# I messed up !!!



## Lincoln Landers (May 25, 2017)

I imported some wedding files into Lightroom and re-used the card re formatted and took about 900 pics on top of that.  fast forward a few days later I go into Lightroom to edit and their is no folder for the files! In a panic I search Lightroom hi and low and I find thumbnails of all the pictures in a smart catalog but that doesn't help because it says files are missing. I'm just lost and upset with myself is there anything I can do to salvage anything? If I could just get a thumbnail to at least upload to the web anything.


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## clee01l (May 25, 2017)

Welcome to the forum.  When LR tells yo the the files are missing, it also tells you where they were located after LR imported them.  Is that a folder on your disk drive or a removable drive that is not currently connected.   If you chose the camera card that you were importing FROM as a destination Location, then having reformatted that card will make things more difficult if not impossible to recover. 

Additionally, on import, there is an option to "Make a second copy to..." in the file handling panel.  Was that checked and if so, where was this "second copy" location?


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## Lincoln Landers (May 25, 2017)

Yes for whatever reason the files were imported and then stored back to the same SD card which didn't make sense to me, That is not a practice I use when importing pictures. At best I'm hoping to be able to get a thumbnail large enough to screen shot it so that the client can at least see the photos in a web gallery.


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## oleleclos (May 25, 2017)

Or maybe you did not Copy or Move but Add the photos - in which case the files would have been left where they were:


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## Johan Elzenga (May 25, 2017)

oleleclos said:


> Or maybe you did not Copy or Move but Add the photos - in which case the files would have been left where they were:
> 
> View attachment 9425



That should not be possible with a memory card. The 'Move' and 'Add' options should be dimmed. What is possible however is selecting the memory card as destination for the copies...


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## Lincoln Landers (May 25, 2017)

Guys I'm not sure what happen I have been using lightroom with success for years !!!! And it doesn't help to see the thumbnails of the files I need.


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## Roelof Moorlag (May 25, 2017)

Jeffrey Freidl has a plugin that will extract JPEGs from previews Preview-Cache Image Extraction.


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## clee01l (May 25, 2017)

Lincoln Landers said:


> Guys I'm not sure what happen I have been using lightroom with success for years !!!! And it doesn't help to see the thumbnails of the files I need.


I didn't get a response to the question about "Make a second copy..." setting   If you did not make a second copy for a temporary backup then you now understand why it is important to do so. 

Also there was an option to make Smart Previews.  These are process quality DNGs that can substitute for the original.  If you don't have those, then you can recover low-med quality JPEGs from the standard previews using this: Jeffrey's "Extract Cached Image Previews" Lightroom Plugin.


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## Lincoln Landers (May 25, 2017)

Roelof Moorlag said:


> Jeffrey Freidl has a plugin that will extract JPEGs from previews Preview-Cache Image Extraction.


I'm going to try it as soon as I get home thank you so much if this work the beer is on me !!!!!!!


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## Lincoln Landers (May 25, 2017)

clee01l said:


> I didn't get a response to the question about "Make a second copy..." setting   If you did not make a second copy for a temporary backup then you now understand why it is important to do so.
> 
> Also there was an option to make Smart Previews.  These are process quality DNGs that can substitute for the original.  If you don't have those, then you can recover low-med quality JPEGs from the standard previews using this: Jeffrey's "Extract Cached Image Previews" Lightroom Plugin.


I'm sorry no I did not make a second copy. I really have to change the way I do things I cant have this happen again. Thank you for the plugin I hope this works !!!


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## clee01l (May 25, 2017)

I guess I ask too many questions at once   How about Smart Previews?  Did you create those on import?  They would be a better source than standard previews


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## Lincoln Landers (May 26, 2017)

Ok guys I want to first say thank you too all I was able to extract the files they are small but it is a start my goal is to take the thumbnails and upload them to a web gallery or anything that will give the apprence of the files being normal. Is that possible or am I asking for to much ?


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## clee01l (May 26, 2017)

"Normal"  is subjective.  Only you can determine if what you have is acceptable after you upload them to the web gallery.  On1 Resize uses the Genuine Fractals technology to UpSize low res images with some success.
ON1 Resize 10.5 – ON1, Inc.


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## Lincoln Landers (May 26, 2017)

I just need the images to be viewable since I can't recover the original files but I understand completely what you mean. Thank you for the info.


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