Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

I tried to open Lightroom 6 tonight and got the following message, "Unexpected Error Opening Catalog". I cannot open any catalogs in LR6. All of my catalogs open in LR4.4 though. LR6 previously did work after upgrading to Windows 10, so that shouldn't be a problem as I found suggested online. I am running Windows 10 64bit, with a i7 6700 processor, a Samsung 950Pro M.2 drive as my C drive, and 64GB Ram. I have tried a number of suggestions that I found online, but none have worked. I checked the catalog folder to see if there was a lrcat.locked file and there wasn't. Another suggestion was to update Visual C++ Redistributable to the latest version and that did not work either. Another fix was to go to program files, right click LR.exe and click "Run as administrator", and that did not work either. I also verified my user permissions, making sure I had full access to all permissions, which I did, and that did not work either.

I guess my next step may be to uninstall LR6 and reinstall it and see if that works, but I will try that tomorrow as I just looked at the time... 3:30AM... boy time flies when your having fun.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Vince, unfortunately I cannot help you with this, as I don't use Lr. I do want to compliment you though: you told those who may be able to help exactly what you did to try and fix the problem, rather than just saying 'I've tried everything and nothing works.' 'Everything' tells me exactly 'nothing.'
The only suggestion I can make, because it has helped me with other errors: Did you reboot your computer and see if that solved the problem?

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

You should have a backup catalog, try to replace it with that.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I had that problem what I did was first Run Task Manger log off LR in running app then log off any LR running Background processes. Shut down the computer and wait for 30 seconds. Restart and try opening LR. If this doesn't work Reload the lates backup catalog

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

All who responded so far....

Where is the backup catalog located? are you referring to a backup in Lightroom program folders, or a backup folder on another drive/location? I didn't see a backup catalog when I went to C:\Pictures\Lightroom\Lightroom 4 Catalog Previews.lrdata..... There is also a Lightroom 6 Catalog Previews.lrdata folder there as well. There is also a LR4 Catalog.lrcat file and a LR6 Catalog.lrcat file in the Lightroom folder with the LR4 and LR6 catalog Previews.lrdata folders. This is where one site said to look for the locked file, which was not there. I also went to
c:\Program files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom for LR6, and also to Program files for Adobe LR 4.4 and looked for the locked file and the backup file, but neither are there either.

I have shut down and restarted both the PC and LR also, and that does not help either. Right now, the only thing I see that may be the problem is that in the LR4 Catalog Previews.lrdata folder, there are other folders named 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, etc. When I open the LR6 Catalog Previews.lrdata folder, there are no folders like that there. Also, I am going to try to attach a print screen of LR4 opened showing the drop down window with open recent clicked and open to the right it only shows LR4 catalog.lrcat in that drop down menu. Normally when you click open recent, it shows all catalogs that have been opened. Since it is not showing anything for LR6 and the fact that there are no folders in the LR6 Catalog folder, is it possible something happened to the LR6 catalogs and they are no longer there since the only recently opened catalog is the LR4 catalog?

I have tried to send everything I have tried so far in order to explain the problem. Thanks again to those that have responded to this point.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Use your search function and look for LightRoom Back-up. You have been backing up your catalog Haven't You!!! My backup catalog is in a different location from my main LR folder

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Yes, have been backing it up. As I said in last post, not sure if something happened to data in the LR6 Catalog Previews.lrdat folder. In the LR4 folder there are many other folders listed. In the LR6 folder the only two files there are a previews.db and a root-pixels.db file. And the fact that in Lightroom itself, when you click on open recent catalogs, the only catalog in the drop down menu is the LR4 catalog. I don't think the print screen went through last post, trying to attach it again.

Attached file:
(Download)

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

try Open catalog and search for the LR6 MainCatalog Clink on that and see what happens Otherwise go to Adobe Chat Help https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

I decided to reinstall LR6, as that was the one thing I found last night that I hadn't done as it was 3:30Am when I posted on here. Just finished reinstalling LR6 and updated catalogs from LR4. Catalogs open now in LR6. Something obviously happened to the LR6 program on my PC.... not sure what or how, but it is working now.

Thanks to those who responded to my post.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Isn't it great the way a computer can pinpoint the problem with such accuracy! Modern technology! I've been getting nonsense messages like that for years. "Error 2317"

Bullfrog Bill Loc: CT

I am a Mac user so can't help with Windows but here is an Adobe customer tech support number, be sure to have your S/N3 available: 800 833-6687. I have found them to be very helpful.

dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

Vince,
I firmly believe you are on the right track with your plan to uninstall LR6. I would suggest, however, that you stop right there. Then open PS and locate your files, open the ones you want to work on, save them afterwards, print what you want to print, and be happy you know how to use PS. If you count the number of issues on LR referenced in today's forum vs. the issues using PS you will find the score is LR 3 and PS zero. In my experience, this is about normal. LR is an irritating disaster designed by the same people who brought you Murphy's Law. If you persist in using LR then something can go wrong, AND it will. Master PS and forget having to constantly deal with Murphy.

Linary Loc: UK

Perhaps the last two respondents on this thread had not read

Quoted from Vince68 last post:
"I decided to reinstall LR6, as that was the one thing I found last night that I hadn't done as it was 3:30Am when I posted on here. Just finished reinstalling LR6 and updated catalogs from LR4. Catalogs open now in LR6. Something obviously happened to the LR6 program on my PC.... not sure what or how, but it is working now.

Thanks to those who responded to my post."

dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

No, I actually read the post you reference above. That does not remove the fact that there was a problem in the first place. My point is that LR tends to generate way too many "problems", and it is no less irritating if they somehow get resolved after extensive effort or not. My only observation is that the probability of having blood pressure raising problems is far greater if you are using LR than if you just use PS which can do all that LR can do and more. Since LR can't successfully provide a cataloging function, it doesn't count in my evaluation. That's all I wanted to say. Trying to be helpful by suggesting a way to avoid problems in the first place. Those who enjoy using LR don't need or want my opinion and that's ok with me.

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

I have no issue with your preference for PS over LR. But, LR can do batch processing that I have yet to figure out how to do in PS. The edits I do in LR are incorporated into the dng files that come straight from my camera with no change in file format necessary.

In addition, since a catalog is intended to be a searchable index of a set of data (my photos) I find that LR indeed does a good job of this function. Of course, YMMV.