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nwarmour8
Known Participant
March 5, 2024
Answered

Lightroom Catalog Backup

  • March 5, 2024
  • 5 replies
  • 4162 views

The issue is the length of time it takes to perform a "Backup of a catalog." My catalog has approximately 143,000 images, many of them fairly large files. When I perform a catalog backup, it takes close to 90 minutes or more. I back-up my images in multiple ways including a RAID back up as well as multiple backups that I take off site. So, here are my questions: 1) What is the function of LR Back-up? 2) Is there a way to perform the back-up quicker? Thanks for the help.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Per Berntsen

Having the working catalog and the backups on the same drive is not recommended. If the drive fails, you've lost everything.

So backing up to a different drive is a good idea.

5 replies

Jill_C
Community Expert
Jill_CCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 8, 2024

I have nearly 300,000 images in the catalog, and it does indeed take time. I have it set to back up when I close LRC, and that's  when I'm done for the day. So it doesn't matter how long it takes !

Jill C., Forum Volunteer
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nwarmour8Author
Known Participant
March 11, 2024

Thanks for your reply. Appreciate your perspective.

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 5, 2024

    The time a catalog backup takes depends on a number of things, like the size of the catalog file (not the size of the images!), the speed of your computer, and the speed of the disks involved. 90 minutes for a catalog with 143,000 images sounds excessive to me. My catalog contains close to 200,000 images and is about 4 GB in size. I never timed it exactly, but I would say that a catalog backup (verify and optimize checked)  takes about 5 minutes on my MacBook Pro M1 Max.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
      N
      nwarmour8Author
      Known Participant
      March 7, 2024

      Others have suggested backing up the catalog to my computer, an iMac, rather than my esxternal drives., I'll try that.

      Per Berntsen
      Community Expert
      Per BerntsenCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      March 7, 2024

      Having the working catalog and the backups on the same drive is not recommended. If the drive fails, you've lost everything.

      So backing up to a different drive is a good idea.

      Michael J. Hoffman
      Community Expert
      Michael J. HoffmanCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 5, 2024

      I have a couple of thoughts here:

      1. The integrity check and optimization steps are performed on the catalog file directly. So, having your catalog on a faster drive will help that process run faster. If you have the catalog on a slow external drive, or a full drive, or a drive that is generating errors, that could make the process much slower.

      2. The backup process step creates a copy of the catalog file at the location you choose. The backup must be zipped as part of the process, and it is created and written at the chosen location. Again, if that location is a slow or misbehaving device, this could also slow it down a lot. The backup could be quite a large file if you have a lot of images and have been using LR a long time.

       

      N
      nwarmour8Author
      Known Participant
      March 5, 2024

      I use fast external drives from OWC, 2 12TB RAIDS. The "original files" are on one RAID (so I have a backup on that drive). Then, I have a backup RAID. In addition, I back everything up to three (3) separate 12TB 3.5 drives on a schedule and I keep those drives off location. I do have a lot of images (143,000+) and Ihave been using LR for a long time. So, I think I just have set aside 90+ minutes every couple of weeks and do a LR backup. Thanks for your help.

      Michael J. Hoffman
      Community Expert
      Michael J. HoffmanCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 5, 2024

      Yes, but where is the catalog and where are the backups? It doesn't matter about the photos, as @dj_paige mentioned earlier, as the LR backup is catalog only. 

      dj_paige
      dj_paige
      Legend
      March 5, 2024

      Backup of your catalog stores all of your work, in case the working copy becomes damaged. It also protects your work so the catalog is less likely to be damaged, with the options "Check Integrity" and "Optimize catalog". Because these options are only available via the built-in Lightroom Classic backup, and are not present if you just use third party or operating system backups, the third party of operating system backups are not sufficient.

       

      The LrC backup does not store or make backups of the original photo files. 

       

      As far as I know, there is no way to speed this up, other than by turning off those useful options, not recommended.

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      nwarmour8Author
      Known Participant
      March 5, 2024

      Thanks for your comments. I guess I just have to do the back-up when Ihave time on my hands!

      kglad
      Community Expert
      kgladCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 5, 2024

      in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

      p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.



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      nwarmour8Author
      Known Participant
      March 5, 2024

      Thanks for guidance. I don't post a lot, so this is new to me. However, the problem is an issue.

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