice place as well.........
Stay tuned for more news:lol::lol:
 
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if you ever consider visiting the islands, xmas is deffo a better time, it can just get a bit too hot between june and Dec. Jan is lovely, like a good summers day in UK - still hot but with a slight touch of cool. Our Mean is 32degrees.
 
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Sounds lovely Beki! Rather nippy here!
 
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