Lightroom: "The file named " . . . " is offline or missing"

[DNG]

I suggest you create a new catalog..make sure Lr open with the Catalog Dialog to choose or create a catalog top menu bar:

Edit/Preferences/General Tab/Default Catalog: Prompt me when opening Lightroom
You will lose any Lr edits, but, this way, you have a clean start... I assume since you are new to Lr, you have not done a lot edits yet...maybe a few tests?

With Lr, everything that relates to editing, moving, renaming, deleting files, MUST be done IN-LIGHTROOM...So Lr knows what has happened, and will respond correctly..
IF, you edit a Lr Export outside of Lr in a separate program, you MUST IMPORT THAT edit into Lr via the Lr Import panel.
I do edit Lr Exports in CC at times, and this is the method I use to have the new edit show up in Lr.

To access your Backup, make sure you have the "Choose or Create" dialog open at the Start-Up of Lr. Then you can use the "<browse> button to locate it for Lr. (As described above)

 

[Godfrey]

Godfrey: When I download to Aperture, I connect the camera to the USB. Aperture pulls in the thumbnails and shows them to me. There's a message, "Import X# of files." If there are any I don't want imported, I unclick those, then I click to start importing. If the image is not coming from a camera, but is already in the computer someplace, I put it on the desktop and drag it into Aperture. I don't know the difference between "managed" and "referenced." That's new territory to me.

Everyone: You are getting through to me that everything I do with Lightroom must be done within LR. But the only (intentional) moving I've done was when I tried to drag an icon from Finder to LR. Personally, I believe LR crashed on me during the "backing up" activity (which I evidently shouldn't have initiated).

Both ways you are pulling photos into Aperture are copying them into Aperture's library, they are managed files. You have to set the import mode explicitly to import them by reference. By reference means that it doesn't copy them, it just stores the file path.

When you are using Aperture in managed file mode, since it is copying them into the library, they remain there even if you delete the originals from the card or Desktop.

Lightroom ONLY operates by reference, so if you dragged files into the catalog from the desktop, it stored the file paths. If you then deleted them or moved than from the Desktop to somewhere else, you broke the file paths in the catalog: LR cannot find them. When you import from a card with LR, it always copies the files to somewhere on the hard drive first, then imports the file paths.

If you dragged them from the Desktop into LR and then deleted them from the Desktop, they are gone unless they were backed up into Time Machine. TM runs hourly so it's possible it caught them.

Again, this is the fundamental difference between the two apps with respect to files in the file system. When adding files to LR from the computer drive, put them where you want them to be permanently first and Add them, or use the tools in the import window to Move them to where you want them. From the point where they are in LR onwards, move them around in the file system using the Folders panel in LR or export them from within LR for use in other apps.

Do use the videos to learn how to use LR correctly. It's not hard, but it is different from using Aperture with respect to handling files.

G

 

[Rob-F]

Well, I got as far as typing in the file name in the finder upper right. But it didn't come up with anything. DSF6154.RAF would be a valid filename, I assume? That's what it shows for the one I selected to try.

I did manage to find a few of them by hunting through "Pictures." I don't know how they got there, but I managed to get them back into LR. Library now claims there are 54 pictures, not 92. Are the others gone for good? And of the 54, It only shows me about 37 that I pulled back from pictures. When I search for the others, it keeps showing me the same folders I got the 34 from, which makes no sense.

 

[bobbyrab]

Most of the Fuji files start with an underscore, so _DSF615. That said if I type DSF into my own finder it immediately starts to list all my Fuji files that start _DSF, so I don't know why your Mac isn't showing you the Fuji files you've actually found already, at some point early in its life it would index the contents of it's HD and should automatically add to that as you add content, I've never found a Mac that didn't find a file that was on it's drive. You should test it by searching for files you know are there.

To be honest I think the best thing you could do would be to find someone who knows both Mac and Lightroom to have a look at it for you, I'm fairly sure your images will be on the drive somewhere, you've just inadvertently moved them somewhere, this would have caused problems had it been Aperture or LR. As far as I know, LR will save images into the picture folder by default unless you specify another folder.

 

[Rob-F]

Yes I did find some in the picture folder. I also looked under "all images," didn't see them, but there are so many there, I might have overlooked them.

