Lightroom previews grayed out: Having a problem with Lightroom. All of my previews are grayed out in Library. I can open the files in Develop and work with them individually. However...

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Having a problem with Lightroom. All of my previews are grayed out in Library. I can open the files in Develop and work with them individually. However, the images are grayed out in the ribbon on the bottom here as well.
I am on a DELL XPS13
Color space default is sRGB
I have tried deleting the previews.db and root-pixels.db files then restarting LR. Later I deleted the whole Previews.lrdata folder then restarted.

But the result of each a tempt was is a failure to launch. I restored the files and got gray.

I have done this with the external drive where I keep my original files attached and with the drive unmounted. The results are the same. My catalog is maintained on the laptop and the catalog has about 4,000 images. The issue is consistent fro all images and directories and collections.

LR won't let me generate a preview telling me they already exists.

Any thoughts?

Note: I had just posted this in the Main Photography Discussion forum, but thought I should post here as well.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Need to leave the computer for a while. If anyone responds, please know I am not ignoring you.

Thanks

Linary Loc: UK

dsmeltz wrote:

Having a problem with Lightroom. All of my preview... (show quote)

In the Library, Grid view, Select a photo, then select the menu Library > Previews > Build Standard size Previews
A dialogue will open asking if you want to build just one or all - choose "Build Selected"

If this works then repeat but choose all.

If it does not work, then repeat the steps but this time choose to build 1:1 previews.

See what happens.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you google "lightroom images grayed out", there's a lot of results to read. Who knows which / if any will apply to your situation.

I'm surprised you can edit the images. That's a positive where you know the images aren't 'missing'. Can you rebuilt the preview on one / some and see what happens? (see Library / Previews with 1 or several images selected)

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

dsmeltz wrote:

Having a problem with Lightroom. All of my preview... (show quote)

If you mean the Preview images have a gray overlay look to them like this then the image has been "flagged" Rejected.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

MichaelH wrote:

If you mean the Preview images have a gray overlay look to them like this then the image has been "flagged" Rejected.

No. They are just gray blocks. I have tried all the options I could find online as I outlined in the post. Basically 1) checking the color space and 2) deleting certain preview files/directories and then restarting LR.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

dsmeltz wrote:

No. They are just gray blocks. I have tried all the options I could find online as I outlined in the post. Basically 1) checking the color space and 2) deleting certain preview files/directories and then restarting LR.

When all else fails, what did they say at Adobe via a technical support chat?

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

CHG_CANON wrote:

When all else fails, what did they say at Adobe via a technical support chat?

Have not had time to do the chat while at my laptop. Only time is just before my work day at the office and during lunch. Getting ready for the Chicago Marathon this weekend. (My wife is running not me. Once was enough for me.)
I was hoping someone else had had this problem and solved it.

Linary Loc: UK

dsmeltz wrote:

No. They are just gray blocks. I have tried all the options I could find online as I outlined in the post. Basically 1) checking the color space and 2) deleting certain preview files/directories and then restarting LR.

You did not try rebuilding the previews?

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Linary wrote:

You did not try rebuilding the previews?

I did. But it kept failing saying the the previews already existed.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

dsmeltz wrote:

I did. But it kept failing saying the the previews already existed.

What kind of preview? I just selected an image (not with your situation, though) and went Library / Previews / Build 1:1. There was a prompt about just 1 or all, and then it executed for my confirmed one.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

CHG_CANON wrote:

What kind of preview? I just selected an image (not with your situation, though) and went Library / Previews / Build 1:1. There was a prompt about just 1 or all, and then it executed for my confirmed one.

I was also doing 1:1.

It just occurred to me that this started happening after the last Windows update.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

CHG_CANON wrote:

If you google "lightroom images grayed out", there's a lot of results to read. Who knows which / if any will apply to your situation.

I'm surprised you can edit the images. That's a positive where you know the images aren't 'missing'. Can you rebuilt the preview on one / some and see what happens? (see Library / Previews with 1 or several images selected)

He is probably working on Smart Previews. Smart Previews allow you to work on your images even if the drive they are on is disconnected - which is what this sounds like.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

jeep_daddy wrote:

He is probably working on Smart Previews. Smart Previews allow you to work on your images even if the drive they are on is disconnected - which is what this sounds like.

But, you can't export from a smart preview. Without going back through the thread, is that the case, dsmeltz?

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

CHG_CANON wrote:

But, you can't export from a smart preview. Without going back through the thread, is that the case, dsmeltz?

Yes. I can work on the smart preview and export when I attach the external with the original files. But afterward, I still do not have previews in Library or in the ribbon at the bottom of develop, except for a short period after opening the the file in develop. Once I leave and reenter develop the ribbon preview disappears. So the smart previews appear to be unaffected, just the regular previews.