No Ideas? hmm
I tried to make a new home category by importing a csv file with:
category name = "Home"
Id= 2
root = 1
Then I remembered that the import tool had been creating new IDs for the columns despite the fact that the ID's were in the correct field, in the valid range, AND the Force ID tab was set to off.
^The issue of the importer automatically forcing ID is another issue I am currently trying to sort out, however my getting categories to show in the front office is of mission critical status.
Furthermore, I believe that my first csv upload tried to set a category with ID=2. I recall the importer giving an error and saying it could not import a category with ID 2 (this is paraphrased I wish I would have recorded the specific error.) Instead I modified my script to steer clear of this invalid ID, and I generated and uploaded new, category CSV files which worked and can be seen in the back office Catalog->Categories
Thanks!