Export Presets Missing from a Backup

[Crissy79]

Last week I made a huge mistake and deleted my entire 2023 library from LRC. I went to use a backup and for some reason none of my export setting presets are there anymore, including my watermark files. 

any idea why this happened or how I can fix it so this doesn't happen in the future? When I open the backup I do select both the .lrcat file and the data file and then select open. 

TIA!

[JohanElzenga]

Presets are not stored in the catalog file, but in a separate folder. That folder is either located in the catalog folder, or in the default location. A catalog backup contains only the catalog file and the catalog data file, nothing else, so also no presets.

[Crissy79]

I'm not sure how that makes sense then since all of my user develop presets that I've created are still there? It's just the export presets under user settings that are missing. 

[JohanElzenga]

That does make sense. All default presets are (re)installed by Lightroom if they are missing.

[richardplondon]

User presets and default presets are stored in different disk locations, even if they may appear (as sections) in the same panel. Obviously it also makes a difference whether the Store with Catalog option is checked or unchecked, and this setting can vary per Catalog if multiple Catalogs exist.

[JohanElzenga]

Sorry, I missed one thing. Develop presets are stored in a different location. If you use 'Store presets with this catalog', then your export presets and several other user presets are stored in a folder inside your catalog folder. If you trash the catalog folder then you trash these presets, and as explained, these presets are not included in the catalog backup. Develop presets are shared with Camera Raw and so they are stored in a different location, where both Lightroom and Camera Raw can access them. Trashing the catalog folder does not trash the develop presets.