Nancy Galligan Loc: Albuquerque

The files from R down to the Y file, all have questions marks. When I click on it, I can see the pictures, but can't print or use them. When I click on the question mark, it takes me to the yellow Lightroom folder, it says "the file or directory is corrupted or unreadable."
I then tried to go to my external D Drive where ALL of my Lr5 files are in, and I clicked on my main file, which I call '2014' , and the file WON'T OPEN, and it gives the same message! 'the file or directry is corrupted or unreadable"........ Then I tried right clicking on 'property's' for the D file folder, and it shows 0 bytes, 0 files and 0 folders. Yet, I can utilize over 2000 of my photos that were in that folder....Those photos are alphabetically from A thru Q in my Lightroom!! (the missing files are R thru Y) So I can't see how the folder is corrupted since I still have access to using oor printing them.. Can anyone help me figure this out please?

I have used the 'locate' and find procedures I could think of ... and went to some tutorials, to be sure. But I still just keep getting this corrupt message...灩thanks so much. nancy galligan

nakkh Loc: San Mateo, Ca

Run a disk scan on that drive ASAP

↓ Instructions: ↓
=========================================================
Check your hard disk for errors
Applies to Windows 7 & Vista
You can help solve some computer problems and improve the performance of your computer by making sure that your hard disk has no errors.

Open Computer by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, and then clicking Computer.

Right-click the hard disk drive that you want to check, and then click Properties.

Click the Tools tab, and then, under Error-checking, click Check Now. Administrator permission required
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

To automatically repair problems with files and folders that the scan detects, select Automatically fix file system errors.
Otherwise, the disk check will simply report problems but not fix them.

To perform a thorough disk check, select Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. This scan attempts
to find and repair physical errors on the hard disk itself, and it can take much longer to complete.

To check for both file errors and physical errors, select both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for
and attempt recovery of bad sectors.

Click Start.

Depending upon the size of your hard disk, this may take several minutes. For best results, don't use your computer
for any other tasks while it's checking for errors.

Note

If you select Automatically fix file system errors for a disk that is in use (for example, the partition that contains Windows),
you'll be prompted to reschedule the disk check for the next time you restart your computer.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Computer guy here. This is good advice. I'm trying to recover data from a drive like yours where the user waited way too long after there were error messages about the drive during bootup and he ignored them. We have some great data recovery and hard drive repair software in my shop, but if the data has already become corrupted and is showing 0 bytes, I wouldn't hold out much hope for those files. Good luck.

Nancy Galligan Loc: Albuquerque

Thank you Nakka. (and Mr PC). I wll follow the instructions you gave me right now.

QUESTION!!! IF... it doesn't help... and I need to put my backup photo files in there. Do you, or anyone on Hedgehog know what would be the best procedure to start fresh with those 400 photos? thanks again... nancy g

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

If it doesn't help, you may need a new hard drive at a minimum. Given the cost of a new drive and labor, you might be better off getting a new computer and transferring your data and pictures to that before you start with a fresh copy of Lightroom. When computers were several thousand dollars when I started my repair business in 1997, it made sense to fix things. Today, my job has become helping people move from the old computer to the new one. A hard drive that is getting flaky will only get worse. Hope this helps.

Nancy Galligan Loc: Albuquerque

I am following the instructions and I clicked start for the proess to begin, and it said:

"WIDOWS CANT CHECK THE DISK WHILE ITS IN USE. Do you want to dismount this program first? Note. All open handles to this volumn will become invalid".

What does that mean? I will wait for your input, before I click yes.

Nancy Galligan Loc: Albuquerque

Hi Nakka... I answered mr p.c. And included your name... But I don't know if you saw my posts...I don't know how to post to both of you at once.. Feel free to read them ... And mr p.c's responses... And give your input... I was also wondering, why couldn't I just go to my catalog in my hard drive and restore from that somehow.?? Perhaps that's a dumb question.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Sounds like the files are missing from the catalog. Are they missing from the hard drive as well? If they are on the disk, then all you have to do is navigate to the folder(s) that are missing files, right click on the folder names, and select the sync option. With any luck this will fix the problem.

nakkh Loc: San Mateo, Ca

Sorry for the loooog delay!

I think the best course of action is to have someone come and look at your system They'll need to look at the windows logs and figure out if it's your drive or something corrupted in LR. Someone needs to put their hands on your computer and see what's going on.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Those magic words. :thumbup:

I like the feeling that I have multiple copies of anything important.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Good advice and I should have mentioned that, too. Even if it's not the drive, I'd hate to see the only copy of those files inadvertently disappear for good. Sometimes you need a geek, that's why I'm in business. A knowledgeable tech should be able to sort out what's going on pretty quickly.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

The question mark probably means the files were moved outside lightroom, and LR does not know where they are at. IT probably does not mean your disk is corrupt. Right-click on a file in LR and select "Show in Finder" or "Show in Folder", whichever Windows says.
When the folder opens, R-click and create a new text file, save it and re-open that text file. Write something in there, anything and save it and close it.

If you can do all the above, you DO NOT have a corrupt disk. Get that far and let us know how you go.