Today’s Question: I have occasionally been getting a warning from Lightroom Classic. After editing a raw file (NEF), an exclamation mark appears on the thumbnails. When I click on the exclamation mark, a message appears that says “Lightroom has encountered problems reading this photo. You will not be able to make adjustments to the photo.” However, I can go back and make additional adjustments. What is the meaning of the warning? What can I do to avoid or correct the warning?
Tim’s Quick Answer: This warning generally indicates there is a problem with the source file, such as that it has become corrupted. It is therefore important to ensure you have a good backup, and to test the storage device the problem photos are on.
More Detail: I have seen periodic indications that the error message in question has appeared in error, with the files being perfectly fine. However, I strongly recommend assuming there may be a hardware issue causing this problem.
The most likely explanation for the error is that the file has been corrupted, or that there is a hardware problem causing intermittent issues. In either case I would be concerned that the source files could become damaged.
First, make sure you have a reliable backup of all your photos, so you can recover from that backup should a photo become corrupted. I would also use the error checking option in your operating system for the drive. This is found on the Tools tab in the Properties dialog for the hard drive on Windows, or with the Disk Utility application on Macintosh.
You can also test the source file using other software, such as to open the file directly in Photoshop. However, just because the file can be opened with other software doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem.
My personal approach is to not trust any drive that has caused me to question it more than once. A single error could be a fluke. But if there is more than one error, I assume the drive is experiencing a problem and I replace it. I’d rather spend a little extra money and do a little extra work rather than risk the loss of an entire hard drive. And again, this type of situation is a reminder of the importance of having more than one backup, and ideally an offsite (such as online) backup.
You can learn more about my workflow for backing up photos from my GreyLearning Ultimate Event on “Backing Up Your Photos”, which can be found on the GreyLearning website here:
https://www.greylearning.com/courses/greylearning-ultimate-event-backing-up-your-photos-may-2023
