LR being a PITA!

MACollum · May 16, 2009

LR is giving me fits. Files are going missing from the catalog. I told LR where to find them (AGAIN) and now lots of them are showing up with the error in the corner instead of the question mark. I have read that you can copy them and then re-import them but there are just too many randomly scattered throughout to do that with, so I suppose I will have to live with it.

The problem however, is that there are probably some that I have edited that I cannot recreate the edits, especially those with presets applied, then edited (these tend to be my favorites). How should I deal with this if it occurs? Can I copy those (as RAWs) and store them outside of LR and still have them readable as RAW files in another program? Will I be able to read them as RAW in CS4 at least and keep my edits/presets? There are no XMP files saves as sidecars and I don't know how to make that happen. In that case I would have the info along with the file? I *could* deal with having the full-size JPG copies but I'd rather have the RAW.

Admittedly, with school I haven't had time to really work much with LR and CS4, or even take pictures. But with school out, I would like to enjoy taking pics and not have to spend too much time hassling with LR errors. If I edit in LR, am I stuck if LR messes up and "loses" the file? If so, WTF is the point? PS is fantastic but too time consuming for the sheer number of pictures I take, but at least it doesn't lose my edits. What to do?

Sw1tchFX · May 16, 2009

Lightroom doesn't copy images when you edit them, it references them. So if you move them, Lightroom can't reference something that it doesn't know where the image is.

Now is a good time to organize your images in your computers filing system instead of having them "scattered around". Then you wouldn't need lightroom just to find something.

MACollum · May 16, 2009

That's the thing, they're not scattered around. They're in one place, organized in folders by date/subject. The ones that have gone missing have not even been moved, they've been in the same place since I installed LR. I only noticed that files were missing because I took some pictures yesterday and used LR to edit them.

I did a backup yesterday when I started LR, I wonder if something went wrong then?

Josh66 · May 16, 2009

MACollum said:
There are no XMP files saves as sidecars and I don't know how to make that happen.

It should happen automatically, as soon as you do something to the image in LR. It should be right next to the RAW in whatever folder you have them in.

You might have to set the folder to show hidden files.

MACollum · May 16, 2009

I found some (I was already showing hidden files) on the older pictures, but there are none with the ones I took yesterday and edited only in LR. I did not make any virtual copies yesterday though, because I was doing basic edits. I don't know if that matters, though.

Once I edit them with a preset or whatever (I usually make a virtual copy for that) I don't really need a RAW copy of that picture. I have yet to print anything bigger than 8x10. I am saving the virtual copies of stuff with presets or special edits as JPG, just so I'll have them. I have lost enough edits already, and some of them I cannot do again. I would hate to lose them forever; some are my favorite pictures.

johnbergsing · May 16, 2009

I don't know why Lr would be doing this. I've been using it heavily since January and haven't had any problems with it. Have you tried reinstalling it?

MACollum · May 16, 2009

Ugh! I thought about it but if the catalog is corrupted, then I would still have to edit those pictures again. I will probably reinstalling but not until I have JPG copies of the ones I want, just in case.

Mostly, to save space and make backing up to DVD easier, I have been only exporting print sizes and keeping the rest of my edits in LR or PSD (depending on the program I used). That way I don't have a bunch of JPGs that I'll never print hogging my hard drive space (which I'm definitely filling up fast).

Garbz · May 16, 2009

Lightroom will store files in XMP or in the catalogue database depending on it's settings. If it's corrupt now's a good time to load a backup, if you don't have a backup now's a good time to ask why you didn't backup a database which probably forms one of the most thrashed part of your disks and thus one of the most easily to corrupt.

Lightroom has never complained about mising files that I haven't made missing myself, but even then pointing it in the right direction found and applied all the edits again.

Sure this is Lightroom's fault? Run a Scandisk on the drive to see if there may be another problem. I think I speak for everyone here that despite problems of speed, memory leaks, slow edits, dataloss is something that is not part of the Lightroom experience.

JE Kay · May 17, 2009

I'm finding LR is doing odd things myself, on a Mac. I started using Aperture for management again, I think it's better for that for sure.

Slower just using PS, but the weirdness on my system has stopped since.

DScience · May 17, 2009

JE Kay said:
I'm finding LR is doing odd things myself, on a Mac. I started using Aperture for management again, I think it's better for that for sure.

Slower just using PS, but the weirdness on my system has stopped since.

Aperture is the best management system, by far. I have used Photoshop, LR 2.2, Photoshop Elements 7, and aperture. I currently use Aperture, PS & LR to edit, but always re-import back to Aperture to keep it all organized.

MACollum · May 20, 2009

Thanks everyone. I don't know what's going on either. A couple of months ago I had to get a new computer so there were files missing then because the drive letter was different than on the old computer. I pointed LR in the right direction and everything was fine. Now it is the older files that haven't been touched that are doing this. Very strange indeed.

I don't plan on switching to another program (I think I've spent enough on software for quite some time!). I like the way LR works and the way it integrates with PS. I should probably run some maintenance on my computer. I had heard about minor problems with LR but hadn't encountered any until now (and there's a good chance that LR is fine and that it's just me). Thanks again!