About once a week I get an email from a Lightroom user who has lost a panel … most panels can go missing, but in my experience people seem to lose their Catalog panel in the Library module more than any other. To recover your missing panel, right-click (Ctl-click on a Mac) on the name of an existing panel in the same strip (Mac users: Ctl-click to the left of the panel name), and choose the panel you are missing, from the drop-down that appears.
In this example, my Catalog panel is missing. I right-clicked on Folders to get the menu. I would then select Catalog, and the panel would appear.
Note that there are some panels that are not optional, and therefore you cannot right-click on them to restore your missing one. These are:
- Navigator and Histogram in Library and Develop
- Navigator in Map
- Preview in Book, Slideshow, Print and Web
In this menu that appears that you can also choose:
- Show or Hide All. (If you’re not sure what you are missing Show All would be a good choice to make sure you have everything.)
- Solo Mode: when enabled, if you expand one panel, any others open will collapse.
- Expand All and Collapse All
Thank you to Stephano B. for this blog post idea.
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Great tip here Laura, thanks for the reminder. On a related customization note – have you noticed a size that works best for customized identity plate setup? I have tried 180px by 40 px and it seems to work fairly well, but still just a smidge off. Maybe it’s my inset from the left border, or from the top/bottom. Suggestions, ideas, etc.?
THANK YOU!!! I have been pulling my hair out after upgrading to Lightroom 4.3 … and now, you have made my day …. PHEWF!!
:-)
You’re welcome, Tania!
Hi Laura
My basic panel in the develop module of lightroom5 is missing. This has happened ones, and I could get it back. Now I have tried every thing. Right clicking, ctrl on Mac, every thing. Noting works
Hi Brian, right-click on another panel name and select the Basic Panel to show it.
I just ‘lost’ one of my panels and spent like 45 minutes searching before I found your post. Now it’s back! Thank you so much!!
I have lost my sliders under the Tone Curve panel. How do I get them back?
Rena, there is a little square symbol – a line with a dot on it – in the bottom right corner of the Tone Curve panel. Click on it to get your sliders back.
HI! I was in develop and my ext. hard drive disconnected and I lost panels on both sides while in Develop–I have right clicked, looked under every drop down menu..help me please! Thanks!
I FOUND IT!!!
Basic panel missing. I’ve tried control/click on each existing panel and I don’t get the drop down menu you talk about. Any suggestions? (P.S. The Basic panel was showing for a couple weeks after moving to LR 5 but then it just disappeared last week.) Thanks. Pat
Pat, my guess then is that you aren’t in the Develop module … or, right-click if you’re not working with a Mac mouse … or, be sure to ctl-click on another panel name in the same right-side strip.
Hi Laura,
I’m in Lightroom Develop and I lost the histogram panel. How do I bring this back?
Thank you.
Right-click on another panel name in the same strip and choose it, Kelley.
Missing my folders panel in the develop module. Have tried right clicking on Mac but only have 4 panel options.. Presets, Snapshots, History & and Collections. Other options such as: Show all, Hide all and Solo mode are available. Problem started when I started syncing collections with Lightroom Mobile.
Hi Keith,
The Folders panel is only available in the Library module.
Wow, thanks Laura for this really quick fix!
whew, a few anxious moments and then Laura Shoe to the rescue! Thanks for your wonderful tips and all of your knowledge! Library module gone missing, now found!
Thanks Much!
You’re welcome, Terri!
I had the same problem with my basic panel disappearing. While in the develop module, I clicked on windows (I have a Mac) at the very top (outside of LR) and then clicked on panels which listed all the panels. I then clicked on Basic as it was not checked off. Hope this helps.
Thank you, Cindy! This is the only instruction that helped me get my basic panel back! :)
When using my Lightroom 5 software, I’ve lost the option for selection “Local presets” and really need the presets in this file for working on a portrait for addressing lips, teeth, eyes, etc..
How can I get the Local preset tab to come back again ?
Ok, thank YOU !
I’m not sure where you mean, Doug. If in the adjustment brush, are the individual presets missing? If so, click on the dropdown and choose Restore Default presets.
i lost my basic panel but found it after reading yr post – thanks! It was so frustrating – lol
Hi Laura,
thanks for your work, it’ really interesting and complete.
I have an issue with Map module. Since almost a week, I’m no longer able to see a complete map in map model. It takes a huge amount of time to upload map.
Does it depend on google or network issue?