 

[Rob-F]

SHould I click on "this MAC" or my name; "Contents" or "File Name?"

How long should the search take?

 

[Rob-F]

OK. I found them in folders in "Pictures." One of them is labeled "backups." Clicking that shows three more folders, one with six items, and two with one item each. Should I drag these into LR? That would be wrong, I guess.

What to do? If I drag them to LR, where in LR should they go?

Hot on the trail, just gotta know how to do it . . .

 

[Duane Pandorf]

Yes I did find some in the picture folder. I also looked under "all images," didn't see them, but there are so many there, I might have overlooked them.

Rob, when you started this venture using Lightroom did you import these "lost" photographs from your camera's memory card or were they already on your computer?

If they were already on your computer where were they originally located?

I think I read above that you've been using Aperture. If these photographs were already in Aperture are they still there?

Hopefully with some answers to these questions I think I can help you get back on track.

 

[bobbyrab]

I think we need to know a few things first Rob if that's ok. Have you still got the original files on the cameras SD card. If you haven't, had you made any adjustments to the files in Lightroom that you don't want to have to redo.

My workflow is to create a folder on my HD with the event name, I then manually copy the card straight from the card reader into that file as a drag and drop. I then drag that folder over the Lightroom icon in the dock, and Lightroom asks me if I want to import. As a default in Lightroom, if the images are already in a folder on the computer it will generate the thumbnails and leave the raw files in their folder rather than copy them into the picture folder. I find this way it's very clear where my images are as I've named the folder. If you import the files from the SD card and leave Lightroom to automate everything, it puts them in date titled folders in the picture folder, but to me it is not as clear as controlling the order myself.

 

[Godfrey]

OK. I found them in folders in "Pictures." One of them is labeled "backups." Clicking that shows three more folders, one with six items, and two with one item each. Should I drag these into LR? That would be wrong, I guess.

What to do? If I drag them to LR, where in LR should they go?

Hot on the trail, just gotta know how to do it . . .

You didn't watch in the import window where Lightroom was going to put the files when you did the import. The Destination panel for an import is the lower-most list on the right hand panel.

To clean up what's in LR at present,

- in the Library module, choose Library > New Folder from the menus
- navigate to your Pictures folder
- click the New Folder button and name it "LR-images"
- click choose

You'll now have a new folder in the Folders panel and on disk.

As you find the images that are scattered at present in Lightroom, drag their image icon to the Folders panel and drop them into the "LR-images" folder you just created. This moves them on disk into that location.

In the future, when you're doing an import, be sure the Destination panel pointer is on that folder and the mode is set to Move or Copy. All your image files will be placed there. If you pick one of the option to create subfolders by date, etc, it will create the subfolders in that location if that's where you put the pointer.

G

 

[Godfrey]

...
My workflow is to create a folder on my HD with the event name, I then manually copy the card straight from the card reader into that file as a drag and drop. I then drag that folder over the Lightroom icon in the dock, and Lightroom asks me if I want to import. As a default in Lightroom, if the images are already in a folder on the computer it will generate the thumbnails and leave the raw files in their folder rather than copy them into the picture folder. I find this way it's very clear where my images are as I've named the folder. If you import the files from the SD card and leave Lightroom to automate everything, it puts them in date titled folders in the picture folder, but to me it is not as clear as controlling the order myself.

You can create the destination for your files in the Import window and have Lightroom put everything exactly where you want too. You don't need to do it manually outside of LR first and then Add.

I do all of this management and manipulation from within LR. It makes it easy to get exactly what I want, where I want. I have import templates set up to manage the process in several different ways depending on the sources for the files, and the intent in using them.

G

 

[Duane Pandorf]

I would highly recommend "investing" in a course that walks a new Lightroom user through the process of working with the program.

Last night Scott Kelby and gang did a hangout about switching from Aperture to Lightroom. It can be seen again here: http://kelbyone.com/aperture-to-lightroom/

I can also recommend George Jardine's Lightroom videos: http://mulita.com/blog/?page_id=3084

And also Peter Krough's "The Dam Book" http://thedambook.com/

 

[Godfrey]

I would highly recommend "investing" in a course that walks a new Lightroom user through the process of working with the program.

