File Issues

Problems with files (opening, importing, sidecars) are usually one of: an unsupported RAW format, a stale thumbnail cache, a missing or corrupt .rrdata sidecar, or a permission/locking issue.

Unsupported RAW format

Symptom: Camera RAW file doesn't appear in the library, or opens dark/wrong

Cause: Either the file extension isn't in RapidRAW's supported list, or your specific camera variant isn't yet handled by the bundled dnglab decoder.

Fix: RapidRAW's RAW decoding lives in the open-source dnglab library. The right path is:

Open an issue at dnglab/dnglab with sample files (see File Formats → How to contribute RAW samples).
Once dnglab adds support, open an issue at RapidRAW so the maintainer can update the bundled dnglab version.

As a workaround, convert your RAW to DNG using Adobe DNG Converter (free). DNG is decoded universally.

Currently-known camera-specific reports:

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra .dng: #777.
Some .dng files refusing to open: #1025, #884.
.RW2 clipped highlights showing pink: #883.
Some CR3 files rendering very dark: #711.
Olympus white-balance accuracy: #764.
Ricoh GR4 monochrome DNG: #744.
Fujifilm X-T30 III: #956.

If your camera isn't in this list, please file the issue (it's the only way it gets fixed).

Lens not corrected

If a specific lens isn't being corrected automatically by Crop → Lens Correction, the missing profile is in the Lensfun database, not RapidRAW.

Open an issue at lensfun/lensfun. When the upstream profile is added, RapidRAW gets it on the next build that updates the bundled Lensfun database.

Corrupt or stale thumbnails

Symptom: A photo's thumbnail looks wrong, blank, or shows the wrong content

Cause: The thumbnail cache is out of sync. Common causes: editing in another app, file moved, file replaced.

Fix: Delete the thumbnail cache. RapidRAW regenerates it automatically on the next folder visit.

OS	Path
Windows	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\io.github.CyberTimon.RapidRAW\thumbnails\`
macOS	`~/Library/Caches/io.github.CyberTimon.RapidRAW/thumbnails/`
Linux	`~/.cache/io.github.CyberTimon.RapidRAW/thumbnails/`

You can delete everything inside that folder safely; only thumbnails live there. The first re-scan of a large folder will take a moment.

`.rrdata` sidecar problems

Symptom: Edits I made yesterday are gone

Cause: Most likely the .rrdata sidecar was lost during a file move, deleted by a sync tool, or you opened the photo from a copy in a different folder that doesn't have the sidecar.

Fix:

Look for the .rrdata file (e.g. IMG_2231.NEF.rrdata) in the original folder.
Some cloud sync tools flag dotted sidecars as "junk" and delete them. Configure your sync to include *.rrdata and *.rrexif.
Recover from Time Machine / Windows File History if you have it.

Symptom: Photo opens with old, partial, or no edits

Cause: The .rrdata is corrupt (interrupted write, partial sync) or from a different version of RapidRAW with incompatible structure.

Fix: Open the .rrdata in a text editor; it's JSON. If it's clearly truncated (missing closing braces), the file was corrupted during write. Restore from backup or re-edit. If it parses but produces wrong results, file an issue with the broken .rrdata attached (no image data is in it; safe to share).

Tracking: #1005.

File locked / can't open

Symptom: "File is locked" or "couldn't open file"

Cause: Another app has the file open exclusively, or a sync tool is mid-transfer.