Lightroom says my files are missing!!!

WingsOfLovePhoto

:cry :cry Where could they be? I can see them but they can't be located anywhere. I have been on hold with adobe for 20mins now... I did remove the compact flash they were on and unfortunately formatted it for another shoot! Why didn't they leave the card and stay on my computer when I imported them to the catalog? I was loving lightroom and now I am hating it!!! anybody have and advice of software that can recover NEF files from a Sandisk compact flash that has been formatted and rewritten? I am going to have a heart attack! This was some of my best work ever....100 pictures of an engagement shoot... what do I do?:dunno :cry :cry :cry :cry

Elaine

What do you mean by, "I can see them but they can't be located anywhere"? Did you check to make sure you don't have any filters applied, such as flags or stars?

WingsOfLovePhoto

Elaine wrote:

What do you mean by, "I can see them but they can't be located anywhere"? Did you check to make sure you don't have any filters applied, such as flags or stars?

there is a question mark at the top of each thumbnail. I can see the picture and all the things I did to it but there is big writing above each picture saying that it is offline or missing... I did card recovery software and it recovered everything but those pictures. I think I must be going crazy...and I have been on hold for an hour with adobe...ugh!!

Elaine

So, does the folder in the Library/Folder view also have a question mark? If you right click on that folder, do you get the option of "find missing file"...and that doesn't work either? You don't know where they ended up on your hardrive?

Did anything get moved around? I've been doing some moving of folders and it can get very convoluted quickly.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Elaine wrote:

So, does the folder in the Library/Folder view also have a question mark? If you right click on that folder, do you get the option of "find missing file"...and that doesn't work either? You don't know where they ended up on your hardrive?

Did anything get moved around? I've been doing some moving of folders and it can get very convoluted quickly.

When I go to find missing file the select button of where to find it is grayed out so I can't select it. There are several places where there is a catalog with the name but they all say they are missing...I have no idea why...and why would the card that I used....which I then formatted and reused...when I ran a recovery program retrieved files that were on it and not deleted and my shoot previous to this one. That makes no sense... I think I am going to be sick... :cry

Elaine

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

When I go to find missing file the select button of where to find it is grayed out so I can't select it. There are several places where there is a catalog with the name but they all say they are missing...I have no idea why...and why would the card that I used....which I then formatted and reused...when I ran a recovery program retrieved files that were on it and not deleted and my shoot previous to this one. That makes no sense... I think I am going to be sick... :cry

I'm so sorry this is happening. It sure seems like there must be something that can be done. I hope someone with some knowledge chimes in here. Sorry I can't help!

Qarik

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

When I go to find missing file the select button of where to find it is grayed out so I can't select it. There are several places where there is a catalog with the name but they all say they are missing...I have no idea why...and why would the card that I used....which I then formatted and reused...when I ran a recovery program retrieved files that were on it and not deleted and my shoot previous to this one. That makes no sense... I think I am going to be sick... :cry

Do you use an external drive?

I use an external drive and when it is dosconnected I can still see the previews in lightroom but can nnot access the photos.

ChatKat

Search
You can do a search on your computer using Windows Search. Look for the file *.jpg or *.CR2 and add a date feature for the date you took the photos.

Lightroom stores images in a separate directory based on your upload to your catalog. This is a common problem. The photos are not gone. You just haven't set your selection to store them in the same folder so they are in a default folder most likely.

Photog4Christ

Everyone is missing a very important clue in the OP. The OP says that the files were on a compact flash card, which was later removed.

So, my question to the OP is: Which method did you use to import the files?

If you imported them to the catalog, but then left the files on the card, then the files are (were... since you formatted the card) still on the card.

I'm not in front of LR right now, but you have to choose the option to import to the catalog and put the files somewhere else (on your local HD, etc...)

WingsOfLovePhoto

Photog4Christ wrote:

Everyone is missing a very important clue in the OP. The OP says that the files were on a compact flash card, which was later removed.

So, my question to the OP is: Which method did you use to import the files?

If you imported them to the catalog, but then left the files on the card, then the files are (were... since you formatted the card) still on the card.

I'm not in front of LR right now, but you have to choose the option to import to the catalog and put the files somewhere else (on your local HD, etc...)

Yep i have a catalog, I can see the photos, they must not have been fully imported from the card...I formatted the card, tried 2 recovery programs and they aren't there..... But I can see them in lightroom. Is there any hope? I searched my computer and they don't exist

Photog4Christ

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Yep i have a catalog, I can see the photos, they must not have been fully imported from the card...I formatted the card, tried 2 recovery programs and they aren't there..... But I can see them in lightroom. Is there any hope? I searched my computer and they don't exist

Which import method did you select when you imported?

WingsOfLovePhoto

Photog4Christ wrote:

Which import method did you select when you imported?

