Huge sync.irdata file / folder with many subfolders

[BjoernHirsch]

Hello , 

I have a very big sync.irdata folder (13GB) with several subfolder which have each a managed catalog file . All my photos are synced from Lightroom classic to cloud, with all original living only in LR classic and each cloud imported file is moved into classic and delete in LR cloud after .

So why do I have several subfolders in sync.irdata with different dates ? Do I need them , can I delete all or all but not the latest in date ? Many thanks for your help as this eats up much storage on my laptop. Thanks 

[Moved from ‘Bugs’ to ‘Discussions’ by moderator, according to forum rules. A ‘bug’ is not simply another word for any software problem!]

[JohanElzenga]

Can you post a screenshot? Embed it in your message using this button, do not attach it please.

On a Mac, 'Sync.lrdata' shouldn't be a folder but a package. That is a folder that looks like a file, so you can't see any subfolders inside it unless you use a special right-click menu to show its contents. What you describe sounds like this may be a folder with catalog backups for some strange reason. How many images have you synced? The more images, the larger this package obviously is.

[BjoernHirsch]

hello , yes it is a package , but inside the package are multiple folders with different dates and each one with a specific managed catalog MCAT  file ... so my question is why there are these different folders inside the package and can I delete the older ones ,? Thanks for any help 

[JohanElzenga]

I don't know if you can delete older ones, but the size definitely seems excessive. I have synced 2000 images and the size of my sync.lrdata is only about 45 MB (yes MB!). I also do not see multiple subfolders at the first level. I only have one subfolder (with a long name of random letters) with a 'managed catalog'. In principle Lightroom Classic should simply rebuild that package if you delete it, but it could mean it will resync all the synced images.

[BjoernHirsch]

hello, my "hunch" is (but to be confirmed by a specialist) is that there should be only one folder & managed catalog MCAT in the package , so the older folders are maybe not successful syncs ? I had sync problems several time so deleted all synced photos and re-syned all photos via LR classic synced photos pannel. SO maybe each time a all synced delete is done a new folder is created in the sync.IRDATA package and the old ones are not deleted ??? so I am ending up with 13GB sync.IRDATA package for 34K photos... any feedback apprechiated 

[JohanElzenga]

Yes, these could well be unsuccessful syncs. I have an empty subfolder called 'Originals' in that first folder. Do you see this subfolder with possibly images inside it in those extra folders? That would be a strong suggestion that these are indeed failed sync attempts (and explain the huge size of the package). 

@Rikk Flohr: Photography could you ask around?

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

I am confused by this thread. The poster mentions sync.lrdata and .mcat which are items from two different Lightroom Applications.  Which lightroom are we talking about here? Classic?, Desktop?, Both?

Screenshots of finder showing the afflicted files might help. 

[JohanElzenga]

If you open the 'Catalog Sync.lrdata' package in the Lightroom Classic catalog folder, then you will see there is a 'managed catalog.mcat' inside that package.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Thanks, @JohanElzenga. I have never had a reason to open those package contents and didn't realize a Mcat resided in there as well. 

Generally, if you see multiple GUIDs inside a yourcatalog sync.lrdata, it means that you have synced this same catalog with multiple Adobe IDs. I see this most often when people have a Federated ID and sign in both as Personal and Corporate/Education.  Additionally, when people change Adobe IDs (old email to new email), and other reasons, you can see a new GUID in the package. 

Does that help here?

[BjoernHirsch]

Hello , yes indeed I have 2 IDs and have (by mistake) somethimes synced with the "wrong" one so that could explain. What would be the best way to get the package reducted ?  1) Deleted all synced files inside LR classic ; 2) delete the sync.lrdata package 3) sync all files again hoping that will create a "clean" sync.LRdata package from scratch ?  Many thanks for any suggestion 

[BjoernHirsch]

Here you can see the sync.LRdata package content (and yes it is LR classic) with 10 subfolders and each has a significant size .MCAT file , making the package 13GB for 34K photos synced with no originals in the cloud, all original files are local . 

[Rikk Flohr: Photography · Accepted solution]

My recommendation is to: 

1.  Close Lightroom Classic
2.  Locate your yourcatalog sync.lrdata
3.  Rename to yourcatalog sync.old
4.  Restart Lightroom
5.  Allow to sync (can take a while depending upon the number of files)
6.  Verify the new file is appropriately sized and sync is working ok.
7.  Delete the .old file at your leisure. 

As always, a backup is prudent before any process like this. 

[BjoernHirsch]

I will try it tonight as most Photos are on the NAS , many thansk ! 

[BjoernHirsch]

hello @Rikk Flohr: Photography , perfect tip , it worked smoothmy ! The new Sync.LRdata file is now (after letting it sync overnight ) at a much more reasonable 981 MB size vs 13 GB prior 🙂 Many thanks and great forum help as well to @JohanElzenga !