LR5 Error: "unable to read file"

[View Range]

The implication is that you are not making a locked copy of all your files before you open them in any software. DVDs, attached storage, or cloud - you must store original/unopened copies before you start processing files or erase the memory card. Windows has gotten more stable with Windows 8, but it still is not up to Mac OS X stability. Finally you need a CC monthly subscription otherwise Photoshop bugs don't get fixed. But none of this helps you current problem.

 

[benji77]

Did you finally try with the Nikon software? Guessing at the state of a set of files with one piece of software known to be broken (LR) and another known not to be able to view them (Windows) is a waste of time...

Yes I finally tried the Capture NX2, and guess what, it does not work. CaptureNX fails to launch.

I have uninstalled Capture, and opened LR, managed to edit ONE image (from the same folder that I have been trying all along), but thats about it. nothing else works.

I have tried opening a GRD4 JPEG file in LR, that works.

But attempts to export files, all fail.

I am stumped, drained, and heartbroken all at once. This is terrifying, the thought of being unable to deliver images for the assignment is...nothing short of devastating.

 

[benji77]

I am totally perplexed. I can edit certain folders (the latest assignment), but I cant export it.

All images are stored in the same hard disk (F Drive), so where lies the real problem? I have been sitting here at my desk since 1000hr, and its now 2130hr.

 

[sevo]

Yes I finally tried the Capture NX2, and guess what, it does not work. CaptureNX fails to launch.

Well, that cannot be a error in LR. Windows installation mangled, or disk issues. What does the Windows Event Log say?

Even if the drive should be the culprit, don't rush things - chances are that the files still are salvageable from the disk (probably with something as trivial as reading it from another Windows installation, re-seating the drive cabling or running disk repair software over it) provided you don't do anything that causes further damage!

 

[froyd]

I would call Customer Service.

 

[sevo]

I am totally perplexed. I can edit certain folders (the latest assignment), but I cant export it.

All images are stored in the same hard disk (F Drive), so where lies the real problem? I have been sitting here at my desk since 1000hr, and its now 2130hr.

The F drive is not the system drive, I assume? External or internal, partition on the same physical drive as the system or on different hardware?

 

[Gid]

If you have recently done a windows update, and/or added new software, then do a system restore to a point before the last update - there should be a restore point immediately before the last windows update. I recently had a sh**load of trouble following a windows update and had to restore. Good luck.

 

[AndersG]

On the suspicion that it might be the hard drive that is failing you do not want to write to it at all and should try to copy your important data to another device ASAP. You should probably copy the contents in smaller chunks than selecting everything at once - this since the copying process will get bogged down (or fail completely) once it touches damaged files (canceling such a copy and try other chunks first might allow you to get more data off the drive).

If you want to rule out that the disk is failing you can run the Windows disk check tool (on Windows 7 and 8 you can access it by right clicking on the drive in the file explorer; select Properties and then the Tools tab). However, if the drive really is failing the amount of damage might increase by use (even just reads) so it may well be better to use its remaining life to get as much as possible of your important data off it.

 

[benji77]

Guys, thank you very much for bearing with my whining.

I finally managed to edit 80 images for the set, BUT, it simply refuses to export via LR. I realised that I would not be able to extract the edited jpeg from Windows, as it would sit under a LR edit. (or am i wrong).

I would think that a Window's update could have created this situation, and that my HD could also have issues.

The F Drive is for photos only, I have E, which is another standby drive for applications. C drive contains all the software and OS.

Now that I have edited the set, i have half the battle won. But not being able to export the files is like having a weapon without ammunition.

 

[JoeV]

Benji, I can relate to your troubles. I offer no real help, except to say that I have a similar drive setup where I keep my files on an external drive and don't fill up the system drive with documents. This helps to keep the system from slowing down as the drive fills.

I use two external drives, periodically archiving the one working drive to the other backup drive.

I would recommend in the future to shoot RAW + JPEG, that way if your Adobe software suite is buggy, you can still use the default JPEGs in some freeware editing s/w.

I don't use Lightroom, but a different raw processing s/w and an older version of Photoshop that doesn't manage an image library. I prefer to manage my files manually.

~Joe

 

[benji77]

Wow, how do you manage to sort your images manually? It must be taxing. I cannot do without the export function, as I can transfer High resolution and Low resolution files directly to a DVD for the client. Now that I cannot export, I feel so crippled.

I too did the separate image drive from the OS in the hope that it would keep things neat, but I have had my C drive slowing down pretty often that I had to do clean ups. I guess this is where the Mac's excel.

I guess I would have to employ additional techniques to make my images more fail proof -

a) Shoot RAW + JPEG
b) get more CF cards
c) Include a sturdy, consistent file archiving/backing up system for only the 'pass' shots, reducing the file loads and required drives

At this point in time, I am still awaiting for LR to export my 88 images in this set....I cannot, cannot wait to sleep.

