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hcwang61
Participating Frequently
March 20, 2026
Question

Lightroom Classic MacOS export not working consistently

  • March 20, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 102 views

On Lightroom Classic 15.2.1 Mac OS 26.3.1, I’m experiencing problems with exporting my photos. I’m running a Mac Studio M4 2025 with 64BG RAM.

With the latest version of Classic, I am sometimes able to export photos as usual, whether using the “Export...” dialog box or using a preset. However, mostly, the feature slows down so much that it is barely usable.

If I select a preset, the exported image takes something like 30 seconds to appear on the HD. If I try using “Export...”, the Export dialog box takes about 30 seconds to open and then takes another 30 seconds for the exported file to appear on the HD.

I have tried this on old and new photos and DNG and JPG photos taken with different cameras - the same problem happens - sometimes it works, and but mostly export occurs very slowly.

I’ve never experienced such issues before. It appears to only have appeared with the latest update (15.2.1).

Thanks

    1 reply

    Srishti_Bali
    Srishti_Bali
    Legend
    March 20, 2026

    Hi ​@hcwang61 

     

    Sorry to hear about your experience. There can be multiple reasons behind this delay: hardware issues, catalog issues, file size issues, preferences, etc. But let's check a few details like:

    • System Info from the Lightroom Classic Help menu (Lightroom> Help> System Info> copy and paste info here).

    • Is the HD you mentioned above your system drive or an external hard drive? Where are these files saved, and where are they being exported? Ensure that the destination folder for the exported files is accessible and not causing delays. Try exporting to a different location, such as the desktop.

    • Test exporting with different presets and formats to see if the issue is specific to certain settings.

    • If nothing helps, reset the Lightroom Classic preferences. This can resolve various application performance issues. Steps are shared here (https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/reset-preferences.html). Try the manual method and don't forget to take a backup of folders before moving them to the trash. 

     

    Let us know your observations. Looking forward to your response!

     

    Regards,

    Srishti

    H
    hcwang61Author
    Participating Frequently
    March 20, 2026

    Hi Srishti

    Thanks for your reply! I reset my preferences and all seems to be well now! I’ll remember to try that next time I have any problems.

    Thanks so much for your help!

    Cheers!

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