Lost Images In Lightroom

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glennk

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145
Name
Glenn
Edit My Images
Yes
Ok Guys this is what I assume has happened. Last night I shot some images and returned home to edit them. I thought I went through the normal process of importing them, but now I think that didnt happen.

I edited some up last night and all was fine. This morning I went to edit some more and I get that dreaded message, file could not be found. The images are not on my hard drive. I assume the images did not import as normal, for what ever reason, and I was working on them on the sd card.

Thinking the images were on my hard drive I have since formatted the card.Highly likely all the images are gone. Well not too much to worry about, there was a few nice ones but its not the end of the world. Ok trying to problem solve now.

1. Viewing previous import shows the images and shows them stored on my memory card. Obviously I formatted memory card so they are no longer there. Im guessing there is no chance they are stored anywhere else on my pc ??

2. Why did the images not import to my hard drive like they normally do ?? Have I somehow imported them differently without realising ?
 
What steps did you take to import them? What are the default settings on your import screen? Which folder would they import to?
 
Broric said:
What steps did you take to import them? What are the default settings on your import screen? Which folder would they import to?
Click to expand...

^^This^^

Without knowing your importing workflow, it's rather difficult to diagnose what went wrong

Also, it should be possible to recover data that has been erased from an SD as long as you haven't over-written the whole card yet, there are plenty of free to use programs around on the net for recovering deleted files
 
Lightroom gives you the option to save the images to a second drive at import. I use this option as well as normal backup using Carbon Copy Cloner. The second drive does not need to be large as you can delete the files if you want as soon as you are sure all is well.
 
This has happened to me a couple of times but don't know the cause. Like you, once I formatted my card before realising not all the files had imported.

Now, my process is to keep the memory card in the PC card reader until my retouching workflow is complete on those images and they are backed up to my NAS. Until this is done, I use my other SD cards in my camera. System works well for me.
 
Chappers said:
Lightroom gives you the option to save the images to a second drive at import. I use this option as well as normal backup using Carbon Copy Cloner. The second drive does not need to be large as you can delete the files if you want as soon as you are sure all is well.
Click to expand...


I tend to do much the same, a portable hard drive for a second set on import.
 
If you formated your card in camera the files may be recoverable with file recovery software from the card maker, worth a try as it is normally free,
Pete
 
Sounds like you may have 'added' rather than moved....
Did you create full size previews? That’s a possible route of recovery. You could also try card recovery software.

As an a side, it may be worth looking at your backup process.
 
A possible workflow is to copy from camera card to a local hd folder, to start with. Then disconnect card reader to avoid confusion and import to LR from that local hd folder.

Back up these files as preferred from local machine. Format card in camera.
 
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