A question mark in Lightroom usually means the original photo file is missing. Lightroom’s catalog still has the preview, but it can’t find the actual image at its saved location.

Common causes:

• the file was deleted outside Lightroom
• the file was moved or renamed outside Lightroom
• an external drive or memory card is disconnected
• the drive path or letter changed

How to fix it:

• If the file still exists, click the question mark and point Lightroom to the photo’s new location.
• If the whole folder or drive moved, reconnect it or restore the original drive/path so Lightroom can relink the files.
• If the photos were truly deleted, remove them from Lightroom too.

For many photos, the best “bulk” fix is usually to relink the parent folder or reconnect the missing drive, which can clear many question marks at once. If the files are actually gone, you can delete/remove the missing photos from Lightroom in batches.