Lightroom not opening

I've got LR 5.3, and PS CC. I'm trying to import from an SD card, and when I hit the LR desktop icon for the app, I get a small window asking me to "CHoose a Different Catalogue" or "Create a New Cataloague. The "Open" button is greyed-out. The large "Select a recent catalogue" window is empty.

When I go the the SD card under my computer, all I can do is open to a folder containing the images, and the only option is "Save". But nothing happens when I hit the Save button.

What has happened?

Is this a new install of LR or have you made any other recent changes? It sounds like there is no LR catalogue or the catalogue it used last has been moved.

Dan Marchant wrote in post #16729802
Is this a new install of LR or have you made any other recent changes? It sounds like there is no LR catalogue or the catalogue it used last has been moved.

Yes, a new install. So what do I do?

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Solved it. I was not typing in a File name for the catalogue when I went to the SD card to import it into LR. When I added a file name, LR imported the pictures. Now the program opens normally, now that it has one catalogue there already.

For future ref (or anyone else in the same situation) just go ahead and click on create a new catalog. It will create an empty catalog and then, when you are ready to import it will add the images to that catalog.

Remember that with LR edits aren't saved to the RAW file, they are just listed in the catalog and applied to the RAW file when you export/create a JPEG/TIFF etc. So it is important to regularly back up your catalog.

So, I haven't done a new install of LR for, well, a long time.

Since this is a new install, Lightroom did not have a "working catalog". I guess it didn't create one when you did the install, so this would be something you do at first start-up (I'd do it before importing your first images, but that's up to you).

At any rate, because LR did not yet have a "working" catalog, it gave you the choices to either create a new one or to use (find) an existing one, but since this is a new install, then yeah, create a new one. Lightroom has a default name I believe you can use for catalogs, but otherwise you can name it as you wish.

Some interesting thoughts come up:

First, be aware that in fact you can have more than one catalog that Lightroom can get to and open. Some people like to have multiple catalogs, and there are also some good reasons for some people having that workflow, but you can only have one "working catalog" open at any one time. I myself just have/use one working catalog. Know, though, that thought should be given to your organizational workflow right from the beginning: if you are Importing photos, you might want to consider not only catalog placement, but also placement in your folder system as well as naming of folders and files in ways that are meaningful to you.

Another consideration is the location of your catalog file. By default, Lightroom will create your working catalog in your default "pictures" folder structure ("My Pictures" in Windows). This folder is in your System hard drive. If you have alternatives, such as a "working" internal drive for data storage, I'd look at moving the catalog there...you can do that using the Edit/Catalog Preferences dialog.

tonylong wrote in post #16730381
So, I haven't done a new install of LR for, well, a long time.

Since this is a new install, Lightroom did not have a "working catalog". I guess it didn't create one when you did the install, so this would be something you do at first start-up (I'd do it before importing your first images, but that's up to you).

At any rate, because LR did not yet have a "working" catalog, it gave you the choices to either create a new one or to use (find) an existing one, but since this is a new install, then yeah, create a new one. Lightroom has a default name I believe you can use for catalogs, but otherwise you can name it as you wish.

Some interesting thoughts come up:

First, be aware that in fact you can have more than one catalog that Lightroom can get to and open. Some people like to have multiple catalogs, and there are also some good reasons for some people having that workflow, but you can only have one "working catalog" open at any one time. I myself just have/use one working catalog. Know, though, that thought should be given to your organizational workflow right from the beginning: if you are Importing photos, you might want to consider not only catalog placement, but also placement in your folder system as well as naming of folders and files in ways that are meaningful to you.

Another consideration is the location of your catalog file. By default, Lightroom will create your working catalog in your default "pictures" folder structure ("My Pictures" in Windows). This folder is in your System hard drive. If you have alternatives, such as a "working" internal drive for data storage, I'd look at moving the catalog there...you can do that using the Edit/Catalog Preferences dialog.

Thanks. Interesting that this kind of basic information is not explained by Adobe. Unless it's buried in some tutorial.

If you are new to LR I would suggest you watch these videos http://tv.adobe.com …be-photoshop-lightroom-5/

Dan Marchant wrote in post #16731248
If you are new to LR I would suggest you watch these videos http://tv.adobe.com …be-photoshop-lightroom-5/

There is actually plenty of help out there. A problem is that people often leap before they look, and with Lightroom the whole aspect of Digital Asset Management (DAM) does in fact get benefits from looking before you leap!