Lightroom catalog overload: I, in my infinite blundering, have managed to get every single picture on my computer into my Lightroom catalog, this includes all the buttons and any type...

Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

I, in my infinite blundering, have managed to get every single picture on my computer into my Lightroom catalog, this includes all the buttons and any type of icon in what appears to be all of my programs.
I have played around trying to solve this but have not had any success and am thinking about contacting Adobe for help before I remove all my photos and reinstall the ones I want. I've not heard of this before so thought I would put it out here for your entertainment and to see if any knows of an easy fix.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Just delete them from the catalog?

What do you mean by "...before I remove all my photos and reinstall the ones I want."?
Removing from the catalog or the drive?

I don't use a cataloger. Can you delete (empty) the catalog and re-build it?

RonBoyd

I would simply remove the unwanted images. Go to Library and Grid. Select the images (with ctrl or shift for multiples) and do a Alt/Backspace to remove from catalog.

Then go buy a book... something like "Lightroom Classic CC: the Missing FAQ" by Victoria Bampton. It will be well worth the time and money spent.

Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

Longshadow wrote:

Just delete them from the catalog?

What do you mean by "...before I remove all my photos and reinstall the ones I want."?
Removing from the catalog or the drive?

I don't use a cataloger. Can you delete (empty) the catalog and re-build it?

Remove from the catalog. I'm pretty sure I can empty the catalog and re import the ones I want.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Jerry G wrote:

Remove from the catalog. I'm pretty sure I can empty the catalog and re import the ones I want.

That's what I would try to do. Remove from the catalog.

Is there an option to "Import ALL images"?
I would not click that one.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

What is the status of the images you want to keep? Have you made edits such that you have valuable information that you would lose if you just start with a new catalog? Where do your 'picture' images reside on your computer and is that location distinct from the search you seem to have performed for all image files on your computer?

If your pictures are located in a common folder like "my pictures", you could use the Folder view and remove images by their folder location, selecting the images and folders that are not "my pictures". You want to perform only the action 'remove from catalog' and not also deleting the file from disk. If you delete all those icon images, you'll be worse off still.

RonBoyd

Longshadow wrote:

Is there an option to "Import ALL images"?

One imports from selected Folders. I suspect the OP imported from his main drive and Lightroom did what was asked for -- importing every file that looked like an image file on the whole drive.

I have been using Photoshop for maybe 20 years and Lightroom since the beginning. I can tell you, it is not something you can learn on your own.

Again, get the book:

How do I import my photos?

When you initially open the Import
dialog (Figure 3.3), it may look a little
overwhelming, but don’t worry, it’s simpler
than it looks. There are three main decisions
to make: where to find the photos (the
source), how to handle the photos (copy/
move/add) and if you’re copying or moving
the photos, where to put them (destination).
The rest of the options are, well, optional!

First, we’ll step through the basics of getting
your photos into Lightroom, and then we’ll
go back through the individual elements of
the Import dialog in more detail. Although
we’ll mainly refer to importing photos
throughout the chapter, the instructions
apply to videos too. Let’s get started…

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Jerry G wrote:

Remove from the catalog. I'm pretty sure I can empty the catalog and re import the ones I want.

As others have said, delete the items you don't want from the catalog. If you remove all items from the catalog and then reimport the ones you want, you will have lost all the edits you have performed.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

RonBoyd wrote:

One imports from selected Folders. I suspect the OP imported from his main drive and Lightroom did what was asked for -- importing every file that looked like an image file on the whole drive.
...
…

Yea, like c:
(The root and everything below root).

Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

CHG_CANON wrote:

What is the status of the images you want to keep?... (show quote)

Too late. I already made another blunder by clearing my catalog and reimporting the ones I wanted. It was only after I cleared the catalog that I realized I had just cleared all edits I had not saved as a different format. I have those edited pictures but if I want to make changes I have to start over with an unedited raw file. Just another one of my infinite blunders.

I knew I should have waited for your comment, you always seem to have best advice for Lightroom problems.

I want to thank everyone who responded I do appreciate all the advice I receive.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Jerry G wrote:

Too late. I already made another blunder by cleari... (show quote)

In your catalog backups, is there a copy of the catalog you "cleared?" If so, it's not too late.

RonBoyd

Jerry G wrote:

Too late. I already made another blunder by clearing my catalog and reimporting the ones I wanted. It was only after I cleared the catalog that I realized I had just cleared all edits I had not saved as a different format.

Okay, I was wrong. One can learn on their own. It is an expensive way (time, etc.) but, nonetheless, effective. Be prepared for many other "learning experiences." Lightroom is called a "professional" program for a reason.

Jerry G Loc: Waterford, Michigan and Florida

DWU2 wrote:

In your catalog backups, is there a copy of the catalog you "cleared?" If so, it's not too late.

No, I have not, until now, thought of backing up the catalog. I thought about it after I cleared it, would have been nice. I'll start doing that now when I backup my photos. Makes me rethink automated backups.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Jerry G wrote:

No, I have not, until now thought of backing up the catalog. I thought about it after I cleared it, would have been nice. I'll start doing that now when I backup my photos. Makes me rethink automated backups.

Do you have the catalog back-up active? This should be done once a week. If active, there's a back-up folder where the catalog is located and the files are date-stamped. You can take the date-stamp before you deleted everything. Just close LR, rename the active LRCAT file and copy the backup out of the \backup folder into the main folder and start LR. (If a ZIP file, extract the LRCAT from the ZIP and then move to the main folder.)

Regarding your back up strategy, two things to consider relative to the LRCAT file:

1) The catalog back-up just creates new files when run. You have to manually purge these on a periodic basis. If you did weekly, you'd remember to delete files older than 1-week on a monthly basis.

2) Your disk back-up should collect everything in the \Lightroom folder, the \backup subfolder included.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Jerry G wrote:

Too late. I already made another blunder by cleari... (show quote)

They are inside the recycling bin. Check there.