Smart Previews aren't available

[teraphael]

My ultimate question is:  How can I enable smart previews as something is wrong -- I have it enabled for import and it shows them being created, but they do not seem to exist anywhere.  This has been complicated by the following situation:

Over the past few months, I noticed that in Develop, in the right hand column at the top, it only says "original photo" and "smart preview" is missing despite the indication during import that they have been created.  When I create a pano or use HDR or another external processing program and reimport, I no longer can double click "original photo" to create a smart preview and I believe none of those do exist.  This problem may relate to a second more serious current one.  My computer HD crashed a few days ago and I was able to restore it through Time Machine backup.  The most recent LR file  was able to be recovered by some tech experts so it should be up to date.  I also updated to the most current CC version.  However, now when I open LR, many photos are missing, and the 'find missing photos' indicates over 45K missing photos.  When I attach an external HD (e.g., the one from 2016), the photos that are on that drive reappear in the Library and Develop modules and I have not seem lost any processing. 

However, even when they reappear, I cannot see any smart preview nor can I create one.  I also cannot do this for newly imported photos.

It appears to be something either in my personal computer setting or something I turned off inadvertently in LR as we checked the CC download in the tech center on another computer and smart previews do show up.

I would appreciate any help regarding how to get smart previews back AND whether or not that is the reason so many photos appear to have disappeared.

Thank you.

[teraphael]

PS to above.  When I remove the drive containing the original photos, they show up in Library, but in Develop, I get a message "This file cannot be found" so I cannot process offline.

[Mohit Goyal · Accepted solution]

Hi teraphael,

You can create a smart preview for offline editing on the import Or you can create previews for those images which are already imported in Lightroom(Library menu > Previews > Build Smart Preview).

Also, refer: How to use Smart Previews to view and edit photos in Photoshop Lightroom

Regards,

Mohit

[teraphael]

Thank you.  I was able to follow that link, and it appears to have made smart previews for the day that I tested it on.  But in Develop, on the right panel where it used to say Original Photo + Smart Preview, it still only says Original Photo.  There also used to be a short cut where I could double click on Original Photo in the Develop panel and it would create a smart preview.  However, now, that short cut doesn't work.  I had always created smart previews on all imports and it shows that they are being created, but when the drive is  not attached, it is as if they do not exist.  Do you have any further suggestions for how to find/link the ones I have been making on each import?  I appreciate your taking the time to respond earlier.

[Mohit Goyal]

Well, it's doing what you said at my end. It shows Original + Smart Preview and you can click on the original photo under develop to build the smart preview.

You may try and reset Lightroom preferences back to default settings and check if that helps.

Preference file and other file locations | Lightroom CC and 6

Regards,

Mohit

[teraphael]

Sorry to bother, but one more question.  If I reset back to default settings (seems like a reasonable thing to try), am I right in assuming what I'd lose are my import directions, signatures, etc.?  I'm wondering about tradeoffs -- I really want to get smart previews back, and thinking through what I'll lose in resetting so I can be proactive in saving a record for reinstalling what I'd lose.  I've never reset it, so just want to be smart about it.

[Mohit Goyal]

Well, your presets and edits stays as it is. All the settings you changed in the software as per the requirement will be reset to original.

Or you can just follow the above link and instead of trying the shortcut for reset, you can go and fine the preferences file and rename it by adding .old and try Lightroom. If you really think that you want to go back then just delete the new preferences file and remove the .old from the old preferences file.

Thanks,

Mohit