# Missing Folders Question



## Madocus (Apr 30, 2018)

I have seen in different forums threads where others have had folders go missing from the Library yet the folders do still exist when you export - so no images are missing. I notice that not all my folders have gone missing but suspect it is only the ones where I have a second set of the same images. My protocol is to import by year and month and then keyword to sort images. My Library therefore appears as  just a list of years running from 2000 to 2018 and when you open each year you get months 1 to 12 and so on. All the images are correct and present here. 

On a occasion I have created a subject folder (so not date specific) which can be added to over a long period for a specific client which has a second copy of "master" copy in the date order library. It is these that I think are now not showing but just wondered if anyone can confirm I may be correct here? Because of the keywording fortunately I am not having a problem locating my images and in fact my solution has been to create smart collections which I suspect is what I have should have been doing all along! It is just strange that I have been able to see these additional folders in the library until very recently. There was any update the other day so maybe that has changed something? I would be interested in views?


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## Johan Elzenga (Apr 30, 2018)

First of all, we have to define what a 'missing' folder is. In Lightroom terms that usually does not mean that the folder is nowhere to be found, but that Lightroom shows a question mark in front of the name, and the name is in _italics_. That means that Lightroom has 'lost the connection'; the folder is not where Lightroom expects it to be. In this case the images will also still be in the catalog as usual, but there is a small exclamation mark indicating that the image is also 'missing' in the same sense. Unless you made smart previews for these images. In that case you won't see an exclamation mark and you can work with the images as usual.

If a folder is really missing, meaning it has completely disappeared from the folder panel, there must be another reason. It's possible that the folder was removed from the catalog (user error). In that case the images will also no longer be in the catalog. It's also possible that the folder is only hidden.  Lightroom Classic allows you to search by folder name, so if you have an active search on '2018' for example, then only those folders will show.


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## Jim Wilde (Apr 30, 2018)

Madocus said:


> On a occasion I have created a subject folder (so not date specific) which can be added to over a long period for a specific client which has a second copy of "master" copy in the date order library. It is these that I think are now not showing.....



Could you clarify this comment? I'm reading that to mean that you have the images stored in two separate folders, one is the usual data-based folder and the other in the "subject specific" folder. If that's correct then it means you must be copying the images outside Lightroom (because LR can't do that), then importing (or synchronising) from the "subject specific" folder after first unchecking the "Don't import suspected duplicates" option in the Import dialog.

Or do you really mean that you create "subject specific" *collections, *which are different things entirely (and which would be a much more logical choice than physically duplicating images, as you have discovered with your use of smart collections).


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## Madocus (Apr 30, 2018)

JohanElzenga said:


> First of all, we have to define what a 'missing' folder is. In Lightroom terms that usually does not mean that the folder is nowhere to be found, but that Lightroom shows a question mark in front of the name, and the name is in _italics_. That means that Lightroom has 'lost the connection'; the folder is not where Lightroom expects it to be. In this case the images will also still be in the catalog as usual, but there is a small exclamation mark indicating that the image is also 'missing' in the same sense. Unless you made smart previews for these images. In that case you won't see an exclamation mark and you can work with the images as usual.
> 
> If a folder is really missing, meaning it has completely disappeared from the folder panel, there must be another reason. It's possible that the folder was removed from the catalog (user error). In that case the images will also no longer be in the catalog. It's also possible that the folder is only hidden.  Lightroom Classic allows you to search by folder name, so if you have an active search on '2018' for example, then only those folders will show.



Thanks Johan. I attach a couple of screen shots. There is no question mark. One screen shot shows the folders currently showing in the library and the other when looking to export the choice of destination folders (which used to show in the library panel on LHS). I have done nothing different to usual so don't think there is user error. I back up each time and everything else is normal. As I say I can find the images so it is not a significant problem but I am a bit puzzled. Also it is not just recent folders that I cannot see - some are the earliest and some the latest...


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## Madocus (Apr 30, 2018)

Jim Wilde said:


> Could you clarify this comment? I'm reading that to mean that you have the images stored in two separate folders, one is the usual data-based folder and the other in the "subject specific" folder. If that's correct then it means you must be copying the images outside Lightroom (because LR can't do that), then importing (or synchronising) from the "subject specific" folder after first unchecking the "Don't import suspected duplicates" option in the Import dialog.
> 
> Or do you really mean that you create "subject specific" *collections, *which are different things entirely (and which would be a much more logical choice than physically duplicating images, as you have discovered with your use of smart collections).


Hi Jim
If I cover say a sporting event I will import all files into year - month - name of event - masters, key wording on import. I then cull and sort and export into sub folders (jpegs usually) either for print or social media. So the event may have 4 subfolders for different uses. This will be for all competitors. As I am working for some specific competitors I have been going back to the master raw file and exporting a second identical copy but into a new specific named folder to build stock for that competitor. This has been name of competitor and is usually listed beneath the year dates in alphabetical order. It is these that are no longer visible. In my reply to Johan you can see a screen shot of my library beneath 2018 and a screen shot of the destination folders available showing all the additional folders I have set up in the past. Hope this helps explain things better


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## Johan Elzenga (Apr 30, 2018)

Madocus said:


> Thanks Johan. I attach a couple of screen shots. There is no question mark. One screen shot shows the folders currently showing in the library and the other when looking to export the choice of destination folders (which used to show in the library panel on LHS). I have done nothing different to usual so don't think there is user error. I back up each time and everything else is normal. As I say I can find the images so it is not a significant problem but I am a bit puzzled. Also it is not just recent folders that I cannot see - some are the earliest and some the latest...


I'm not sure I understand the problem. Export destination folders normally do not show in the library, unless you imported images from these folders back into the catalog again. If you did do that, and now they don't show anymore, then you must have removed them again somehow. Lightroom does not remove folders all by itself.


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## Gnits (Apr 30, 2018)

You can click a setting to include exports in your catalog.  This can be different for every export session and can be included in a preset. 

I have all my export presets configured to include, as I am working to a well worn workflow. 

Some people do NOT want their exports included in their catalog, mostly on the basis they can create them again. 

Many people are unaware of this export feature.  It can be useful.


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## Madocus (Apr 30, 2018)

Gnits said:


> You can click a setting to include exports in your catalog.  This can be different for every export session and can be included in a preset.
> 
> I have all my export presets configured to include, as I am working to a well worn workflow.
> 
> ...



Thanks for this. I wonder if I had that selected and have unintentionally deselected it. Would you mind telling me how you select that? Thanks very much.


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## Gnits (Apr 30, 2018)

It is in the Export  Location Tab.  I have standard exports which I always put into sub folders of the original. If I have 1000 images in a project folder I can quickly go to the exported subfolders to see which ones I actually used and why.  I could easy add a client name as the sub folder. I might have half a dozen for a particular reason (eg email/ web or to send to a printer or client).  This makes my particular workflow easy to find the actual outputs (which for me are the real heros). The original raw files are extremely valuable, but only if I need to rework them or use them for a different project. Also, in this way Lr is managing all of my images....


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