Yellow and blue question marks in the image corners PSE 12

[birdie]

I recently backed up all my photo files on a Seagate external drive. After that all my 8000 files appeared with the yellow question mark. I have tried reconnecting missing files and search for missing files without success. Then I tried to restore the catalog. Now all images are invisible and there is also a blue question mark in the cente where the image should be.

Help!! I know someone out there has had this experience.

Thank you so much,
Birdie

[michelb]

Jun 21, 2016 23:25:12 GMT birdie said:

I recently backed up all my photo files on a Seagate external drive. After that all my 8000 files appeared with the yellow question mark. I have tried reconnecting missing files and search for missing files without success. Then I tried to restore the catalog. Now all images are invisible and there is also a blue question mark in the cente where the image should be.

Help!! I know someone out there has had this experience.

Thank you so much,
Birdie

How did you backup? From the File menu of the organizer or otherwise?
The backup process from the organizer never changes your files on your drive, it only reads them. What you are describing looks like the files have been deleted or rather moved. Can you find those files by searching with your explorer or finder (in your original drive or in the Seagate)?
You restored the backup: same question, from the File menu or otherwise?
Those are general questions, but it might be useful to know your OS and OS version.

[birdie]

I did the backup when I got a prompt from Seagate. So not from the file menu.

All the files are on the computer hard drive but not in the organizer. I can open them with preview only.

My OS is Maverick 10.9.5

[birdie]

Another piece of info. On the organizer the only photos that appear and that I can open in the editor are the edited versions of original raw images.

When I restored the catalog I did that from the file menu.

Thank you.

[michelb]

The backup program by Seagate works differently from the one of the organizer. I don't know the details with Seagate, but it must save the picture files in the folders you select. The backup from the organizer saves not only your picture files but also your catalog.
The organizer does not store any picture files, it only keeps links with the physical location of your pictures on your drive (where you 'imported' them).
So, your Seagate software could not save the catalog.
What is not coherent is that if you used the File menu of the organizer to 'restore', you must have had a valid backup produced by the organizer itself. If you can see the thumbnails of both present and missing files, you have got a valid restored catalog with 'missing' files, that is with wrong (not updated) links.

- Did you also create an organizer backup in the past?
- Where did you store your raw files and the edited versions? in the same drives and folders?
- Was your catalog in the default (hidden) location on the C: drive, or did you create or move it elsewhere?

[birdie]

1. Did you also create an organizer backup in the past? No

2. Where did you store your raw files and the edited versions? in the same drives and folders? Yes, in folders in organizer. Even now none of my folders will accept a new image. Message says folder not available.

3. Was your catalog in the default (hidden) location on the C: drive, or did you create or move it elsewhere? I did not move it elsewhere. No C:drive on a mac, just the hard drive. Images are on the hard drive and Seagate, I can open any of them in preview but not organizer.

[birdie]

The Seagate probably has nothing to do with the problem. I mention it because it was right after doing a back up on the Seagate that everything went missing.

[birdie]

Is anyone else following this conversation? Does anyone else have a suggestion that will make my photos come back?

[Tpgettys]

Hi birdie,
I am sorry to hear of your predicament, but since I am a Windows user I don't feel I can be of much help.

I can't say for certain, of course, but it sounds like the Seagate backup program copied your files to the HD and then deleted them from where they had resided.

Can you verify that they are on the backup drive, and missing from where they used to be? If so, perhaps just copying them from the backup drive to where they belong will do the trick.

[Sepiana]

Jun 26, 2016 20:51:11 GMT Tpgettys said:

I can't say for certain, of course, but it sounds like the Seagate backup program copied your files to the HD and then deleted them from where they had resided.

This is a strong possibility if the Seagate backup program is malfunctioning.  I have two Seagate external HD drives. Both my Organizer and Lightroom catalogs are backed up on them. The only time any of my files get deleted is when I tell Seagate to do it.

[fotofrank]

can you check the format and permission's of the seagate drive that you backed up to?

If this is a new unformatted for mac drive you will have an issue and if the permission are not set up to share the drive you will have issues.

[birdie]

Thank you for the ideas.

I just discovered something. I clicked on the PSE organizer icon in my applications and all of a sudden the question marks went away. Yippee! However, the images are still not visible. Instead of an image now there is an icon that looks like a corner folded over on a piece of paper. I searched for missing files and reconnected files without success. I am baffled.

[birdie]

Well happy days are over. I restored the catalog thinking that would make things visible again but instead the question marks returned. Drat. I am at a loss.