# Lightroom Classic Presets Not Showing? Fix Greyed-Out Manage Presets **By Asanka Dilshan** · 2026-09-05 You import your XMP presets into Lightroom Classic, but the Presets panel stays empty. You try again and see **“All items were already imported.”** Then you open the plus menu and discover that **Manage Presets is greyed out**. That combination deserves a different troubleshooting approach. Before installing the same files again, check whether Lightroom can edit the selected photograph. > **Quick answer:** If Lightroom Classic says your presets are already imported but the panel is empty, select an imported photo with an available original or usable Smart Preview. If the original is missing and there is no Smart Preview, reconnect the photo, return to Develop, and check again. Then investigate hidden groups, compatibility and preset locations. This guide covers **Lightroom Classic on Mac and Windows**. The cloud-based Lightroom app and Lightroom Mobile use different interfaces. ## A real support case: installed files, empty panel We recently helped an AAAPresets customer whose XMP files were present in Adobe’s preset folders, yet the Develop Presets panel remained blank. Reimporting produced the already-imported message, the partial-compatibility option was enabled, and Manage Presets was unavailable. Those observations shifted the troubleshooting from installation to the selected photo’s availability and editability. The customer later confirmed that the presets were visible. The useful lesson is the diagnostic sequence: **establish whether the photo can be edited before treating installed presets as missing files.** The screenshots alone do not establish the exact corrective action, so this article does not claim that every greyed-out menu has the same cause. _The cover and instructional images in this guide are newly AI-generated illustrations with simplified interfaces. They are not actual Lightroom screenshots or customer photographs. The companion video is an AAAPresets screen recording. Follow the written steps; labels and layout can vary by version._ ## Quick fix checklist 1. Select a still photo in **Develop** and check whether editing works. 2. Reconnect a missing original if no usable Smart Preview is available. 3. Clear any preset search text and check hidden preset groups. 4. Check partial compatibility and the preset pack’s requirements. 5. Confirm XMP installation and whether storage depends on the catalog. 6. Test a newly imported local photo to narrow the problem. 7. Restart Lightroom; reset preferences only after the earlier checks. ## Why Lightroom says “All items were already imported” In this scenario, the message is a strong clue that Lightroom recognizes the selected items as existing imports. It is not a guarantee that every preset will be visible or usable with the current image. Separate three questions: **Are the preset files installed? Can Lightroom edit this photo? Is this preset visible and compatible?** Repeating the import only revisits the first question. If the message repeats, record it and move to the checks below. ## Fix 1: Make sure the selected photo is editable Choose an imported still photo and open **Develop**. Check for a missing-file message and see whether the editing controls respond. A visible thumbnail or large preview is not enough to establish that the original is available. Adobe’s [preset troubleshooting FAQ](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/kb/presets-faq.html) identifies missing images as a reason presets can be inaccessible. ### Reconnect a missing original 1. Reconnect the external drive or storage location containing the photo. 2. In Library, choose **Library > Find All Missing Photos**. 3. Click the missing-photo indicator on the relevant thumbnail, then choose **Locate**. 4. Select the correct original in its current location. Use the nearby-missing-photos option when appropriate. 5. For a missing folder, right-click it on Windows or Control-click it on Mac and choose **Find Missing Folder**. Return to Develop and recheck the Presets panel. Reconnecting the existing catalog entry preserves its relationship to your work; importing another copy is not the same repair. See [Adobe’s missing-photo instructions](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/manage-catalogs-and-files/locate-missing-photos.html). ### The Smart Preview exception Lightroom Classic can edit an offline original through a **Smart Preview**. This is different from an ordinary cached preview. Check the status below the Histogram: a Smart Preview can support editing even while the drive holding the original is disconnected. Adobe explains this distinction in its [Smart Previews guide](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/viewing-photos/lightroom-smart-previews.html). For troubleshooting, an available local original removes uncertainty about which preview Lightroom is using. ![AI illustration comparing a missing original without a Smart Preview with an available Smart Preview that permits offline editing.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0687/6548/3322/files/missing-original-vs-smart-preview-branded.png?v=1788583201) AI-generated illustration: a cached preview and a Smart Preview are different. Interface simplified. ## Fix 2: Check Manage Presets and preset search If your version displays a search field in the Presets panel, clear it. Expand the panel and any collapsed groups. These simple checks help distinguish an empty display from an unavailable editing state. With an editable photo selected, open **Presets > + > Manage Presets**. Enable the groups you want and save. This controls group visibility; it does not reinstall files. Adobe documents it under [Manage Develop presets](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/process-and-develop-photos/apply-presets.html). **If Manage Presets remains greyed out:** move to the local-photo test in Fix 6. Treat the disabled menu as a symptom, not proof that your XMP files are damaged. Note whether only that menu is unavailable or the Develop controls are unavailable too. ## Watch: selecting a photo and restoring visible preset groups This 1-minute-28-second AAAPresets screen recording shows an empty Develop state, a selected landscape photo, the Manage Presets dialog and presets being applied. It is a companion demonstration, not a recording of the customer case above. [Open the example video in Google Drive](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pWwPz7dGJNixOWBAfMnxMPDI9IPSAX9R/view?usp=sharing) if the player does not load. - **At about 0:25:** a photo is selected and the Presets menu is open. - **At about 0:31:** preset groups are checked in Manage Presets. - **By about 0:45:** the preset list is visible and a preset is being applied. ## Fix 3: Show partially compatible Develop presets Open **Lightroom Classic > Preferences** on Mac or **Edit > Preferences** on Windows. Under **Presets**, enable **Show Partially Compatible Develop Presets**. A preset may depend on a camera profile or RAW-only settings. This preference can reveal partially compatible entries, often faded or italicized, but does not make every setting applicable. See [Adobe’s compatibility explanation](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/process-and-develop-photos/apply-presets.html). If it was already enabled, do not keep toggling it as your main fix. Compare a compatible RAW file with a JPEG and check the pack’s stated requirements, especially for presets that use profiles or newer AI features. ![AI illustration of enabled preset groups in Manage Presets and the Show Partially Compatible Develop Presets preference.