In Dire Need of Lightroom3 Help

<p>I'm at my witts end and need help. After uprgrading to Lightroom3 and buying Photoshop (CS5) for the first time and getting them up and running (no easy task), I changed my operating system hopeing I could overcome some of Vista's problems.</p>

<p>I did a complete clean of my hard drive before downloading Windows 7 64-bit. I then re-installed (using disks) all of my applications. They worked fine for less than a day. Then, in the LR Library module, all of my images vanished and were replaced by grey squares that looked like keyboard bottons. After running out of ideas to fix the problem, I removed (emptied) the cataloge and re-imported the files. All looked good, the images appeared in the Library module until I hit the "Import" button, then all the images went away again. I've done this twice with identical results. I have no idea what to do next. Your help is appreciated. Doug</p>

<p>Additional info.........</p>

<ul>

<li>I removed Lightroom from the hard drive and re-installed . Same results. </li>

<li>Somewhere in this process I received an upgrade notice for CS5 and Lightroom. I downloaded both. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I did this prior to the problem development or after.</li>

<li>Because I purchased educational-discounted software, Adobe will charge me for telephone support. </li>

<li>Between constantly needing to overcome Vista issues and instalation headaches I am much less of a photographer. Too much time behind the screen. If Windows7 doesn't make my life easier I may have to give up some of my interest in photography. (Great, now i'm venting) My Apple friends seem to have very few problems. Arg.</li>

</ul>

<p>I'm not sure I understand the "keyboard buttons" description, but there are three common causes for gray squares:</p>

<p>(1) You've lost your previews, and LR cannot generate more because it can't locate your image files (or because your computer is painfully slow). This doesn't sound like the case for you, since you've just imported. Are there question marks in the grid next to each square? If not, this probably isn't it. If so, say so and we'll continue figuring out what happened.</p>

<p>(2) Your preview cache is corrupt. Did you actually start a new catalog, or just delete all and re-import? Perhaps deleting your preview cache and letting it rebuild is one way to test this one, or create a new catalog and re-import, if you're willing to lose all your work.</p>

<p>(3) Corrupt monitor profile. Given that this is a new system, it seems plausible. Do you calibrate your monitor? If so, try recalibrating. If not, try replacing your current monitor profile with sRGB -- this is a diagnostic test, not a solution. If that appears to fix things, then you need to get a proper monitor profile, preferably by calibrating, or second choice by getting one from the monitor manufacturer.</p>

<p>Hi Mark, thanks for your help...<br>

IThere are no ? marks in the grid or on the left side folder panel. In the File pull down menu I went to import, located my files where they always are and imported. One by one, each image appeared as one would expect. When they completed, on the lower right side of Lightroom the import button became highlighted. I hit that button and all the images dissapeared. Importing is somehting I rarely do excempt from camera. May be was not supposed to hit the "imort" button once all the images imported. Is so, I feel stupid but this could be a simple explanation and fix. I'm goig to import a few files as a test, not hitting the import button at the end and see what happens.<br>

"<em>Did you actually start a new catalog, or just delete all and re-import?" </em><br>

<em> </em>I highlighted the "File" on the left side module that comtained all of my images, right clicked and then clicked "remove." <br>

<em>"Do you calibrate your monitor?"</em><br>

I have been calibrateing my monitor regulary with a Spyder2Pro until recently. After installing Windows 7 64-bit, it will not work. I need to find a driver update (haven't found one yet) or get a new calibrator.<br>

Thanks, D</p>

<p>Wait, I think I understand. I think you're looking at the Import dialog, not the main Lightroom grid. I say that because you say the Import button is on the lower right side... In the main grid, it's at the bottom of the left panel.</p>

<p>The old LR2 Import window has been replaced by this full-screen style thing that looks a lot like the main Lightroom window. I suspect this is the source of your confusion.</p>

<p>I just attempted another import of two files and had the same results. However, I clicked on "lock to second monitor" and the image appeared on the second monitor. I'm really lost...</p>

<p>Mark, I started the import using the import buttom on the bottom left side of the monitor. After all the images appeared, another import buttom on the lower right side of the screen appeared. when I hit the second button, the images vanished.</p>

<p>Okay, that's what's supposed to happen. You hit Import on the Import dialog, and the Import dialog goes away and brings you to the main Lightroom window (normally the Grid view). Do you see the module picker along the top?</p>

<p>To be sure you're in the Grid view, press G. This will bring you into the Library module and into the Grid view within it. This should be the same screen you were looking at with the Import button at the bottom of the left panel.</p>

