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maryalicefisher
Participant
November 23, 2019
Answered

Disable Lightroom CC to Classic File Sync

  • November 23, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 1382 views

I've read several posts about this, and I'm sure some of them answered it properly, but I am still confused and don't want to lose my images. I work out of Lightroom CC on my iMac - storing all of my images in the cloud, and using the desktop version of CC (3.0 to be exact) to get my photos off my camera, do all of my work, and save in the cloud. I do not use Classic, and do not want to use Classic for anything. However, I have Classic on my computer, and for an unrelated issue had to go on a screenshare with Adobe Support. There must have been some sort of a miscommunication, as the technician went into classic, and turned on syncing, which promptly began downloading all 400GB of my cloud images to my computer. I really dont want this - I wanted to keep the images up in the cloud, and Lightroom CC would manage my local storage based on my prefrerences, always leaving some room free. 

 

So, now I have a ton of images on my computer, Lightroom Classic is syncing, and I am not sure what to do. Can I simply turn off syncing, sign out of Lightroom Classic, close it, uninstall, and delete the local files that it created? Will that also tamper with what I have saved in the cloud? Just to be super clear, all of the images were uploaded directly into the cloud via Lightroom CC 3.0, and I just want to go back to that being my entire workflow with no Classic whatsoever. Thanks in advance for any help!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer maryalicefisher

Awesome thanks! Final series of questions - so the "Lightroom" folder in my User > Pictures folder is all Lightroom Classic right?

 

Within that there's a Lightroom Catalog Helper.lrdata, another one with previews, Lightroom Catalog.lrcat, and then the massive "Mobile Downloads.lrdata." Am I right in thinking that these are all Lightroom Classic files, and I can delete without having any impact on Lightroom CC? 

 

I looked in Lightroom CC preferences and seems like everything is contained within only one package "Lightroom Library.lrlibrary" within my User >Pictures folder, and that it doesn't have all these other catalog files that Classic needs in order to be able to run.

 

Thanks again!

2 replies

JP Hess
JP Hess
Inspiring
November 23, 2019

If you don't use Lightroom Classic, don't want to use Lightroom Classic, don't intend to use Lightroom Classic for anything, why do you even have Lightroom Classic installed on your computer? It isn't needed to run Lightroom for the cloud. I don't understand why you installed it.

M
maryalicefisherAuthor
Participant
November 24, 2019

Yeah, I'm not sure. I feel like it had something to do with the Photography plan including LR Classic by default, so I must have installed them all when I got the Photography plan. But, uninstalling it now for the reasons you mentioned.

J
Community Expert
Jao vdLCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 23, 2019

Yes, you can just quit Classic, delete Classic and delete the files it created. The files in the cloud should remain. As long as you don't delete the files inside Classic but simply quit out of it right away they won't be removed from the cloud. Again. Quit Classic. Uninstall it using the creative cloud app. Delete the catalog file and the local copies of the images it created.

    M
    maryalicefisherAuthorCorrect answer
    Participant
    November 24, 2019

    Awesome thanks! Final series of questions - so the "Lightroom" folder in my User > Pictures folder is all Lightroom Classic right?

     

    Within that there's a Lightroom Catalog Helper.lrdata, another one with previews, Lightroom Catalog.lrcat, and then the massive "Mobile Downloads.lrdata." Am I right in thinking that these are all Lightroom Classic files, and I can delete without having any impact on Lightroom CC? 

     

    I looked in Lightroom CC preferences and seems like everything is contained within only one package "Lightroom Library.lrlibrary" within my User >Pictures folder, and that it doesn't have all these other catalog files that Classic needs in order to be able to run.

     

    Thanks again!

    J
    Community Expert
    Jao vdLCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 24, 2019

    It does look indeed that that is an old Lightroom (Classic) folder and not related to the cloud Lightroom. The files you describe are typical for Classic. You might want to check if there are no images in there you want to keep before you delete it but for Lightroom Cloud itself you don't need it. Indeed by default Lightroom (the cloud version) stores all stuff in the .lrlibrary folder. If all images are synced to the cloud you can even delete that folder and Lightroom will simply recreate it from the cloud folder. That is the point of the cloud version, that all your edits, settings, etc. are in the cloud and any local copies are just to speed access to them.

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