Skip to main content
Participant
May 21, 2020
Answered

Lightroom Classic Catalog Backup

  • May 21, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 2676 views

Hi!

There was a setting in Lightroom Classic that the catalog automatically creates a backup on a second storage location. I don't think so anymore - where is this attitude?

 

Thank you for your help!

Reini

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer ManiacJoe

Yes, each backup is the complete catalog.

You can delete the old backups, maybe keep the last five just in case.

 

Note: the catalog backups do NOT contain the image files. You need to backup those outside of Lightroom.

2 replies

ManiacJoe
ManiacJoeCorrect answer
Inspiring
May 22, 2020

Yes, each backup is the complete catalog.

You can delete the old backups, maybe keep the last five just in case.

 

Note: the catalog backups do NOT contain the image files. You need to backup those outside of Lightroom.

ReiniAuthor
Participant
May 25, 2020

Hi!
Thank you for your help. I have one more question - I looked at the Lightroom catalog folder. It's pretty confusing. What can I delete? Thank you! See the screenshot!
best regards
Reini

 


Mein System: CANON 6D Mark II DSLR, WINDOWS 11, LR CC, PS CC
ManiacJoe
Inspiring
May 25, 2020

As a general rule, you normally want to delete nothing from the catalog folder.

In this case you seem to have some old catalogs (*.LrCat) from old versions of Lightroom (due to the "-2" names). Given the old dates, you could probably delete those after confirming the contents.

 

You don't show any backups, normally in the "backup" folder. Ideally the backups should be on a separate drive anyway.

 

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 21, 2020

"Automatically" when you close/exit Lightroom-

Go to  MENU: Edit > Catalog Settings...   [CTRL+ ALT + , ]

Set the Option from the Drop-down menu-

Now, when you Exit Lr-Classic you can change the backup storage location by [Choose]

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
ReiniAuthor
Participant
May 22, 2020

Hi!
Thank you so much! That was it - I have to change the 2nd path here!

 

Another additional question:
Does each backup contain the complete catalog so that the old folders that LR created during the backup could be deleted?
Thank you for your help!

 

best regards
Reini

Mein System: CANON 6D Mark II DSLR, WINDOWS 11, LR CC, PS CC