Missing Folders, Collections in left panel

[oneshotski]

Help! I recently added a new catalog in the right panel of LR (I use a PC). I then noticed that my Collections and Folders in the left panel were missing (the icons for both were not there anymore). Since they all contained images that have been edited and worked on extensively, I regularly went to them for uploading to hard drive or cd's for sending to clients. Does anyone know how I can located and return these folders/collection to the left panel?

[JP Hess]

In the library module, left-hand panel, right-click on one of the other section headers (Folders, Catalog, etc.) and make sure there is a checkmark in Collections.

OR

in the Windows menu go to Panels and click on Collections.

[oneshotski]

Yes, both Catalog and Folders are checkmarked...this has been the ongoing suggestion from various forums, but they are both already checkmarked.

[JP Hess]

Well, let's slow down a little bit. I don't think I was thinking. Is this a NEW catalog? There won't be any folders or collections if it is a new catalog because you haven't imported anything nor have you created any collections in that new catalog. Or maybe I'm not understanding what you're doing.

[oneshotski]

Jim: thanks for your patience with this...for my workflow, I add new catalog names into the right panel prior to naming folders and uploading images into them (e.g. BP2017, Corp.2017, etc.). When I added a new catalog name recently, I noticed that the former folders and collections on the left panel were then missing (not event the icons for them were there anymore). These folders all have already-corrected images in them so if they can be returned back to the left panel as before, it would be great..just don’t know how to do it...

[JP Hess]

I think we have a terminology issue here. You don't add catalogs in the right-hand panel of the import dialog. You add folders. Those folders are added to the active catalog. All of those folders are added to the single catalog that you are using. The catalog is a database, and it is the only file that Lightroom opens.

I hope this doesn't become confusing to you. But I have found that the last import that I do normally doesn't show up in my folder tree in the library module until either the next day or until I do another import. If I want to see that last import in the folder tree the surest way to do that is to right-click on one of the images (in the library module) and choose the option to go to the folder in library. That will make sure that the folder is displayed in the tree. I don't know if this is answering any of your questions but it's something that I have learned to do.

If you would like to provide a screenshot of your library module and explain what it is you are having problems with then perhaps we can get things sorted out for you.

[oneshotski]

Jim: I can’t find the “camera icon” to send screen shots.....

[JP Hess]

This has to be done from a computer. It cannot be done via e-mail or from a phone. You need to be on the Adobe website.

[oneshotski]

Jim: Here are some screen shots to illustrate what I am having a problem with. In the right panel, you can see the Catalog listed, in this photo, the Catalog SoWal2017 is listed with the various folders; In another screen shot, the new Catalog I just added (Fun2017) is listed with the folder "Fox";  in the last screen shot, the left panel is shown which shows the "Fox" folder. Previous to my adding the Fun2017 catalog to the right panel, there would have been numerous folders listed in the left panel, all of which disappeared (as you can see, they folder icons are not even there). It is in this left panel where I worked the folders from (editing, correcting, etc.) so if they are missing, all the corrected images that I would normally be able to upload to clients or to the desktop, CD, etc. are not there anymore. I don't think they are deleted...is there a way to return them to the left panel where they were before?

[JP Hess]

For clarity's sake, SoWal2017 is not a catalog. It is a folder, just like Fox is a folder. They are all folders and they are all within a single catalog. It appears to me that what you intended to do was put the Fox folder within the SoWal2017 folder, but it didn't work that way. The reason is that you didn't have SoWal2017 highlighted when you created and imported your images into Fox. I don't think those other folders are missing. They are just hidden at this time. In your second photo, if you click on the expansion triangle next to SoWal2017, I think all of those "missing" folders will be found. Either that, or I'm misunderstanding the problem.

[oneshotski]

Jim: You can see that the Fox folder is listed under the Fun2017 folder which I had created and wanted to happen. Yes, the folders that no longer appear in the left panel are listed in the right panel....they are all there, but how do I open them or return them to the left panel...do they have to be re-imported to get them back to the left panel? I’ve never had to search for them in this way...sorry for my confusion, but I need to know how to open them again..how to physically do that...

[JP Hess]

It won't do you any good to try to reimport those files because Lightroom will tell you they are already in the catalog. It just entered into my brain what the problem is. This Seagate drive is an external hard drive,  Right? I wonder what will happen if you disconnect/reconnect it. Other than that, I have no ideas.

[oneshotski]

Yes, the Seagate is an external drive that I have all my Lightroom images on. I disconnected/connected it, but everything stayed the same. Since my folders in the right panel all still exist, can you tell me how to physically open them from the right panel, or from another place within Lightroom?

[JP Hess]

The right-hand panel is from the import dialog. You can click on the expansion triangles to the left of each folder to show the subfolders. But you won't be able to see any of the images. You can have access to the folders to enable you to control the organization of new imports. But that is all you can do at that point. I'm confused as to why there isn't more showing in the left-hand panel. I'm sorry. I don't know how to help you.

[oneshotski]

ok thanks for all your help..you’ve come closer than any other forum to solving the problem...

[JP Hess]

I just looked at your photos again. I'm not much of a computer technician. Your other hard drives have a letter designation, but this Seagate drive doesn't seem to have one. At least that's what it appears to me. I'm wondering if it would make a difference if you went into your Windows tools and assigned a specific drive letter to that Seagate hard drive. I would suggest giving it a letter that is further down in the alphabet. By doing so I think Windows will retain the drive designation. I don't know if it will help, but it's worth a try.

[oneshotski]

Thanks...Seagate is listed as Drive F on my windows hard drives page....