Last night Scott Kelby and gang did a hangout about switching from Aperture to Lightroom. It can be seen again here: http://kelbyone.com/aperture-to-lightroom/

I can also recommend George Jardine's Lightroom videos: http://mulita.com/blog/?page_id=3084

And also Peter Krough's "The Dam Book" http://thedambook.com/

I've recommended Julianne Kost's Lightroom video tutorials several times, up thread. They're free.

G

 

[Rob-F]

Rob, when you started this venture using Lightroom did you import these "lost" photographs from your camera's memory card or were they already on your computer?

If they were already on your computer where were they originally located?

I think I read above that you've been using Aperture. If these photographs were already in Aperture are they still there?

Hopefully with some answers to these questions I think I can help you get back on track.

Duane: They were downloaded from the cameras via USB. They didn't come from Aperture or elsewhere in the computer.

 

[Rob-F]

I was about to give it another try, when I got a message that Lightroom needs to quit. When I re-booted it, there were no pictures left at all. Zero.

I think this is a program for IT people, those with microsoft certification, or something like that. For me, it just keeps getting worse!

 

[bobbyrab]

You can create the destination for your files in the Import window and have Lightroom put everything exactly where you want too. You don't need to do it manually outside of LR first and then Add.

I do all of this management and manipulation from within LR. It makes it easy to get exactly what I want, where I want. I have import templates set up to manage the process in several different ways depending on the sources for the files, and the intent in using them.

G

Thanks, I know this but for me my event folder may contain 3 or 4 sub folders as I prefer to keep a each card I download from an event in it's own folder. I'm sure this is also doable in LR, but I find it easier, and this may be my imagining, quicker than doing it through LR.
I also never use the functionality of adding metadata and as I deal with so many files (weddings) I don't keep folders in Lightroom much beyond the edit in order that the catalogue doesn't become too bloated.

 

[bobbyrab]

I was about to give it another try, when I got a message that Lightroom needs to quit. When I re-booted it, there were no pictures left at all. Zero.

I think this is a program for IT people, those with microsoft certification, or something like that. For me, it just keeps getting worse!

It might be an idea to get support from Adobe, that sounds like there's something fundamentaly wrong with the software.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks, I know this but for me my event folder may contain 3 or 4 sub folders as I prefer to keep a each card I download from an event in it's own folder. I'm sure this is also doable in LR, but I find it easier, and this may be my imagining, quicker than doing it through LR.
I also never use the functionality of adding metadata and as I deal with so many files (weddings) I don't keep folders in Lightroom much beyond the edit in order that the catalogue doesn't become too bloated.

However you want to work the process is up to you. Lightroom is agnostic about it. I find it easier to be consistent by using the automation available and working within Lightroom.

It's hard for a catalog to become "bloated" ... what does that mean? I have 88,000 photos in my working catalog, and 345,000+ in my compendium archive catalog. They both work just fine. I keep everything. A good bit of LR's value is in managing my photos, whether on-line or in off-line volumes.

Godfrey

 

[Godfrey]

I was about to give it another try, when I got a message that Lightroom needs to quit. When I re-booted it, there were no pictures left at all. Zero.

I think this is a program for IT people, those with microsoft certification, or something like that. For me, it just keeps getting worse!

What does "giving it another try" mean?

LR is not a program for IT people; I've never touched a Windows system either. It was designed by engineers who are photographers (Thomas Knoll and his staff) for photography... ;-)

If you don't want to learn how to use it by signing up for a course or watching the videos, and learning how it works, you'll always be frustrated.

As I said before this: you don't have much in LR. Now that you've found where your files are, collect them together and delete the catalog folder. Watch a couple of the "Getting started with Lightroom 5" videos, and start over from scratch.

G

 

[Rob-F]

Okay, Progress! I dragged some files from Finder onto the desktop. I remembered one of you said I could drag and drop right into the LR icon on the dock. I did this. With a lot of trial and error, I now have all 92 pictures back in LR. But they all still have question marks. Every one. When I clicked the question mark on one of them, I got something different this time--something more like a regular menu. Only it didn't say anything about finding a missing file. So what's my next step?