It is really frustrating …
Thank sin advance and best regards,
Patririo
Hi Patrizio,
Yes, it depends on your internet connection and Google. I don’t think it’s a Lightroom issue, but you can post on lightroomforums.net for further troubleshooting.
Whoops, I take that back, Patrizio – it may be a bug with Lightroom and Yosemite.
Hi Laura!
thaks for replying, first… TP be honest I’m quite worried about some several issues on Yosemite and various appliations, I’ve already called Apple support in order to solve it, there are several problems at th moment. I hope they’re going to release some new version of Yosemite…
Kind regards
Patrizio
Many thanks, Laura, I’ve recovered the catalog after scratching my head for ages.
Sawadee from Thailand
David
Hi Laura,
I let someone use my computer and they accidentally removed my Quick Develop Panels in the Library setting. I’ve tried updating the system, double clicking all over the section and looking through online manuals to fix the problem and nothing has worked. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Brian
Right-click on another panel header, like Keywording, and choose Quick Develop, Brian.
My Basic Panel is missing in my Lightroom 5. I tried to ctrl right click on my mac one of the other panels to get a drop down window to add the Basic Panel back in, but I’m not getting the drop down window at all. What am I doing wrong?
Sorry I missed this, Lisa, but try just Ctl-click or right click, not both. Do so on the Tone Curve panel header (panel name).
Thanks so much! Not sure how it happened- but you helped me fix it!!
I can go into develop and all my regular settings are there to the left so I can use my quick settings. But ALL the panels that sat to the right (histog, basic, etc) are MIISSING! Theres nothing there at all!
I assume you have found it by now, Roxana, but for others, if you don’t see your left or right panels at all, click on the very edge of the Lightroom screen – you’ll see a sideways triangle there that you can also click on, to expand a hidden panel strip.
thank you!! Very helpful!!!
I got back the catalog setting but it has all my photos. I had them broken down into months and still can’t find that. Where did they go?
It sounds like you are missing your Folders panel, SFav. If so, right click on your Catalog panel and choose Folders. If you have your folders panel, it is probably collapsed – click on your hard drive to expand this, then click on the sideways triangles to the left of individual folders to expand them.
Right clicking in the preset panel (of LR 4) to add a new folder is not working.
Hello,
For some surprising reason all of my columns disappeared except for the histogram. I am unsure what to click on in the developing mode. I would appreciate any help. Thank you.
Hi Lisa,
Tab will collapse or expand the left and right hand columns.
Hello Laura,
I accidentally hit some button and when I scroll my mouse to the pictures icon below, the circle thing on the top right corner of the icon that when you click it turn the picture into quick collection disappear. Do you have any idea how I can retrieve that back?
You probably hit the J key, Sun, which takes the thumbnails into collapsed view. Hit it once or twice more. If this isn’t it, you can go into Preferences (Edit>Pref on a PC, Lightroom>Pref on a Mac), and on the Interface tab, make sure the checkbox to show quick collection markers is checked.
I can’t find the metadata panel at the top in Library Mode i.e. text, stars etc.
If you’re in grid view (G), Carol, and you don’t see it, type \, or go to View>Show Filter Bar.
Hi Laura,
I am just starting out with Lightroom 5.6. I have never used LR before. In the import module, on the right hand side i am missing the destination drop down menu. Can you please help me find that? Cant find it by right clicking…its not showing up as an option that i can choose…
You’ll only see that, Pallavi, when you choose Copy (or Move) in the top center, to copy from one place to another, such as from your memory card to somewhere on your hard drive When you choose Add, which is appropriate for files already on your hard drive, you won’t see it, as there’s no need to specify a different location for your files.
Hi Laura,
When I use my adjustment brush to adjust a certain part of my image it works perfectly, but when I see that I have missed a spot and want to go back to fix that error, I click my adjustment brush to do so but the white circle doesn’t show up for me to click and proceed with my editing. It was working perfectly yesterday and now today it’s decided to do this, help!
Thank you.
Hi Alecia,
Type “H” to unhide your pins.
Thanks! This helped a lot!!!
In the library module, I only have the navigator tab on my left hand panel. I cannot see, folders, catalog, nor collection, or any other one besides Navigator. i cannot there fore right cask on any other to retrieve my missing ones. How can I retrieve them?
thanks
Maria
I would suggest resetting your preferences, Maria. If you have CC/6, hold down the Alt/Opt and Shift keys as you open Lightroom, to get the Reset Preferences dialog. If you have 5, you’ll have to go delete your preference file – google “Lightroom 5 preference file location”. After resetting or deleting preferences, you’ll need to go into Edit/Lightroom>Preferences and change any that you don’t want to be at their defaults.