I don't remember I am new to lightroom but I would have chose import from device or disk.... going on 3.5hours holding for adobe....I need a xanax:(: :

Photog4Christ

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

I don't remember I am new to lightroom but I would have chose import from device or disk.... going on 3.5hours holding for adobe....I need a xanax:(: :

Okay, but there are several import options and one of the options is to import to the catalog, but leave the files where they are. In this case, "where they are" equals your CF card, which you removed and formatted, so the files are toast.

You may as well, hang up with Adobe. There's nothing they can do to help you find files that are no longer in existence.

Buy this book for some LR help.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Photog4Christ wrote:

Okay, but there are several options and one of the options is to import to the catalog, but leave the files where they are. In this case, "where they are" equals your CF card, which you removed and formatted, so the files are toast.

You may as well, hang up with Adobe. There's nothing they can do to help you find files that are no longer in existence.

do you know of any software that might recover them?

Elaine

Just to check which option you chose, can you download from another card to see what option pops up on your import window? One of the things I learned when I did some LR tutorials and took Kelby's LR Live training was how important it was to set up your import window. Have you gone through that process? I'm sorry you're frustrated with LR, but having that initial set up done how you want it can make a big difference. :cry

Photog4Christ

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

do you know of any software that might recover them?

Have you reused the card?

Try this.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Photog4Christ wrote:

Have you reused the card?

Try this.

yes I reused the card. When I used 2 other card retrieval softwares I recovered the photos I took after I formatted and a session that I took before the missing one...

digismile

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

yes I reused the card. When I used 2 other card retrieval softwares I recovered the photos I took after I formatted and a session that I took before the missing one...

So you're good now?

You might want to add an additional step to your workflow going forward. In Lightroom, besides copying the file to its final destination, you also have the option to Backup the imported files to a second location. I strongly recommend this! There can be many points of failure during your post processing, from hardware failure to user caused disasters! (I speak from my own experience of causing myself severe pain )

These backup files don't necessarily need to be permanent (i.e. you could keep them for a defined period of time), so you need not worry about doubling your hard drive space requirements.

I've been using a 3rd party piece of software for my imports called Image Ingester Pro. I actually make 3 copies during import to: the directory/folders with all my originals, a backup copy on a different internal drive, and to an external HD. My external HD is deleted probably within a day of import, and my backup copies are kept for about a month. My originals are all backed up daily to an external hard drive (incremental backups).

Having a spare copy can really be a life saver! Hope this info helps,

Regards

Elaine

digismile wrote:

So you're good now?

You might want to add an additional step to your workflow going forward. In Lightroom, besides copying the file to its final destination, you also have the option to Backup the imported files to a second location. I strongly recommend this! There can be many points of failure during your post processing, from hardware failure to user caused disasters! (I speak from my own experience of causing myself severe pain )

These backup files don't necessarily need to be permanent (i.e. you could keep them for a defined period of time), so you need not worry about doubling your hard drive space requirements.

I've been using a 3rd party piece of software for my imports called Image Ingester Pro. I actually make 3 copies during import to: the directory/folders with all my originals, a backup copy on a different internal drive, and to an external HD. My external HD is deleted probably within a day of import, and my backup copies are kept for about a month. My originals are all backed up daily to an external hard drive (incremental backups).

Having a spare copy can really be a life saver! Hope this info helps,

Regards

I don't believe she has found her files yet.
Yes...to the backups upon download! That's part of that import window that needs to be set up.

WingsOfLovePhoto

digismile wrote:

So you're good now?

You might want to add an additional step to your workflow going forward. In Lightroom, besides copying the file to its final destination, you also have the option to Backup the imported files to a second location. I strongly recommend this! There can be many points of failure during your post processing, from hardware failure to user caused disasters! (I speak from my own experience of causing myself severe pain )

These backup files don't necessarily need to be permanent (i.e. you could keep them for a defined period of time), so you need not worry about doubling your hard drive space requirements.

I've been using a 3rd party piece of software for my imports called Image Ingester Pro. I actually make 3 copies during import to: the directory/folders with all my originals, a backup copy on a different internal drive, and to an external HD. My external HD is deleted probably within a day of import, and my backup copies are kept for about a month. My originals are all backed up daily to an external hard drive (incremental backups).

Having a spare copy can really be a life saver! Hope this info helps,

Regards

No, unfortunately not good...I must have mis-written. I don't know why I can't recover all the files off my card...only 1 of the 3 sessions I have used it for. Why would I only get one?

Thanks for all the other advice. I will look into doing that. This is the first time this has happened. Because of my newbieness to lightroom. I am more devastated cause I can see the files but can't use them. That makes no sense whatsoever! I just tried a 3rd recovery software with no luck. Do you think if I reformat again that might make a difference in what can be recovered?

ChatKat

Search
Did you do a search for all files dated the day of your shoot on your hard drive? I found some files that way that went to the wrong directory.

WingsOfLovePhoto

ChatKat wrote:

Did you do a search for all files dated the day of your shoot on your hard drive? I found some files that way that went to the wrong directory.

