Catalogs Plug-Ins Missing

[Gnits]

Lightroom Version Number

14.01

Operating System

1. Windows 11

I have just noticed my PlugIns are missing.

It may be due to recent upgrade to 14.01 or more likely moving my Catalog to an external SSD.

My most used plugins are ListView and LrTransporter.

Any hints to restore and keep related previous plugin presets.

 

[Jim Wilde]

"Missing" as in physically removed from the previous stored location on disk, or as in not showing up in the Plug-in Manager? If the latter, that would likely indicate a Preferences reset (either user-invoked or an LrC issue with the Preferences file which caused the Preferences file to be automatically rebuilt). Losing the plug-ins data is a downside of resetting the Preferences, which I thought Adobe had tried to fix.

You could try restoring the Preferences file from a backup, if you can figure out how far back you need to go. Other that that, it's a manual re-install via the Plug-in Manager.

 

[Paul McFarlane]

One other thing to check - did you (or do you) have Store Presets with this catalog checked?

 

[Gnits]

I have noticed lots of routines which should be quick have slowed down in last 2 weeks or so. Such as waiting for Export Dialogue to open. This period has coincided with updates to latest ver 13 and a werk later to 14.01. when I get back to base I will do some more checking.

They are not showing up in the Plug In Manager, but Export Presets did. I moved the catalog and all related folder elements to a new external drive. I still have the original contents on the original drive (for the moment, but I changed the drive letter to make sure I picked up any apps configured to pock up files on the old drive.

 

[clee01l]

One other thing to check - did you (or do you) have Store Presets with this catalog checked?

Presets are stored in one of two locations. Locally and Globally. If you have Store Presets with this catalog checked (locally) then the Lightroom settings folder needs to be populated as LrC does not automatically copy previews from the global location to the Local location.

 

[Califdan]

Wait a minute. Aren't we talking about Plug-ins? If so I don't believe that the stoarge locagtion of presets should not be relevent. Is it?

 

[clee01l]

Wait a minute. Aren't we talking about Plug-ins? If so I don't believe that the stoarge locagtion of presets should not be relevent. Is it?

If Plugins, install presets then yes the location should be relevant. A plugin can be a file that installs Presets.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Gnits]

Here is my current Plug Ins ... ie.. none of the plug-ins I installed are present.

And my presets have always been stored relative to the main LRC app, rather than individual catalogs.

Note... I have diisabled the existing plugins and removed all my export presets.. in a separate exercise to speed up LrC routines, such as the time to open the Export Dialogue.

My own assumption is something went astray in the Preferences eco system some time over the recent upgrades / catalog move...

I do not have the skills to dig into old preferences files from backups, nor do I wish to mess around with previous catalogs.

I will just reinstall and re-configure the Plug_ins as I need them..

I think Adobe really screwed up with the internal architecture of their preferences and use of preference files for storing working variables.
I repeat... Adobe should have a preference reset feature, which preserves user entered preferences.

I do not want to be wasting peoples time on this.... I was hoping there was some nugget which would allow me switch back on my Plug_In installations and configs and activation and retest all of this stuff again...

 

[johnbeardy]

Plugins are loaded by LR in two ways:

1. Automatically by loading anything found in the Modules subfolder of the LR application (program files), which I don't recommend as a place to store your plugins.
2. By LR reading its preferences and loading them from the location recorded in Plugin Manager.

You must have installed them via method 2 but probably trashed the preferences or (IIRC) perhaps moved the plugins to a different location. Either restore the old preferences file, or install them manually.

Now, plugin settings.... These can be stored in a variety of ways. I can't speak for other plugins but in ListView they are stored as text files inside the lrplugin itself. Downloading it afresh would only give you a virgin copy of the plugin file. So reinstalling by pointing to your existing plugin file should restore its settings.

Hope that helps.

 

[Gnits]

@johnbeardy
I think you have nailed it. The plug-ins were installed from different folders, all local / relative to Catalog folder location. I would have moved those at the same time as moving the Catalog to a new external drive (and drive letter). So LrC will still be looking for them at the old location.

Can I find those folders and place them relative to the Modules Folder you reference above.

 

[johnbeardy]

I would not put them in or near the Modules folder, Matt.

While it's convenient and automatic, putting them in such the Modules folder (inside the LR app in Program Files) can introduce all sorts of oddities. It's more true of the Mac where permissions are a PITA, but most of the established plugin authors have hit problems and recommend avoiding it.

Instead, put them in a folder that makes sense to you, for example, on the same drive or subfolders as the LR catalogue, or on Dropbox if you work with more than one computer. When there's a new version (!), that means you only need to update once, and with ListView it shares the settings between computers.

 

[Gnits]

Thanks John,

Great to get such good advice.

I have just moved my Catalog and last 2 years images (and my data folders, such as docs, pdfs, spreadsheets, cad files) to a fast external SSD. The hope is to use this on my main machine and also bring it with me to use with my laptop for travel. It’s an experiment, I see several advantage, one being that I can connect this catalog to the Adobe Cloud both at home and on the road.

What I think I will do is create a new MoB-Plugins folder on this external SSD drive.. Install the plugins again from scratch as I need them, storing them on the external SSD. As I am now aware of the mistake I made transferring my internal drive to an external SSD, I will not make that mistake again. I should have kept the new SSD with the original drive letter. It is too late for me to back track now.

I should have thought of the plugins.. but not the worst mistake to make, but I am pleased I understand the mechanics of the problem I created for myself.

Thanks for your help with this.

Matt.