HELP:) I was trying to import a preset, clicked on the preset file in lightroom and tried to double click to bring up the import, but it brought up another box that said presset, and several other options.
my mouse pad is acting up and I think I hit whatever that preset option was and now I have no presets or even the preset tab when in develop??
Help!!! Need sugestions asap! Thank you all so much!
Right click on the Collections panel name in the Develop module and choose Presets, Angela.
Laura, I have been putting photos into collections sets. Today when I open L.R., I find 2 problems. 1. Some (not all) of my folders show missing photos with the “?”mark, while other folders display the photos. 2. None of my collection sets appear in the Collectons Panel. When I right click (PC) I see the “collections” checked along with an “*” behind the wording collections. What happended and how to I retrieve my collections. I think I know how to find the missing photos.
It sounds like you’re not in the right catalog, Roger – go to File>Open Recent and see if there’s another listed.
Hi Laura,
Thank you for the concise explanations. My folder was missing in the left panel in Lightroom 5 and I was able to bring it by watching your video.
I now have the “+” symbol next to my folder but lost the”-” symbol and unable to delete my some of my picture files. Where did it go?
Thank You, Laura.
Jerry
I don’t know, Jerry, but you can right-click on a folder and choose Remove. This won’t delete it though, it will just remove it from Lightroom (as the “-” button also would).
What if I am missing things inside a panel. My develop panel is missing some of the sliders. How do I get these back?
Hi, Cathleen – here is an article that covers when you’re missing sliders in Lightroom’s Basic panel.
I have lost the initial “Import dialogue” box that used to pop up when selecting the Import Files and Video option from the File drop down menu in Lightroom 4. That dialogue box gave me the option to both apply a custom name to my files and select a final destination for my files. Without this dialogue box, the files now automatically go straight into Library with a generic file name. It takes a while for the files to be imported into Library. I then have to export those files into Bridge. Thankfully, I can rename the files then, but I then have to wait just as long for the files to be exported into Bridge. How do I recover the Import Dialogue box so I can same myself a step – and time?
Hi Tammy,
I have not heard of the Import dialog completely disappearing. There is a collapsed view that you may be experiencing – if so, click on the triangle in the bottom right of the dialog to expand it. For those files that you imported without being able to rename them, there’s no need to export them to Bridge. In Library in Lightroom, select them, and then go up to Library in the menu bar, Rename Photos…
In the Develop mode on my desktop, there is a lightroom color presets under the presets tab. Under the same sequence in LR on my Surface Pro, the Lightroom Color Presets is missing. I have tried right clicking on one of the existing presets, and the only options are new folder and import. I have right clicked on collections and removed then added back presets, but the Lightroom Color Presets is still missing. Any ideas?
Update to 6.10 / CC 2015.10, Kelli – it’s a bug.
I updated lightroom and the color presets reappeared on my Surface Pro, if that helps anyone.
Thank you so much, I have spent so much time trying to find out how to find the missing “Folders” heading in the library left hand panel.You solved it in seconds. Was in a bad mood over it, made my day with the advice. Thanks again , your a star.
You’re welcome, Colin!
Have only just discovered your site. Perhaps you can help me. When I try to use Lightroom 4 on my MacBook Pro, in the import area not all the options open up on my right panel. Only File Handling and Apply during import. Don’t have any idea how to get them. If I use my Mac they appear.
Welcome, Betty! Either you have chosen Add in the top center, to add the photos to the catalog but leave them where they are on your hard drive, in which case those options are not available, or your panels are hidden. If they are hidden, right-click on another panel name on that side (such as File Handling) and choose them.
I just installed Lightroom and I don’t have the tone curve panel. How do i get it?
Hi Nina, unless you have a very very old (many years old) version by either following the instructions in this article or moving to the Develop module (D).
Hi Kelly I cant find my file renaming panel in Lightroom classic cc 7.1 (dec.2017) version.
I tried what you mentioned in the first place by right click Ctr. on File handling but no result
You won’t see a file renaming panel if you have chosen Add in the top center, Jur. I’m Laura Shoe, btw – there’s no Kelly here. ;-)
Please help! I watched your video on recovering the basic panel in Lightroom. It says to right click on the quick develop panel, but this is also missing. Thanks in advance!
Hi Pam, To recover your missing panel, right-click (Ctl-click on a Mac) on the name of an existing panel in the same strip, and choose the panel you are missing, from the drop-down that appears.