Lightroom: File Appears to be Unsupported or Damaged

This guide is about the Adobe Lightroom error that says ‘The file appears to be unsupported or damaged‘. It usually occurs when the program fails to load your images.

This error message can also pop up when you’re transferring photos from a digital camera memory card to your computer. Or when you’re trying to load the images into Lightroom.

Irrespective of the action that triggered the error, we’ll show you can to do if Lightroom says the files are not supported or they might be damaged.

Fix Adobe Lightroom Unsupported or Damaged File Error

Many users confirmed they bypassed this error by simply closing Lightroom and restarting their computer. Sometimes, a simple restart works wonders.

Check the File Format

Ensure that Lightroom supports the image format you’re using. If it doesn’t, no wonder you’re getting that error saying the file appears to be unsupported.

As a quick reminder, Lightroom supports the following image formats: DNG, HEIF/HEIC, TIFF, JPEG, PSD, PSB, CMYK, PNG.

Go to Adobe’s Support page for more information on the supported camera models and lenses.

Lightroom does not support the following file formats: Adobe Illustrator, Nikon scanner NEF, and images larger than 512 megapixels or greater than 65,000 pixels per side.

Change the original image format if Lightroom does not support it.

Transfer the Images Again

Maybe the files got corrupted during the transfer. Try transferring the photos to a different piece of hardware. Or to a different hard drive.

Users also suggested moving the original images somewhere else. Move the folder to a different location, launch Lightroom, and check if you can load the files now.

Test if you can open the image in another program. If the files are corrupted, you should not be able to open them in another program.

Check Your Hard Drive

Your hard drive could have a bad sector. Scan it for potential errors and bad sectors. Repair your hardware if necessary.

Here’s how to scan your Windows 10 hard drive:

1. Go to This PC.
2. Right-click on the drive where you transferred the image and installed Lightroom.
3. Then click on Properties.
4. Select the Tools tab and hit the Check button under Error checking.
5. Click on Scan and repair drive.
6. Restart your computer when the process is over.

Update Lightroom

Ensure you’re running the latest Lightroom version. Outdated versions may cause all sorts of glitches and even prevent you from loading images.

To verify what Lightroom version you’re using, go to Help and select System Info. To check what’s the latest Lightroom version, go to Adobe’s Support page.

If you want to update Lightroom, launch the program, and then navigate to Help. Select Updates and check if there’s a newer version available.