<p>In the left panel, under the Catalog heading, you'll see either "Current Import" (if one is running) or "Previous Import" (if it has finished). Select that. Do your images show up now?</p>

<p>Mark, this just gets wierder. I selected previous import. The grey squares continued on my primary monitor but my secondary monitor shows the imnmages. Well, better than before. Just need to get them to the primary monitor. I alreeady cheked my monitor settings and number one is the correct primary monitor.</p>

<p>In that case, I'm even more convinced that the problem is a corrupt monitor profile. Did you try installing sRGB as your monitor profile as a diagnostic test? Or the profile from your secondary monitor? Neither will look right, but if they look like photos rather than gray squares, then that confirms that the monitor profile is the culprit.</p>

<p>I will do that now....thanks<br>

I went to my Windows color management screen and realised that I had already had changed the fefault profile to sRGB. the correct device - Nvidia graphics card - installed. When I downloaded Windows 7 I lost my Spyder2 calibrated profile and the Spyder doesn't work with Windows 7 so I can't make another.</p>

<p>I noticed that I have two sRGB profiles. Tried both, both work but no differently.<br>

A)sRGB vertual device model profile (default).............. wsRGB.cdmp<br>

sRGB IEC61966-2.1.....................................................sRGB Color Space profile</p>

<p>Any idea what the difference is?</p>

<p>Thanks! D</p>

<p>If you switch monitors (just drag one of LR's screens to the other monitor and they'll swap), now which one works?</p>

<p>Another remote possibility -- I think there was a bug with catalog upgrades in an earlier version of Lightroom 3.x (I think it may have been the 3.0 beta, but I'm not certain) that had symptoms kinda like this. What version of Lightroom did you use to upgrade the catalog from LR2 to LR3? (I don't think this is likely to be the source of the problem, as the previews are visible on your second monitor...)</p>

<p>Mark, I purchased Lighroom 3 (thats all that it says on the disk.) Recently (two days ago) I recieved a notification that there is a upgrade available and I downloaded that.<br>

Om my! I just opened Lightroom again. This time LR opened on my secondary monitor and all of the images were there. On the primary monitor were the grey squares that I have been talking about. I think we're gettting closer but I have not a clue what to do. </p>

<p>I was able to move LR from one moitor to the other by dragging it. Al images are there (without keywords) when LR is on the second monitor. Not so on the primary monitor. </p>

<p>Oh, in your initial message I thought you had upgraded to Lightroom 3, not started with Lightroom 3. Sorry for barking up the wrong tree.</p>

<p>I think you need to calibrate your primary monitor.</p>

<p>Mark, you were correct all along. I started with Lightroom 1.?, then 2.7 and then purchased 3.0.</p>

<p>I think you are right about calibrating my monitor. Now I just need to get my spyder2 to work with Windows 7. Arg. <br>

Thanks for all of your help. It's appreciated.</p>

<p>Best regards, happy trails,</p>

<p>Doug</p>

 

<p>iMac on the horizon, me thinks.</p>

<p>It sounds like a hardware problem to me. A graphics card may be faulty.<br>

By all means, try the profile solutions first, as that should be fairly easy and cheap to check out, but if you have the computer dealer nearby, I would book an appointment with them.<br>

There may also be some software available to check faulty graphics cards, but I do not know of any myself.</p>

<p>the gray preview is a common problem under window cause of a bad monitor profile.. just search google .. it is well documented.</p>

<p>did not noted if yo said this already, is CS5 working ok? can you see images as you shoudl? using mac or PC?</p>

<p>Good day everyone and thank you for your interest and help,</p>

<p>It seems that Mark had it right. After finding a Spyder2-express download on the Datacolor website I was able to get my monitor calibrator up and running. </p>

<p>Of note: Datacolor's support was slow to return requests for help (3 days), responses that did not work, weak website design and lack of clear web information will make me think twice about buying another product from them. In all fairness, the product does work well for the money.</p>

<p>Now that my monitor is calibrated all of my images are back and Lightroom is operating well with one exception, most of my keywords are missing. Any suggestions in this regard are appreciated.</p>

<p>Again, <strong>thank you all</strong>- specially to Mark, Doug</p>

<p>I love it when I'm right from the start. Wish that happened more often!</p>

<p>When you say your keywords are missing -- where? Images that used to have keywords no longer do? Or the keyword list is shorter in Library's right panel?</p>