LR Classic catalog appears to be missing

[winkworth13]

I was importing photos today, when LR Classic on my Dell/Windows desktop stalled. I closed LR and then restarted the computer. For restart the option was to restart and upgrade or upgrade later so I upgraded (Windows). I came back, opened LR, and it opened with an empty catalog. I can't find the catalog I was using. I don't know what it was called, but the 4 or 5 catalogs in the drop down menu, under File, open recent, are not the catalog I was using - that one had 56K photos. The others have about 2K photos from a few years ago or are empty.

I read a previous thread about missing catalogs. I tried searching my computer for files ending in "lrcat" and I see 4 of the ones listed in LR, and one other: a folder with a lrcat zip file. It says that was last modified in July 2018. Is that my back-up? (Sorry, I am pretty computer-naive).  As far as I know, I was backing up regularly, I believe to a hard drive. I haven't looked there yet, but even if I find the missing catalog, how do I know I've found it, and what do I do then? If the lrcat folder zip file is my missing catalog, then what do I need to do? How do I get it into LR? I will need clear, step-by-step directions. Thank you!

[MarekMularczyk]

lrcat zip would be a backup, yes. And you can use the backup.

Unzip it and double-click on it (on lrcat that's inside your zip) and it will open in Lightroom as normal (backup is a copy of your catalogue).

[winkworth13]

It wasn't as easy as it sounded to unzip and copy the file, but with help, I did it, so thanks very much. Once the back-up catalog was back in LR, there was a new problem - the back-up only goes to 7/09/2018. I've been backing up several times a week, so where is the rest?  I think I must have changed the location for back-ups in July and then forgot I changed it.

I went to check a hard drive for lrcat files, hoping I would find the recent back-up. When I tried to open the hard drive it wouldn't open.  "Not accessible. Data error (cyclic redundancy check)."  Also, a strange clicking noise came from the drive.  I noticed the same sound this morning when this whole problem began. At the time, I was importing photos from my camera. Maybe they were automatically being backed up to the hard drive, and it was malfunctioning. Maybe somehow that cascaded into "disappearing" the main catalog, which is on my desktop? Anyway, a friend is trying to see if we can repair it.

Meanwhile, I guess I should simply change the back-up location, and begin to import the photos that are missing, correct? The photos are stored in the Windows Picture files so that wouldn't be hard, but I dread having to re-keyword everything, etc. etc.

Is there anything Adobe has in the cloud that would be helpful? I hate to say it, but I'm not clear on what exists in the cloud when you have the LR Classic subscription. 

[JP Hess]

The only thing that would be in the cloud would be any collections that you have synchronized from Classic. There is no backup that would be there. From what you have described, it would seem that the location for your backups has been changed. This has happened to me in the past. If you can initiate a backup, when that screen appears prompting you to back up, look at it closely as it will indicate the location for the backups. That way you can verify where you should be looking to find them. Remember that they are zip files.

[winkworth13]

OK, I'll keep that in mind about collections - I should see if I've synchronized them.

Yes, I must have changed the back-up location. Next time I see that back-up dialog I'll check it, and make sure I know where it's going. I'm scared to do too much more today, after all this.

I just imported a few days' photos back into LR from my desktop, and was thrilled that the keywording and stars are there. I guess that info hides in the file even when it's in the Pictures folders in Windows.

Thanks for your help.