# Unresponsiveness of LR 9.2.1



## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 30, 2020)

Have been having issues with LR 9.2.1 for a few weeks now. If left open and not saved entire folders are greyed out and upon clicking on a greyed image, the screen says it's loading. It doesn't. I've had to close LR and reopen and then all is well. Today, all is not well: LR does not open at all and have had to force quit. Any ideas on reason and a fix? Many thanks


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## clee01l (May 31, 2020)

How much free space is on your primary disk for working storage and the Swapfile?   How much RAM on the computer?

If both of these answers are adequate, then open one empty catalog and import a few photos.  Is LR anymore responsive with a new catalog?

Depending upon your answers, there are further steps to be taken to isolate the issue.


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 31, 2020)

I have 496.8 GB available out of 1.12. My RAM is 32 GB. Have no idea what a Swapfile is.
How do I open  an empty catalog? LR doesn't open. Should I try opening a backup?


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## clee01l (May 31, 2020)

How recent was the upgrade to Catalina?

To Open Lightroom with a new catalog  Press and hold the {Optn} key while clicking on the  Lightroom Classic app icon.  You can then choose a new catalog from the dialog that opens.
If this does not help,  You may need to reset the preferences file located in /Users/_{userID}_/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Preferences/.   Press the {Optn} key while clicking on the {Go}menu item in Finder to expose the Library submenu item.   Rename preferences and restart Lightroom Classic.  This will force Lightroom Classic to create a fresh Preferences file.


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 31, 2020)

I upgraded to Catalina shortly after it was released.
The Option key worked, I opened a new catalog and successfully imported 4 images. Now how do I return to my original catalog where all my images/edits reside?
Thanks again for your help!


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## clee01l (May 31, 2020)

Alexander Mavrogordato said:


> I upgraded to Catalina shortly after it was released.
> The Option key worked, I opened a new catalog and successfully imported 4 images. Now how do I return to my original catalog where all my images/edits reside?
> Thanks again for your help!


Now we need to determine where the problem lies with your existing catalog.  
Rename the preferences file as I instructed to force Lightroom to create a new preferences file. Thenopen your original catalog and report whether Lightroom is now responsive or if the problem exists.

Should the problem be in a corrupt master catalog file, how recent is your last catalog back up and do you have a backup catalog that represents the state of Lightroom before this problem started?


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 31, 2020)

I can not find the path to rename the preferences file. Could you please elaborate? What would I rename the file when I find it?
I believe I do have earlier backups I could resort to


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## clee01l (May 31, 2020)

clee01l said:


> the preferences file located in /Users/_{userID}_/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Preferences/. Press the {Optn} key while clicking on the {Go}menu item in Finder to expose the Library submenu item


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 31, 2020)

I do not seem to have the preferences you refer to


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## clee01l (May 31, 2020)

Drill down in the USERs folder for your user Library. You are showing the System Library. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 31, 2020)

Where am I going wrong in this navigation?


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 31, 2020)

I restored LR from a recent backup, trashed the catalog that was giving me problems and the backup seems to be working. I just hope that continues. Thanks for your help!


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## clee01l (Jun 1, 2020)

Alexander Mavrogordato said:


> I restored LR from a recent backup, trashed the catalog that was giving me problems and the backup seems to be working. I just hope that continues. Thanks for your help!



That is not what I recommended. I simply asked if you had a recent backup. It does not fix what went wrong. And it might not prevent the issue returning with the back up catalog.

If you are happy with what you have, the neither of us needs to spend any more time on this. If the problem returns, come back and we will dig deeper. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 1, 2020)

I went to the backup because I needed to get some images out. 
You are correct that it did not fix the issue. Today, most (probably all) my images are greyed out. As i said earlier, I could not find the User Library path you told me to follow. I sent a screen shot of my dead end. Where did I err?


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## clee01l (Jun 2, 2020)

Alexander Mavrogordato said:


> I went to the backup because I needed to get some images out.
> You are correct that it did not fix the issue. Today, most (probably all) my images are greyed out. As i said earlier, I could not find the User Library path you told me to follow. I sent a screen shot of my dead end. Where did I err?


In the screen shot where you have selected Library, you should have selected "Users"   In the "Users" Folder, there is a folder for your User ID, Click on that and you will find your User Library Folder.   

When you unzipped the backup catalog file, you need to copy it to the location of your master catalog file before opening it. (Rename the master catalog file temporarily before you copy. Do not delete it  ) This will make the relative path from that catalog file to the location of each of your image match what is stored in that backup catalog copy.


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 2, 2020)

Re your first point, I can not find my User Library Folder. I attach a screenshot.

Re your second point, I did precisely that


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## clee01l (Jun 2, 2020)

Explicitly follow these instructions that I posted previously 


clee01l said:


> Press the {Optn} key while clicking on the {Go} menu item in Finder to expose the Library submenu item. Rename preferences and restart Lightroom Classic. This will force Lightroom Classic to create a fresh Preferences file.