I did search filenames. Harder to do the date thing on a Mac....But thanks for thinking of it

Photog4Christ

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

... I am more devastated cause I can see the files but can't use them. That makes no sense whatsoever!....

You do understand that you are not really looking at the actual file in LR? LR has a "virtual copy", but the actual file is wherever you told LR to put it when you imported it.

I don't know how else to say what I already said: If you selected the option to leave the file where it is when you imported, then the file is still on your CF card and not on your local HD. If you formatted your CF card, then the file is probably toast (unless you can use some sort of recovery tool, but if you wrote over the card, then good luck.)

I think you will just have to make this a learning experience and next time be careful to pay attention to which option you're choosing when you import.

Photog4Christ

ChatKat wrote:

Did you do a search for all files dated the day of your shoot on your hard drive? I found some files that way that went to the wrong directory.

I don't think the files were ever on the HD to begin with.

jogle

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

No, unfortunately not good...I must have mis-written. I don't know why I can't recover all the files off my card...only 1 of the 3 sessions I have used it for. Why would I only get one?

...snip... I just tried a 3rd recovery software with no luck. Do you think if I reformat again that might make a difference in what can be recovered?

you have to understand how the card works, it's a series of blocks each of a few Kilobytes. When you save a file it randomly chooses blocks to use (so it evenly uses the whole card and doesn't just wear out the first few bytes) for your data. It then marks those blocks as in use in it's File Allocation Table (which is just like another file on the disk). when you delete a file, it doesn't erase the data, it only marks those blocks as free so that when you next save a file, the new file has a chance of getting those blocks that were used by a previous file. Once data is overwritten then it's gone.

All formatting does is empties the File Allocation Table (FAT) so that the whole disk is marked as free space. This process actually writes a new FAT to the disk and because a new file gets random blocks, it can overwrite data you are wanting to recover in the process.

File recovery trawls through every block and ignores if it has been marked as free space or not. it then tries to build coherent files of data that look like image data. Sometimes even if nothing has been overwritten then it's just not possible because the data is so messed up.

So file recovery is a bit of a game of chance. if any of the blocks for the files you deleted have been overwritten then you can't recover the file, or if you do it will be corrupt. The more you use the card the less likely it is that it can be recovered. Formatting the card again will do more harm then good.

ChatKat

Probably right

Photog4Christ wrote:

I don't think the files were ever on the HD to begin with.

You are probably right. My workflow is to offload my card using Windows Explorer by copying the files into my hard drive and my backup drive both. Then I import the files into Lightroom. My lightroom setting is set to store the preview and the original catalog in the same folder. Then I can backup the whole thing and the catalog to other media. And I never over write any CF cards until I am done with a job and it's delivered. I bought a ton of CF cards (SanDisk) that were on sale when Costco had 4gig cards for $20.00 and 8 gig cards for $40.. I also shoot RAW and Large JPG. The JPG's get uploaded to hidden galleries on my Smugmug site before I process.

Art Scott

WingsOfLovePhoto wrote:

Yep i have a catalog, I can see the photos, they must not have been fully imported from the card...I formatted the card, tried 2 recovery programs and they aren't there..... But I can see them in lightroom. Is there any hope? I searched my computer and they don't exist

HAVE NOT READ WHOLE THREAD.......just breakin in here.........
Lexar (Image Rescue ) has a recovery software that has worked great for me........also another I have used is called Stellar Phoenix Photo recovery.....so supposed to get files that have been formatted over and written over......might be worth a try........

something you may want to start doing is to download all files of memory card toa file names somethng like straight off card......1........anything to let you know this is where it all begins....."START HERE" even........but get tyour files off the card and on toyou hdd and you should have a minimum opf 3 copies of all of your hardrives and files.....just in case of a fubah......like this



Good luck

WingsOfLovePhoto

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. I have been offered for someone in my IT department at the hospital where I work to use their super duper recovery software. They think they can retrieve them but I am not holding my breath! Another suggestion was to make a screen shot of the file in the lights out mode in LR and then drag that onto a template in photoshop. That has worked really well with the exception of one thing....the warning sign that the file is missing on the top of the picture. On some of them I can clone it out but not all without ruining the picture. Does anyone know how that might be turned off so it isn't viewed when you are in a 1:1 or fill screen mode?

jogle

I saw a plugin the other day that extracted the preview jpegs from your lightroom catalogue.

http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/preview-extraction

Much better then taking a screenshot.

WingsOfLovePhoto

jogle wrote:

I saw a plugin the other day that extracted the preview jpegs from your lightroom catalogue.

http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/preview-extraction

Much better then taking a screenshot.

Thanks jogle but what if they were all nef files? Would it still work?

wmm

In a last resort situation, maybe you could turn out all the lights at night, except for your monitor and set your camera up on a tripod and take a photo of the picture as it exists on your screen in Lightroom. You can frame the shot in with the photo only and not all of the other Lightroom screen information.

I have done this with actualphotos that I did not want to scan and it works very well if you expose properly.

Good Luck!