Lightroom folder contents disappeared, can't reimport

[TR_Young]

I have a folder that seems to have had its contents completely disappear from my Lightroom catalog. It is a subfolder of one of my repeat client's son's photos. I can't access it from within my Lightroom library. The original raw files are still in their proper location, so I tried to do a re-import, but the files won't show up in the 'Import' dialogue. I tried removing the offending folder from my Lightroom library, and it did remove. I then once again tried to re-import, but I still can't get it to work. I have also tried to sychronize the folder and its parent folder, to no avail.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[JP Hess]

What version of Lightroom are you using? What OS? What have you done to verify that the raw files are still in place?

[TR_Young]

Using Lightroom CC

Windows 10 Pro

I have used Windows Explorer to look at the folder where I keep my raw files and navigated to this particular sub folder and they are still there, hence my stating, "The original raw files are still in their proper location".

[JP Hess]

I'm understanding that if you open the import dialog and browse to the folder containing these raw images (iin the left-hand column of the import dialog) that those raw images do not show. Is that correct?

[TR_Young]

That is correct. Lightroom is acting as if the files are already properly imported.

[JP Hess]

Have you moved that folder from its location when those images were first imported?

[Jao vdL]

Sounds like you need to reconnect the folder in Lightroom to where it really is. Likely you moved the folder, changed the drive letter or some other mishap. Right click on the folder and do an update folder location pointing at where it really is, or right click on one of the files and do a find missing file on it pointing to the right file on your hard disk. It should automatically update the images around it too.

[TR_Young]

I have tried that, and it did not work.

To clarify: The files do not show up in the folder, and I'm not getting the 'image not found' error message. I do know what you are telling me to do, as I have had to do that in the past as  well. This is a very odd happening; Lightroom is acting as if all the files are already imported, but none of them are showing up.

[JP Hess]

What do you mean, "acting as if they are already imported."?

[TR_Young]

I have not moved that folder that I know of.

When I say that it is acting as if they are already imported, I have tried to do an import on them, and they are shown in the muted color, as if they've already been imported, i.e. I can't click a check mark to import them.

[TR_Young]

This is what LR looks like in the Navigator. The highlighted folder is being shown as having 0 photos.

When I try to do an import, all the photos are shown as if they're already imported.

[Jao vdL · Accepted solution]

They are already in there just not in the location where you think. Go to all photographs, click on the filter bar on "text", type the file name of one of your images. The image should pop up. Right click on it and select "go to folder". Remove the filter (select filters off) from the pop up on the right above the images.

[JP Hess]

In your first comment you stated that these images don't show up in the import dialog. But apparently they do, only they are muted and cannot be imported. The images are in the catalog somewhere. It would appear that the folder has been moved from its original location. I would check in your file browser to verify where that folder is and make sure you are updating to that location. Other than that, I have no  other suggestions.

[TR_Young]

Sorry; when I stated that they don't show up in the import dialogue, I was meaning that they don't show as being able to be imported.

I have used my file browser to verify where the folder is located. It is where it has always been. I can open the raw files in Photoshop via my file browser, so I know that the file location has not changed.

I guess what I will do is uncheck "Don't import suspected duplicates" and simply do all of my post processing over again.

[JP Hess]

Have you tried using Edit/Find and then search by file name to locate one of those images. If you did that and it finds one of the images  then you can Highlight it and choose the option to go to the folder in library.. Maybe it will work.

[TR_Young]

I appreciate all of the help. I finally just unchecked 'Don't Import Suspected Duplicates' and re-imported them.