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 2, 2020)

You're going to think I'm a dunce but for the life oof me I can not find the Library submenu. Any other suggestions?
I appreciate your patience!


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## Roelof Moorlag (Jun 2, 2020)

Library subfolder is a hidden folder, that is why it is not visible when you enter the <USERID> folder. You can make it visable with the actions described by Cletus "Press the {Optn} key while clicking on the {Go} menu item in Finder to expose the Library submenu item." 
If you follow these steps you should be able to find this folder and open it.

There is an alternative to secure the present preference folder and that is by using this plugin from John. R. Ellis: snapshotprefs.1.1.zip


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## PhilBurton (Jun 3, 2020)

Roelof Moorlag said:


> Library subfolder is a hidden folder, that is why it is not visible when you enter the <USERID> folder. You can make it visable with the actions described by Cletus "Press the {Optn} key while clicking on the {Go} menu item in Finder to expose the Library submenu item."
> If you follow these steps you should be able to find this folder and open it.
> 
> There is an alternative to secure the present preference folder and that is by using this plugin from John. R. Ellis: snapshotprefs.1.1.zip


Roelof,

I'm curious as to how you found this plug-in.

Phil Burton


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## Roelof Moorlag (Jun 3, 2020)

PhilBurton said:


> I'm curious as to how you found this plug-in.


I do not remember how i found it but all the plugins I come across i put in an excel sheet to keep overview. Most of the times there is a webpage available with information about the plug-in but i don't believe there is one for this plug-in. John does not mention it on his website.


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## johnrellis (Jun 3, 2020)

I haven't publicized my Snapshot Prefs plugin, which automatically maintains snapshots of your preferences file over time. I wrote it as part of a discussion about the architectural design flaws in LR's preferences file:
https://feedback.photoshop.com/phot...t[settings][reply_id]=19950078#reply_19950078
I also posted a simple suggestion for making backup copies of the preferences when the user does Reset Preferences, but Adobe hasn't acted on it:
https://feedback.photoshop.com/phot...ences-should-save-a-backup-of-the-preferences
(Phil and Victoria both voted for the suggestion :->)


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 4, 2020)

Gentlemen, Thank you for your efforts. It's obvious I'm a neophyte in matters software. I do not understand the bowels of LR.
I did manage to find the Preferences folder under Library (screenshot attached )and discovered I have dozens, maybe hundreds, of preferences. Which do I rename? Then restart LR?


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 4, 2020)

The screenshot I mentioned was rejected for being too large. Hopefully this one works


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## Roelof Moorlag (Jun 4, 2020)

It's this file:



Be sure to rename it when Lightroom is not running.


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (May 30, 2020)

Have been having issues with LR 9.2.1 for a few weeks now. If left open and not saved entire folders are greyed out and upon clicking on a greyed image, the screen says it's loading. It doesn't. I've had to close LR and reopen and then all is well. Today, all is not well: LR does not open at all and have had to force quit. Any ideas on reason and a fix? Many thanks


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## clee01l (Jun 5, 2020)

Alexander Mavrogordato said:


> Gentlemen, Thank you for your efforts. It's obvious I'm a neophyte in matters software. I do not understand the bowels of LR.
> I did manage to find the Preferences folder under Library (screenshot attached )and discovered I have dozens, maybe hundreds, of preferences. Which do I rename? Then restart LR?


The Path is as follows located in /Users/_{userID}_/Library/*Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Preferences/*.


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## Johan Elzenga (Jun 5, 2020)

clee01l said:


> The Path is as follows located in /Users/_{userID}_/Library/*Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Preferences/*.


No, that is not where the general Lightroom preferences are. They are in users/username/library/preferences.






The path you mention contains a separate 'Startup Preferences.agprefs' file.


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## clee01l (Jun 5, 2020)

Johan Elzenga said:


> No, that is not where the general Lightroom preferences are. They are in users/username/library/preferences.
> 
> View attachment 14693
> 
> The path you mention contains a separate 'Startup Preferences.agprefs' file.


Yes, you are correct, I just grabbed the first one I found,


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 6, 2020)

In the attached screen shot I display the Adobe preferences in the folder. I don't see any Lightroom ones other than adobe.Adobe-Lightroom-Helper.plist
Is that the one I should rename and then open Lightroom?


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## Jim Wilde (Jun 6, 2020)

Have you scrolled further down....the prefs file is "com.adobe.LightroomClassicCC7.plist".


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## Alexander Mavrogordato (Jun 6, 2020)

Somehow (not quite sure how) I found the pesky folder, have renamed it, opened Lightroom and magically a new plist folder was created. I will now see if Lightroom does not grey out my images as before.
Thanks to all for your patience and help.


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