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RJS55
Known Participant
January 4, 2024
Question

Which Files Can I Safely Delete?

  • January 4, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 4948 views

I have run out of storage on my vintage 2019 iMac.  

 

I keep my image library on external hard drives.

 

But there are very large Lightrooom files on my iMac that look historical and I am wondering which I can delete without interfering with my current lightroom.

 

Here are examples of the formats of the files I am seeing:

1.Lightroom Catalog-2 v13.Ircat , an Adobe Lightroom Catalog file

2.Lightroom Catalog-2 v13.Ircat , an Adobe Lightroom Library file

3.Lightroom Catalog.Ircat, from before 2022

4. Lightroom Catalog 2-v12.zip, a Zip Archive file

 

I have several of each of these kinds of files.  I am obviously a novice with this, so any detailed help will be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Rob

    1 reply

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 4, 2024

    Number 1 and 2 are exactly the same file name and extension, suggesting these are copies. These are catalog files and one of them (1) could be your current catalog. Where do you see number 2?

    3 is an old catalog that can be deleted, 4 is an old catalog backup copy.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    R
    RJS55Author
    Known Participant
    January 4, 2024

    Thank you Johan for the quick response.  All of these files are in my Pictures>Lightroom folder.  I found them by doing a global search for files with "Lightroom" in the name.

     

    To be clear I have several instances of all 4 kinds of files, with different v#'s and different dates.

    I am trying to delete all that I don't need without interfering with my current use of Lightroom. 

    To be clear, may I delete all the Lightroom Catalog Zip files without hurting the current Lightroom.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Rob

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