Lightroom 2015.7+: Panels and filmstrip black when switching to Develop

Since no other software that I know of has this problem with macOS, it seems to me that the bug is a problem with Lightroom, not with macOS, and Adobe should be able to fix their software, if they stake some responsibility and care about their customers. Terrible behavior from Adobe to simply push this off onto Apple, or onto customers to upgrade their OS (which may or may not actually work).

I continue to have this blackout problem on El Capitan 10.11.6 for many months, thru multiple Lightroom versions.

Finally this problem has diminished for me.

Still having this issue after updating to the newest MacOS and version of Lightroom Classic:

El Capitan 10.11.6

LR Classic 7.0.1

Mac Pro (Late 2013)
3.5 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5
64GB 1866 MHz DDR3 ECC
AMD FirePro D500 3072 MB

Minimizing and expanding (Hide/Show from the task bar) works for me, but it is still painful, and should be an embarrassment for Adobe. The blackout happens multiple times per hour. Since other Adobe apps, like Photoshop, do not have this problem, it is clearly an issue with Lightroom, not with Apple. El Cap is not that old. No excuses to not support it. And as others have reported, it is still happening with Sierra.

New problem for me with Lightroom Classic CC. Identical behavior. only solution has been to quit / restart. Happens going in and out of Develop mode. Killing my workflow after big shoots. If Adobe says Lightroom Classic CC can't run on mac 10.11+, then my choice is todrop $4,000 on a new Mac or get out of Lightroom. Need a Lightroom version that runs on El Cap.

1. OSX El Capitan 10.11.8
2. Your Lightroom version (Help>System Info...)

3.  Running on Quad Mac Pro Early 2009 that cannot run 10.12 / Sierra.

It's absolutely obnoxious. I run version 7.0.1 on El Capitan 10.11.6 and it just keeps happening over and over again and again. ARRG!!!

I just switched over to LR Classic and now the black panels are back. I am a professional photographer and this is also killing my workflow. It came on gradually after a few days. I had been using the version previous to the Classic on El Capitan with the same problem that finally went away after an update. Now, it's back and  much worse!!!! NOT HAPPY ADOBE! Thinking of moving over to DXO or Capture One Pro, both of which I have purchased but just haven't gotten used to them...yet.

I am getting this on Lightroom Classic - have tried uninstalling and reinstalling but still, when I enter develop mode, the image blacks out as soon as you try to do anything with it. Everything else appears to carry on as though the image was there - very frustrating!

I just upgraded to High Sierra (10.13.1). I'll post back once I see if I'm still getting the problem. The good news is the upgrade (from El Capitan) seems to have gone smoothly.

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Panels and Filmstrip go black on entering Develop.

Just as the title states. At some point, this happens every time I use the program. Started after the Class CC name change/update.

If I use D shortcut rather than clicking the Develop Button sometimes it does not happen.
Sometimes the panels are black in the Library Module as well.

Restarting the program corrects it but it always recurs.


Mac El Capitan 10.11.6
Lr Classic CC 7.0.1

Getting so tired of this all the past years comments here have been happening to me for the past year also! Adobe is really dropping the ball!  I pay monthly for something that does not work! This happens several times a minute trying to get menus back and perform the same thing I did a minute earlier just to have them disappear again and again. FIX IT ADOBE!!!! Capture one wants my business and are looking great right now!!!! ElCapitan 10.11.6, Lightroom Classic CC 7.1, Camera Raw 10.1. ....And don't you dare tell me it's Apple's fault or do this work around or that work around, or anything else,,,FIX IT!!!!!!........... do you even get why people won't ever adopt Adobe's DNG format???? I do!!!!

My hardware prevents me from upgrading to 10.12 or 10.13. I'm constrained to 10.11.6 and I don't intend to get a new Mac just for this. Is there any help for 10.11.6 users?

Well at least we now have a definitive answer from Simon Chen. And the answer is NO. No more waiting and hoping. There will be no fix for those of us using computers that cannot be upgraded beyond El Capitan. We are out of luck.  I had to resolve the problem a while ago so I could get work done. So I rolled back to the version just before the problems began and everything works fine. You can find instructions here https://www.lightroomqueen.com/roll-back-update-previous/

This is not a desireable way to deal with it. It's frustrating to have been waiting for a solution so long,  but until I decide what's next at least I am done with this problem and can get work done. 

I upgraded to High Sierra 10.13.2, and the latest version of LR Classing (7.1). Now LR crashes multiple times each hour. WAY WORSE THEN EVER BEFORE. ALMOST UNUSABLE. ADOBE, what is your problem with delivering quality software?

Moved to LR 7.3 ...faster a bit, was working fine ...I thought ....Great! They fixed it....then BLACKED OUT PANELS AGAIN!!!!!!!! then slowly started happening more and more. So.....LR TEAM what the heck are you going to do!????? El Capitan, 10.11.6 (heard it was worse in HighSierra), LR 7.3, Camera Raw 10.3.  ALSO...FYI..... happens when you mouse click in LR ....using "D" key to go to develop mode or arrow keys to go to next frame works fine....MOUSE CLICKS are what is doing it!!!! Dang....FIX IT!!!!!!! ....worse thing to do is blame it on Apple!!! Cop out!