Question Ircat File

[sylvias42968506]

Hi everyone, I am in a bit of trouble and I need some ideas on the Ircat file. I hope I can explain my situation without making it too confusing.  This evening i bought some presets for Lightroom and I was trying to load them to my Lightroom.  In the process of trying to fine the files and finding the reason why they were not showing on the LR. I was curious and clicked on a Ircat file (in the sample folder) and it opened the LR with the new presets BUT it appeared that my photos and other presets that I was working on for the past 2 months have disappeared (I have never tried to open LT with this file before).  I back up my LR once a week and my last backup was this past Friday.  I know I could just go to my last backup on Friday and open the Lightroom but that means everything I did today would not be there...right?  Is there any way I can retrieve the files from the past two days?  Any imput would be greatly appreciated.  Even to explain the Ircat file.  Thank you so so much,

Sylvia

[JP Hess]

I think all you need to do is go to File->Open recent (on the Mac it would be Lightroom->Open recent), and Lightroom will list the catalogs that you have opened. Just choose from the list of catalogs and you should be able to get back to the catalog that you have been using.

[sylvias42968506]

Thank you Jim but that is not it. So my LR files are stored on my external hard drives. That is how we set it up when I was in school. To open LR I go to my applications and it opens LR through my hard drive ( if the external HD is not on it will not open. I tried opening the recent file on mac (pictur1) but it takes me to the Old lightroom from 2 months ago. The strange thing is the date that shows up on that doesn't exist in my back ups. (picture2) I circled the folder i opened by accident. I am sorry to bother you but if you know could you tell me what is this folder for? Does it back things up?

I may just go back to my recent back up and start over

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[JP Hess]

I don't know what picture1 and picture2 are. Did you try what I suggested? The "Open Recent" should have given you a list of catalogs that have been opened by Lightroom on your computer, and you should have been able to choose from those different catalogs. Were there different catalogs listed?

[sylvias42968506]

Sorry I guess the photos didn't go through.  I takes me to applications and opens it up to a catalog I unzipped one time in February (that was when I had to revert to a backup file).  When I did what you said there were no potions just one catalog.  I am trying to understand where what happens between weekly backups.  Where that info from the editing I do goes.  Overtime I open the LR the changes I made between my backups are there.  Is in in the cloud.  I do have LR cc thought the cloud.  they have to be here somewhere. 

[john beardsworth]

Open Lightroom, ensuring the external hard drives are attached, and the from Lightroom's menu, File > Open Recent. This should list the LR catalogues for you.

I'm sure this is what Jim Hess meant. He didn't mean using the Apple Recent Items menu.

[sylvias42968506]

Well I just spent over 1 hour with the tech from Adobe. They even logged onto my computer and could not locate the catalog:(  Than k your everyone's input.  I will go back to my last backup and start over. 

[JP Hess]

You have to understand that the lrcat file is the only file Lightroom opens. Whatever images have been imported into that catalog are the images that will be displayed. Lightroom doesn't open the images, it only opens the catalog.

[dj_paige]

I was curious and clicked on a Ircat file (in the sample folder) and it opened the LR with the new presets BUT it appeared that my photos and other presets that I was working on for the past 2 months have disappeared

Well of course, if you open a different LRCAT file, you will see different photos and possibly different presets.

You need to get back to the catalog file that you were working on that has the recent photos. Please follow JimHess​'s suggestion.

[sylvias42968506]

Thank you i will try again