LR5 - lost connection to picture files. Now what?

Question

3 days ago I followed the advice of Barbara Brundage from Elements Magazine and deleted some files from Elements Organizer which were causing people problems. I had previously used organizer for my pictures but LR adopted the jobe about a month ago. Today I upgraded LR from 5.2 to 5.3 and then began editing pictures. When I tried to delete a picture a message came up to the effect that the file could not be permanently deleted from the disk since it could not be found. It offered the possibility of erasing the file permanently still. I chose that and the picture disappeared  and a small box flashed by which said that the file could not be found. The number of files in the folder didn't change.
How do I reconnect to the picture files which are in a stand alone hard drive - And - will the editing I did today be lost of subsequently be connected to the appropriate picture files/
Thanks for your help
David

Answer 1

thank you for your reply.
I do understand that the pictures reside in a library and that what I see in LR is the picture with whatever repairs have been added. Those repairs don’t necessarily reside with the picture.
I understand that if  I move files outside LR that they will be invisible to LR in which case they should have a  red ! beside them. No such red , or any colour symbols appear. I have not  moved any file, files or folders using Organizer or by simply re-locating them on the drive such as by dragging and dropping to a new location. Nor have I changed any file names.
I thought that ONE of the responses I had in the forum said that when I deleted the file from the disk that it would be deleted in Organizer. The author really said, I believe, that the file would be deleted from the source drive but would continue to appear in Organizer in which case a marker would show that the picture was no longer available.
I am editing files which LR sees since the green switch is on. The edits alter the pictures and so I assume that when I “export" them, they will carry the  alterations to the new location.
The problem  remains that when I try to Delete a picture file in LR, instead of the box I used to get which gave me the choice to delete it from the disk and then did that when I selected that choice, I NOW get the message I reported previously "The files are on a Volume that does not support Trash. Would you like to Permanently delete them?”   I select “Permanently delete”, the box closes and another flashes on and off. It says “File could not be found”.
The file Does disappear from the film role beneath my editing screen in LR so perhaps all is well. My problem  is that there was a  change in the process of deleting from simpler to more complex (slower) and confusing since LR can’t seem to find the file it is deleting at this point.
So, is there a way to return to the out of the box process which was clear and quick? Did I do something or might I have done something which caused LR to arbitrarily change its ways?
I reiterate that there are no signs that LR can’t see the files nor have I changed any file names or positions.
Thanks for your help.
David