Participating Frequently

Question

Prevent Lightroom from writing to DNG files

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
March 31, 2020
30 replies
4850 views

How do I prevent LR from writing changes into DNG files? I don't want any changes whatsoever to my raw files. They should be kept as when imported from the camera.

Regards,

Lage

Problem or error

This topic has been closed for replies.

L

Lumigraphics

Legend

Lock the .dng files in Finder or File Explorer. Ignore any warnings about locked files. Problem solved.

Todd Shaner

Legend

You can also simply uncheck 'Automatically write changes into XMP' in LrC's Catalog Settings and not use 'Save Metadata to file.' The request here applies to users who want the DNG file's XMP data to be updated as a secondary backup and for file sharing.

DdeGannes

Community Expert

This thread is very confusing and multiple views on Lightroom Classic's function in writing XMP metadata to the files including DNG files.

The link is Adobe's official view on this which was updated in October 2021.

Regards, Denis: Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.4 PS 27.8;

Todd Shaner

Legend

Please see the Idea request the OP has created.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/new-option-always-use-sidecar-xmp-files-also-for-dng-like-in-acr/idi-p/12684425#M14398

Todd Shaner

Legend

I've added my Upvote at the above Idea post (upper righthand corner). Anyone else landing here please add your comments and Upvote as well. Thank you.

Todd Shaner

Legend

Camera Raw has a Preferences setting to create XMP sidecar files for DNG files. I suggest creating an 'Idea' post to provide this capability as a LrC Preferences option.

U

ujay68

Known Participant

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/new-option-always-use-sidecar-xmp-files-also-for-dng-like-in-acr/idi-p/12684425#M14398

Just Shoot Me

Legend

Actually LR does NOT change the image, Sensor, Data of a DNG file. What it does do is IF You Edit a DNG and you have the option turned on to Auto Write changes to a Sidecar XMP file those edits get written into a special section of the DNG file but it does not Change the actual data that make up the image.

Only LR or ACR can Read and (This is the BIG part) DISPLAY those edits over the top of the original DNG image data. If you open that same DNG in some other editor youy will not see the edits you did in LR.

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Pierre Vassellerie

Participant

Even if it doesn't modify the image/sensor part, it's still modifying the files which is extremely painful for people valuing their photos. To ensure not to lose my pictures I do 3 different copies (NAS, AWS S3 and USB disk). But just changing a single bit of the file means that's it's a new version so S3 Glacier becomes useless because I have to pay for each version of the file. Same for synchronization with copies on hard drive and NAS, if I took time to put keywords then it means hours of synchronization because the tags are written to the files. And even if I enable XMP writing, it's still changing the files.

And with Lightroom CC it's even worse. Putting a keyword in Lightroom Classic synchronized copy means reuploading the entire file. When you're travelling or don't have a super high-speed fiber internet access, it's a nightmare.

I really don't understand why Lightroom (Classic or CC) is doing this, especially as we still have GB of catalog.

dj_paige

Legend

I'm not sure what you are seeing. If you turn OFF the option to automatically write metadata to XMP, your DNG files should not be changed, not even by one byte.

josephlavine

Community Expert

What type of changes are you referring to?

DdeGannes

Community Expert

Quote " What type of changes are you referring to?"

I am not certain specifically what your question refers to but would just offer the following comment.

Lightroom Classic is referred to as a "non-destructive editor" and as such does not, by default, make changes or adds info to the original imported file. To achieve that you have to manually select to do so or select to have that automatically done in the Catalog Preferences. See the screen capture of the dialog box which shows the available options.

By Default Lightroom only Reads and Writes to the Lightroom Catalog file.

Regards, Denis: Laptop Win 11, ver 24H2, LrC 15.4 PS 27.8;

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FotoLageAuthor

Participating Frequently

Whenever you save metadata, it is written into the dng file, no matter what catalog settings you have.

Bob Somrak

Legend

Yes, non-DNG propriatary RAW files are the only format that doesn't save to the RAW except if you tell Lightroom to change the capture date and then save the metadata. Then only the capture date is changed.

M4 Pro Mac Mini. 48GB

Bob Somrak

Legend

Like DJ said, make backups of you photos immediately. Preferably make multiple backups. I have 2 local backup drives, one offsite backup drive and most photos (keepers) backed up in the cloud (not Adobe Cloud)

M4 Pro Mac Mini. 48GB

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FotoLageAuthor

Participating Frequently

The stupidity of writing into dng files is among other things that backup software will see the file as altered whenever you edit it, and therefore will include it in the next backup, causing backups slow and huge. If dng files were left untouched, they would only need to be backuped once.

Bob Somrak

Legend

Does your camera save the file as DNG.? If so then you should never save metadata to the file to prevent any changes. If your camera doesn't save DNG than you shouldn't be converting to DNG.

M4 Pro Mac Mini. 48GB

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FotoLageAuthor

Participating Frequently

My cameras has the option to save as .dng, but how do I prevent LR to save changes to the .dng file when editing? Is the only solution to use proprietary raw format?

dj_paige

Legend

By default, Lightroom never writes to RAW or DNG files. You can turn on options to write to DNG files, or you can manually tell Lightroom write to DNG files. So, don't turn on that option and don't manually tell Lightroom to write to your DNG files. (Yes, I know there's no guarantee that you won't do it by mistake ... )

Another factor is to have pristine backups of your original DNGs. Then, even if you accidentally write to the DNG file by mistake, you still have an un-touched DNG file to use.

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