KiCAD forgets how to load component libraries that were just loaded

I’ve been using KiCAD with decent success for a couple months now, but I am currently having some issue with KiCAD not loading component libraries.

I have the relevant libraries listed in Preferences > Component Libraries > Component library files, and I have also selected the relevant directories in “user defined search path”.

The problem is, when I go to place a component, only a couple of my libraries show up. Maybe 5 out of 90.

This is weird because just earlier today all of the libraries showed up, and they have been there for months. But now they are gone.

Any ideas?

This tells me you run kicad version 4 :wink: (for the future it might always be a good idea to state the version of the software you have trouble with. This applies not only to kicad.)

Is it possible you use the “add power port” button instead of the “add symbol” button? (I can not check how they where called in v4 as i don’t have it installed any more. The names listed are from version 5.)


Can you open the libraries in the library editor?

Hi Rene, yes I am on version 4.0.7.

Interestingly, when I click the “place component” button on the rightmost toolbar, the libraries show up. But when I use the “P” hotkey, which is what I’ve been doing, only a couple of the libraries show up.

So I think maybe I was using the wrong hotkey. That’s very confusing though because the popups for “P” and clicking the “place component” button are identical.

Thanks

the shortcut for placing components is A if i remember correctly. check it by using the “?” shortcut which lists all available shortcuts

P hotkey only shows power symbols.

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