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0687/6548/3322/files/manage-presets-visibility-branded.png?v=1788583200) AI-generated illustration: group visibility and compatibility are separate checks. Interface simplified. ## Fix 4: Confirm the XMP files were installed In **Preferences > Presets**, use **Show Lightroom Develop Presets**. Adobe lists these common user-level locations in its [preset FAQ](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/kb/presets-faq.html): **Mac:** `~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Settings` **Windows:** `C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\CameraRaw\Settings` Use Lightroom’s folder button to inspect your actual setup instead of guessing a username or moving files between similarly named folders. Adobe also maintains a [file-location reference](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/kb/preference-file-and-other-file-locations.html). In our support case, imported XMP files were visible inside `CameraRaw/ImportedSettings`. That is an observed location in this case, not a universal destination you should create or copy files into. Finding the files helps establish that an import occurred; it does not explain why the panel is unavailable. If the files genuinely have not been imported, use **Develop > Presets > + > Import Presets** with the pack’s XMP files or its preset ZIP. For package-selection help, see the [AAAPresets installation guides](https://aaapresets.com/blogs/how-to-install-lightroom-presets-in-a-quick-and-easy-way). Stop repeating the import if the same already-imported message returns. ## Fix 5: Check catalog-specific preset storage Did the presets disappear only after switching catalogs? Check **Store presets with this catalog** in Presets preferences. Adobe notes that this setting can explain why presets appear in one catalog and not another. Reopen the catalog where they worked and compare the setting before changing anything. See [Adobe’s catalog-storage troubleshooting](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/desktop/kb/presets-faq.html). Record your current setting and the folder Lightroom opens. Avoid switching storage modes and moving files simultaneously: if the display changes, you will not know which action caused it. ## Fix 6: Test with a newly imported local photo This is a useful isolation test when the original problem remains ambiguous: 1. Choose a non-sensitive JPEG or supported RAW photo that is fully downloaded to your internal drive. 2. Import that photo into the **same catalog**. 3. Select it, open Develop, and check that editing controls respond. 4. Inspect the Presets panel and Manage Presets again. Test result What to investigate next Presets return on the local photo The first photo’s availability, preview state or compatibility. This makes a general installation failure less likely. Built-in presets appear, but the purchased pack does not The pack’s visibility, import, profiles and version requirements. The panel stays empty and Manage Presets stays disabled A broader Lightroom state or preferences issue; collect the details below. A preset appears on RAW but not JPEG File-type or profile requirements rather than repeatedly importing it. These are diagnostic clues, not definitive diagnoses. A JPEG is useful for testing general editing access, but it cannot establish that a RAW-specific preset should work. ## Fix 7: Restart, then reset preferences only if necessary Quit and reopen Lightroom Classic, keeping the relevant drive connected. Retest the local photo. Check your installed version against the preset pack’s requirements before assuming that support for XMP alone guarantees support for every feature. If the earlier checks fail, a preferences reset is a later troubleshooting option. First record your preferences and catalog-storage setting, and back up your custom presets. A reset changes application preferences and can affect plug-ins or which preset location Lightroom uses. Quit Lightroom Classic. Hold **Shift + Option** on Mac or **Shift + Alt** on Windows while launching it, then confirm the reset prompt. Follow [Adobe’s reset instructions](https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/reset-preferences.html) for your platform. Afterwards, open the intended catalog and check the preset-storage setting again before concluding that files have disappeared. ## What not to do - **Do not keep importing the same XMP files** when Lightroom reports they already exist. - **Do not delete Adobe preset folders** as a first troubleshooting step. - **Do not randomly relocate XMP files** between Settings, ImportedSettings and catalog folders. - **Do not switch to the mobile DNG method** to solve this Classic problem when your pack includes XMP presets. - **Do not assume a visible photo preview proves the original is online.** Check its status and editability. - **Do not change several things at once.** Retest the same photo after each change. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does greyed-out Manage Presets mean installation failed? No. In the support case described here, XMP files were already present. Check whether an imported photo can be edited, then use the local-photo test to separate an image-specific problem from a broader application issue. ### Can I use presets with an offline original? A usable Smart Preview can support offline editing. An ordinary cached preview is different. If you are unsure which is available, reconnect the original and retest. ### Why are only some presets missing? Check hidden groups, partial compatibility and the pack’s profile or file-type requirements. A missing subset calls for different checks than a completely empty panel with disabled controls. ## Presets installed but still not showing? [**Contact AAAPresets support**](https://aaapresets.com/pages/contact) with the pack name, your Lightroom Classic version, Mac or Windows version, the exact import message, and the result of the local-photo test. Tell us whether built-in presets appear and whether Manage Presets is clickable. If you include a screenshot, crop it to the relevant controls and remove personal photographs, usernames, filenames and other private information. Those details help us choose the next useful check without asking you to reinstall the same files again. **Tags:** Lightroom Classic, Lightroom Presets, XMP Presets --- > Source: [aaapresets](https://aaapresets.com/blogs/fix-lightroom-preset-problems-step-by-step-troubleshooting/lightroom-classic-presets-not-showing)