 

[JoeV]

This method may not be for everyone, but I have subfolders for each of my cameras. Within each of these are subfolders named by date (yyyy.mm.dd format), within which each batch of images from my cards gets stored. So everything is organized date-wise. When I process files I will store the finished JPEGs in their parent folder (naming each finished file typically with a letter "a" suffix to differentiate it from the camera JPEG backup file), then will copy them to custom project folders as need dictates. From these project folders I can output to DVD, flash drive, Blurb book project or wherever.

No, my system doesn't offer the ability to organize images subject-wise, as in a database, but I prefer its simplicity and non-reliance on proprietary s/w.

~Joe

 

[newsgrunt]

How much room is left on your hd ? Also presume you've had no problems previously opening NEF files ?

My flow involves keeping images on cards until I've actually worked my photos. Then I back those up, then format the cards in camera.

good luck

 

[willie_901]

Call Adobe customer service, they're very helpful.

I want the customer service number you use!

Whenever I call Adobe for support I have an extremely frustrating experience. Unless an issue shows up on their out-sourced support flow-chart, Adobe insists you reinstall everything.

Guess what. The reinstallation's do not solve the problem. The problem is the technical issue is does not fit into the flow chart.

I tend to use their Support Forums. The process may seem slower, but because the out-sourced customer service is next to useless, reading the Support Forums and asking questions turns out to be just about as fast.

 

[Ranchu]

Sorry for your nightmare, you could try viewnx too.

http://www.nikon.com/news/2010/0817_viewnx2_03.htm

This makes a lot of sense to me, copy the drive.

On the suspicion that it might be the hard drive that is failing you do not want to write to it at all and should try to copy your important data to another device ASAP. You should probably copy the contents in smaller chunks than selecting everything at once - this since the copying process will get bogged down (or fail completely) once it touches damaged files (canceling such a copy and try other chunks first might allow you to get more data off the drive).

If you want to rule out that the disk is failing you can run the Windows disk check tool (on Windows 7 and 8 you can access it by right clicking on the drive in the file explorer; select Properties and then the Tools tab). However, if the drive really is failing the amount of damage might increase by use (even just reads) so it may well be better to use its remaining life to get as much as possible of your important data off it.

 

[benji77]

Thank you guys.

After a harrowing day (14hr?) in front of the desk, I finally managed to edit about 80 images via LR5.7, add another 2hr of exporting them as JPEGs, it worked! But I had 2 images that failed to export after the edit.

I am still testing it, exporting them as NEF files (original) via LR to an external drive. I am hoping that this works, as they will be my method to back up the entire library before switching to an iMac (boo hoo, there goes the funds for a holiday).

 

[willie_901]

I was not aware LR could export data in NEF format.

Perhaps you did not mean export in a literal sense?

Typically the LR Catalog contains the value-added data to transfer to a new new installation.

An exception would be DNG conversions where all the information that is stored in the Catalog is also written to the DNG file. In this case the DNG files in the system folders mapped onto the LR Library also contain value-added data.

 

[35photo]

I was not aware LR could export data in NEF format.

Perhaps you did not mean export in a literal sense?

Typically the LR Catalog contains the value-added data to transfer to a new new installation.

An exception would be DNG conversions where all the information that is stored in the Catalog is also written to the DNG file. In this case the DNG files in the system folders mapped onto the LR Library also contain value-added data.

Yeah, you can't export processed .NEF files as .NEF... has to be another format.. .tif, .psd, .DNG

 

[sevo]

And beware: "backing up the catalog" does exactly what it says - it only backs up the catalogue of the image metadata, crop and filter application rules and thumbnails, not the actual high-resolution images themselves! You need a separate backup of the image files!

 

[Dwig]

And beware: "backing up the catalog" does exactly what it says - it only backs up the catalogue of the image metadata, crop and filter application rules and thumbnails, not the actual high-resolution images themselves! You need a separate backup of the image files!

+1 and...

... you should do both BEFORE you attempt to install any new software, BEFORE you attempt to edit any image in any software, and BEFORE you shutdown or restart you machine. The backups should be made to a external hard drive and that drive should be physically disconnected before any attempts are made to resolve the issue. Any attempt to edit the existing images on a faulty drive will likely only increase the damage to the images and reduce the likelihood that any backup could then be made successfully.

I had a similar issue several years back and the fix was to replace my system drive, reinstall Windows, reinstall all of my software and then restore all of my user files.

If the images are on a separate hard drive from your system drive (usually C: on Windows) then after making the backups you should remove the HD with the LR library and images and then create a new experimental LR library with a few expendable images on your remaining drive C: to see if things now work. If these work than the fix is likely to reformat or replace the errant secondary drive and replace the LR library from the backups.