Lost catalog when changing computers - are virtual copies lost forever?

[Geckoz100]

I lost my LR catalog when changing computers.  I accidentally deleted ALL my files (using the command line) from the external drive I was going to start using on my new system, and in the messy process of recovering everything I forgot to keep my catalog in place.  All my XMP sidecar files are still in place, but I had may virtual copies of raw files, which I don't see any more, that I was using to produce different versions/looks of some images.  Is all of that information lost?

[Bob Somrak]

Yes, the VC's are only stored in the catalog.  I think this is a big design failure of the XMP in Lightroom.  Snapshots are stored in XMP so it shouldn't  be to difficult to store VC's for a photo it its XMP

[dj_paige]

You need to restore a recent backup of your catalog file.

[Geckoz100]

The catalog would no longer even know what folders to read from, because during the messy recovery process, things got moved around a lot into different folders.  I do have access to my old catalog, though -- Is there a way to find the info for the VCs and copy it over to the new catalog?

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

If you are prepared to put in the time, it might be possible to-

1)  Open the 'old' catalog (all files will be 'missing')

2) Filter for Virtual Copies  (Icon on the Filter Bar-Attributes). This will limit your next step to the VC photos only.

3) Spend your time re-linking the photos to the originals. This is the difficult part where YOU have to search for them in their new location.

4) When re-linked in the 'old' catalog select the VCs again.

5) [Export as a Catalog] to a temporary Catalog

6) Close LR and re-open your Current working Catalog

7) [Import from a Catalog] choosing the temporary catalog to merge.

Test this method with just a few images- if it works you can then set to work for the remainder.

[Geckoz100]

Wow, I would have never thought of going through all that, but sounds like it will work.  When I do finally get around to doing this, I'll post an update.  Thanks.