# Computer Crash - question



## yorkiemom (Nov 18, 2018)

I had to download a new version of LR Classic...do I need to import all my photos again or just direct it to the folder?


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 18, 2018)

You shouldn't need to do anything if all you did was download (and presumably install?) a new version of Classic. Just start it in the normal way and it should open the correct catalog and everything should be normal.

Of course, if you had to do more than just download and re-install Classic you need to tell us what.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 18, 2018)

Well I just downloaded a completely new version of Classic...I don't see anything but my photos are on a different drive now. I don't see anything though.


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 18, 2018)

That's a new empty catalog. You need to open the catalog that you were using before your crash. If that has not been restored, where is it? Or do you have catalog backups that you can access?


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## yorkiemom (Nov 18, 2018)

I have it on an external so assume I can just tell it where to find.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 18, 2018)

I didn't have the previous version on my machine. It went back to Dell for repair and they completed reinstalled Windows and my C drive with my programs were gone...so I have to go download another.  Does this mean because there was no previous version on my C drive now that I have to import?


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 19, 2018)

Norma, I'm still not clear what you still have available. Specifically, we need to know if the Lightroom *catalog* (i.e. the file ending in .*lrcat*) was on the C drive (and is presumably therefore lost). And assuming that's the case, we also need to know if you have catalog backups on another drive.

If you have neither, then yes you will have to reimport, but as that would lose all the work that you've done over the years then that's absolutely the last resort. Let us know what you have in the way of catalog availability.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 19, 2018)

Yes so sorry not to show those...I have the the following and I had backups on an external because I had had a problem with LR earlier that year.


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 20, 2018)

Norma, if you don't have a current version of the master catalog anywhere, you'll have to use the last backup that you took. To do that, you first need to unzip it (Lightroom automatically zips catalog backups now), then move it into the same location on the C drive that the new empty catalog was created. It may have the same name as that empty catalog, in which case you would simply replace the new empty catalog with the copy of the unzipped backup catalog, then start Lightroom as normal. If the picture folders are in the same place as they were before the crash, everything should appear as normal. 

If not, get back to us for further help.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 20, 2018)

So I directed to where my folder with photos are and it showed them...but with all checkmarks and down the bottom saying import (and top "add)). ???


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## yorkiemom (Nov 20, 2018)

Sorry forgot the attachment.


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 20, 2018)

That's the Import dialog, which you shouldn't be using unless you are doing an import. Press the Cancel button bottom-right, then post a screenshot of the Folders Panel in the Library module.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 20, 2018)

Here you go...


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 20, 2018)

Norma, that's the same new empty catalog you were using earlier. You need to be opening the last backup from before the crash, see my earlier post.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 21, 2018)

Ok my program on my C drive but my backups are on an external (F) because of the computer crash.


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 21, 2018)

Where the program is installed is irrelevant to the issue at hand, which is trying to get the backup catalog brought into use. 

Do this:

Start Lightroom (which will open that empty catalog). Then in Lightroom go to the Edit menu and select Catalog Settings, then in the resulting dialog box select the General Tab. That will tell you the name and the path of the open catalog, and if you click on Show that will show you the catalog in the Explorer window. It is THAT file that you need to replace with the unzipped backup catalog that you are showing in the earlier screenshot....do that after closing Lightroom and then when you restart it will open the backup catalog but from the correct location.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 21, 2018)

I never have any problems with LR except when I lose my catalog...and I think I may have done something wrong because I have all question marks on each phone along the left side in the folders...


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 21, 2018)

Well, let's have a screenshot of the Folders Panel. The likely explanation is that the drive letter of the external drive has changed following the OS rebuild, which if so is a simple fix. A screenshot of the external drive showing where your pictures are locate would also help.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 21, 2018)

Okay...here you go.


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## Jim Wilde (Nov 21, 2018)

As suspected, the drive letters are different. Easiest fix is to right-click on the My Pictures folder in the Folders Panel, and in the resulting file browser window, navigate to and select the My Pictures folder on the Seagate drive (F). That should hopefully reconnect to all your pictures.


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## yorkiemom (Nov 21, 2018)

Yep thought so and you were right! Thanks so much for all the help!


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