Files to backup and copy to new computer?

[southwestform]

My Mac just crashed and I am pulling everything I can off of it while I can.

1. What should I backup besides my master catalog, my presets and adjustment brushes? Anything else?

Thank you.

[Just Shoot Me]

Look here.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/

[dj_paige]

Your photos need to be backed up as well.

[JP Hess]

Besides the files you've mentioned, all of your image files, for sure.

[southwestform]

Inside of my Lightroom Catalog folder, I have:

- Backups 9.9GB

- Lightroom > Backups 3.8GB

- Lightroom 4 Catalog Previews.lrdata 14.3MB

- Lightroom Catalog Previews.lrdata 40.26GB

- Lightroom Catalog-2 Previews.lrdata 107.9MB

- Lightroom 4 Catalog.lrcat 464.9MB

- Lightroom 5 Catalog.lrcat 723.7MB

- Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat 730.8MB

- Lightroom Catalog.lrcat 1.1GB

and a bunch of Temporary Import Data files

1. How do I determine which if the actual catalog being used?

2. Can I just archive all of the other stuff to a drive and not copy it to my other computer without causing any issues with LR?

Thank you.

[Just Shoot Me]

The LR backups don't all need to be copied. Only the last one or two and that is just a precaution. Just in case something goes bad when opening your original catalog on the new computer.

Preview don't need to be copied as LR will recreate them. But it doesn't hurt copying them over.

Look at the date of the lrcat file. I would suspect the Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat is the most recent. Especially if you are running LR Classic CC V7.4.

But please check the date and when you open LR on your old computer it will state the name of current catalog it has open at the top left hand side of the program window.

The other catalogs you can get rid of and or don't need to copy over. They from older versions of LR that were installed on your older computer and the catalog file got upgraded when you installed a new version. LR 4 upgrade to a LR cat. LR 5 cat upgraded to a LR CC 2015 cat (more than likely the Lightroom Catalog.lrcat file). And then the LR CC 2015 cat upgraded to one that works with LR Classic CC V7.x the Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat file.

[southwestform]

The most recent was actually Lightroom Catalog.lrcat 1.1GB

Thanks for your help.

[dj_paige]

southwestform  wrote

Inside of my Lightroom Catalog folder, I have:

- Backups 9.9GB

- Lightroom > Backups 3.8GB

- Lightroom 4 Catalog Previews.lrdata 14.3MB

- Lightroom Catalog Previews.lrdata 40.26GB

- Lightroom Catalog-2 Previews.lrdata 107.9MB

- Lightroom 4 Catalog.lrcat 464.9MB

- Lightroom 5 Catalog.lrcat 723.7MB

- Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat 730.8MB

- Lightroom Catalog.lrcat 1.1GB

and a bunch of Temporary Import Data files

1. How do I determine which if the actual catalog being used?

2. Can I just archive all of the other stuff to a drive and not copy it to my other computer without causing any issues with LR?

Thank you.

Best for you to actually open the catalogs (you can open them by double-clicking on them) to see with your own eyes if you need them.

Side comment: it is a very bad idea to keep backups on the same disk as the originals. Backups MUST (not optional) go on a different physical disk.

[southwestform]

I'm going to archive everything but the main catalog to an external drive just in case I find I need it at some point. I just don't want to copy anything I do not need to the SSD of the new computer.

I use Time Machine on my Mac to backup the whole computer, so that includes the Catalog file, so I never really was too concerned with the actual backups that LR makes. Should I be for some reason? I use an iMac so it only has 1 internal SSD and I have my separate drive I use for photos that is connected all the time. Should I save my LR backups to my main photos drive?

Thanks.

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

southwestform  wrote

I'm going to archive everything but the main catalog to an external drive just in case I find I need it at some point. I just don't want to copy anything I do not need to the SSD of the new computer.

I use Time Machine on my Mac to backup the whole computer, so that includes the Catalog file, so I never really was too concerned with the actual backups that LR makes. Should I be for some reason? I use an iMac so it only has 1 internal SSD and I have my separate drive I use for photos that is connected all the time. Should I save my LR backups to my main photos drive?

Since I don't know how Time Machine works, I'm not really sure if this is a good idea or not. If the TIme Machine backups are on the same disk as the originals, then this is NOT a good thing. Backups MUST go on a different physical disk, this is not optional.

Using the built in Lightroom backup allows you to "Test Integrity" of the catalog when you make a backup. This is an important function to make sure that the catalog is not somehow damaged or compromised. If you still want to use Time Machine, it should make a backup of this backup file and not the original LR catalog (or backup both).

Where are the photo backups?