# Assertion Failed! Victim



## OldWhizzKid (Mar 17, 2018)

Operating System:Win7
Exact Lightroom Version: 6.2

I'm the latest "Assertion Failed !" victim.  I've had this problem before when trying to clean out older version .lrdata folders from my Lightroom folder in \Libraries\Pictures.  Even though they were for LR 5, when I moved them I got the error message.  So I moved them back.  

Now, after finally recovering from a Windows Update-caused crash a month or so back and having to use an old catalog, I was going to merge some newly edited images back to a backup and got the message. Even going back to the catalog I've been using lately gives the same message.

I see this problem is going back and forth, any new ideas?

OWK


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## Rob_Cullen (Mar 17, 2018)

This error is answered by Adobe here-
"Assertion failed" update error in Lightroom | Windows

It happens because Lightroom does not recognize or understand the (virtual) folders that windows calls "Pictures", "Music", etc, that are shown in "Libraries".
Anything you do in Lightroom should be directed to the actual physical folder names in their full path. So do not use {Libraries\Pictures}, but instead use {C:\Users\your name\Pictures}


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## OldWhizzKid (Mar 18, 2018)

If that's the problem, then maybe it was when I got the select catalog dialog on startup and picked one of them listed with a virtual path?  The locations of LR, the catalog(s), and image files (external) haven't changed for years.  This problem is on launch. I don't get a dialog anymore to select another catalog, just "Assertion Failed!".

But anyway, using the Adobe solution provided, when I try to create a "Pictures" folder, Windows says that I already have one, probably referring to the "My Pictures" folder.  When in the folder "My Pictures" in Explorer, clicking on the address bar changes the actual address to C:\Users\User\Pictures.  Windows asks if I want to merge the folder I'm creating with "My Pictures", and saying yes or no seems to give the same result.

I see also that the solution refers to version 5.  And I have version 6.12 (not 6.2 as I said earlier).

I'll restart and see if there is still a problem.

Thanks,

OWK


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## OldWhizzKid (Mar 18, 2018)

Eh... no change.  Everything was correct in the registry according to the Adobe solution.  I forgot to mention, if I right-click on a catalog, current or backup, after the usual "Assertion Failed!",  LR creates in addition to .lrcat, a .lrcat.lock and a .lrcat-lock set of files.  I'm assuming this leaves the catalog open/unusable while in this state.

Any way can I force-invoke the catalog select dialog on launch?  Can just reinstalling LR possibly fix this?

Restoring this drive could fix this I bet, but it puts me back in the situation I was trying to fix, namely with an old catalog which is missing recent edits.

So ready for round two....

OWK


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## Rob_Cullen (Mar 19, 2018)

Back to the start- You are "moving" LRDATA files? Why?  LRDATA folders are your previews for the Lightroom Catalog. You can delete them entirely and Lightroom will start re-creating them when running. How do you know they were for LR5?

"if I right-click on a catalog, current or backup,"  
Why? Are you trying to open a Catalog? Normally you would not try to open a backup catalog unless you have catalog corruption problems.

"LR creates in addition to .lrcat, a .lrcat.lock"
Yes this is usual. When a catalog is open there is always a .LOCK file created. When you close Lightroom the .LOCK file is deleted.  If it remains because of a computer crash then you can use the OS to delete the .LOCK file before a restart.

"Any way can I force-invoke the catalog select dialog on launch?"
Yes, Press and hold down the [ALT] key when you start Lightroom from the Start menu. A dialog opens that shows all the Catalogs that LR can find. You can then select and open. And there is an option in the Preferences for "Default Catalog" that can make this dialog the default at every start.

"Can just reinstalling LR possibly fix this?"
No. But often a reset of the Preferences file can fix some problems.

"Restoring this drive could fix this I bet, but it puts me back in the situation I was trying to fix, namely with an old catalog which is missing recent edits."
So I am still having a problem understanding why you would want to restore a drive.
Can you explain if detail steps exactly what you are trying to do, and where is your catalog with the "recent edits"?


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## Paul McFarlane (Mar 19, 2018)

OldWhizzKid said:


> Any way can I force-invoke the catalog select dialog on launch?  Can just reinstalling LR possibly fix this?
> OWK



Just to add to I-See_light's good and comprehensive answer, the other way os to find the catalog file you wish to open (in Explorer) and just double-click it - it should be associated with Lightroom and LR will then open it (ensure the file extension is .lrcat else you may be trying to open the Previews, etc)

Then in Preferences you can change (assuming this catalog opens) the option to ask for the catalog to open each time

Paul


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