Missing Folders and Catalogs

[oneshotski]

I am using LR 5.7 in Windows 10. I just added images to a new folder and noticed that the previous folders and catalogs that existed in the left panel are all missing. The only folder showing now is the one I just now added. I always add a new catalog to the left panel with edited photos in it. The same thing here...only the new catalog is showing with all the previous catalogs missing. Under "All Photographs" only the images I just added  are showing...all previous images are not listed.  Is there a  way to recover or move the folders and catalogs back to where they were in the left pane? If I click on Library>Find Missing Photos, it tells me there are no photos missing, All photos  in this catalog are available.  Any suggestions?

[dj_paige]

It sounds like you accidentally opened a new catalog. Go to File->Open Recent and select each catalog in taht list until you find the catalog that shows your photos.

[oneshotski]

The catalogues and folders are not listed when I do that….

[JP Hess]

Why are you adding so many new catalogs? One catalog is all that is really necessary.

[oneshotski]

I add a catalog for each assignment with edited images only (all retouches, crops, etc.) within it…makes it real quick to go to and send or use as needed.

[dj_paige]

Use your operating system's search feature to search for all files whose name ends with .LRCAT

Double-click on each one to open it so you can see what photos are shown, until you find the catalog of interest.

[Per Berntsen]

oneshotski wrote

the previous folders and catalogs that existed in the left panel are all missing.

Lightroom has never listed catalogs in the left panel, only folders.

Do you by any chance mean collections?

Opening a different catalog always requires a relaunch, since only one catalog can be open at any one time.

[oneshotski]

Sorry, yes I meant Collections….

[Per Berntsen]

In that case, it sounds like you have opened the wrong catalog, and you should do a search for .lrcat files as adviced above.

[dj_paige]

  wrote

The catalogues and folders are not listed when I  do that….

What do you see under File->Open Recent??

[oneshotski]

I see just a couple of old catalogs but not any of the most recent ones that I am interested in. When I click on one, I am asked if I want to relaunch Lightroom with that catalog…when I do, the images appear in my left panel…if I could just find my recent catalogs and folders and relaunch them back into my left panel that would be what I want to do…I don’t know what happened for them to disappear in the first place or how to find them now.