Lightroom classic is running so slow it is almost unusable

[zinchuk]

I have been using Lightroom since version 1.0. I am up to date with my updates on the current classic CC. It has been running so slow for the last several months it is bordering on totally unusable. When I open it takes minutes to load. Every click on the import process, from import, to selecting the drive, to selecting the folder (both for cards and already-uploaded on RAID on USB-C connection), takes 3-6 minutes. I often get the whited out scren and Lightroom is not responding message before it comes back again. 

I am running it on a I7-3770k processor, Nvidia GXO1060,, 32GB RAM, with the catalog on its own SSD. I start the new year with new catalogs for my commercial and news photography, so the catalog have hardly any photos in them. The photos are from a D4 and D810. I regularly optimize the catalog. I do not have an enormous number of presents.. I've done nearly every step on the optimization web page. Help????

[nikunj.m]

Hi there, 

We are sorry about the experience with Lightroom Classic. Would you mind sharing the version of Windows you are using?

Would you mind checking the below mentioned details and performing the steps to check if it helps?

1. Go to Preferences > Performance and increase the Camera Raw Cache size to 10.0GB or more.
2. On the same tab, check the option to Use Smart Previews instead of Original for image editing and uncheck the option to Generate Previews in Parallel.
3. On the Performance tab itself, select off from the drop down for Use Graphic Processor
4. Go to the General tab and check the box to Replace Embedded previews by standard previews during idle time.

Once you have made the above-mentioned changes, quit and relaunch Lightroom Classic prior to testing the application.

Regards,

Nikunj

[Jason-Nominet]

This has made things better for me. Thanks! Mine was running so slow despite my laptop being an absolute beast. 

[Per Berntsen]

Do you have a Logitech mouse or keyboard, and if so, have you installed Logitech Options?

This program installs a Lightroom plugin, which is known to cause Lightroom to take a long time to load, and possibly also other problems.

The plugin can be disabled by going to File > Plugin manager.

[zinchuk]

I do indeed have a Logitech mouse and the software, but no plugin is appearing in the plugin manager. Do you think it could be an issue with On1 plugins? Or Smugmug?

[Conrad C]

If you’re running any anti-virus or anti-malware software, try temporarily disabling it and see if Lightroom Classic runs at a normal speed. If it does, try excluding Lightroom Classic folders from that software. Lightroom Classic definitely shouldn’t run so slow on a system that powerful.

[GoldingD]

I do not know if you accomplished the followin, perhaps, but I will present these anyhow.

1. As you are using a NVIDIA GPU, see:

https://www.winhelp.info/boost-lightroom-performance-on-systems-with-nvidia-graphics-chip.html

2. GPU driver, even if up to date, reinstall, but accomplisg a ckean install, fir NVIDIA, via custom install.

3. As you are apparently running Windows, see the following article, with eemphasis on tip 8  (Power settings)

https://au.pcmag.com/windows-10-1/5180/11-tips-to-speed-up-windows-10

Note, Windows updates may chang that setting.

[GoldingD]

On another front, consider if the current catalog has issues. Your older catalogs, do they behave better, a new catalog, does it behave better?

[GoldingD]

This probably does not apply. This was probably a one off. Just had a catalog I had not touched for some period on my Windows PC, but had worked on my MACBook, external hard drive, eXFAT.

Catalog slow to load, would start, then stall, eventually woukd run. Issues mostly at startup, maybe 4 minutes waiting

Noticed in the folders containing photos some JPEG files not imported, and could not be imported. They had odd name structure ._whatever.jpeg (yep very odd, I think I remember that leading dot). Deleated them, bsng, LRC catalog working again. Oh, and yes, these matched proper photos similarly named without the improper characters.

So, just check the folders with your photos for oddities.

[RJWelch]

I'm still having the same slowness issue on my Mac, to the point I'm very close to ending my monthly payment. Latest Lightroom classic 9.2.1 is memeory hungry and when using brush tools etc its forgetting the edits I've made, and as for exporting its a joke

[Krish_Mandal]

I turned on LR CC tonight, and it's dog slow. I don't understand what happened. 3 nights ago, I did an import, edited an image, things were fine. Tonight I open it up, and I mean 20 minutes to import 20 images. It's unbelievable. I have as much power and memory as anything could have, I just bought a full-on editing machine a few months ago. Specs below:

Intel® Core™ i9-9900K CPU @ 3.60GHz

GRAPHICS

Intel® UHD Graphics 630,  Citrix Indirect Display Adapter

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti

AUDIO

Realtek High Definition Audio

NVIDIA Virtual Audio Device (Wave Extensible) (WDM)

Intel® Display Audio

NVIDIA High Definition Audio

NETWORKING AND I/O - Intel® Wireless-AC 9560 160MHz

Intel® Ethernet Connection (7) I219-V

Intel® Wireless Bluetooth®

MEMORY 64 GB

STORAGE ST4000DM004-2CV104, Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB, SDXC Card ,Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB

What goes on with Lightroom every so often? It's infuriating that I've spent 2 hours so far simply trying to import 50 or so images from my SD card.

[GoldingD]

Recommend that you post your own problem into a new discussion. Adding to an existing discussion does not often lead to replys. And your issue may not be an exact match.

When you do this, include:

Description/context of issue

System Information, as Lightroom Classic reports it. In Lightroom Classic, click on Help, then System Info, then Copy. Paste that info into your posting. Include all info from first line down to and including plugin info.

The full text of any error message(s) (in your case, perhaps none)

What you were doing when the problem occurred

Screen Shots of the problem (in your case, perhaps none)

Computer hardware, note included in System Info from above, such as CPU; GPU; the amount of RAM; etc

[jacquis5408]

Thanks so much for posting this help; I had the same problems with Lightroom CC and had almost given up on it. You have helped me fix it all. Normal service is resumed!!

[JCVPhotography]

Me too! OMG. LRC V. 12 is killing me... 

[jacquis5408]

Well this was a pretty long time ago but I did eventually find a fix to the problem. Un helpfully of me I can’t remember what it was (like I said, it was a long time ago), but I do remember that I googled the problem and found a couple of changes I needed to make in the Lr settings and it’s been fine ever since. Good luck 🤞🏽

Sent from my iPhone

[JCVPhotography]

I would love to know what solution you found. I'm stumped. Three adobe techs and a Microsoft tech and still no change. Very frustrating. 

[N25219539g36k]

I actually had this issue when after installing Windows 11, Lightroom Classic would not use the GPU even if acceleration was enabeled and all nvidia and chipset drivers where up to date. The program was unusable! If on asus mobo, this actually worked for me. Armory Crate ---> Settings ---> Update center ---> Install Model identifier and Asus framework service. I'm so happy, almost did roll back.

Specs: Strix x570-F, Ryzen 3900x, RTX3070

[JCVPhotography]

I saw this Armory Crate thing but it's completely new to me. Not installed on my ASUS system. Can you say more about how this works, and how to install it? Is it a BIOS thing or a program one must install? VERY curious to know if this would solve the issue in my Win10 updated to Win 11 system. LRC is absolutely unuseable in that environment. 

[N25219539g36k]

It is basically a fancy and a bit crappy software to update chipset drivers, control rgb lightning and so on. Just search your mobo and download armory crate https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/all-series/.

I was losing hope, and I really don't even know what GPU Model identifier and Asus framework service does, LOL.

In Windows 10 I did not need to install those, LRC worked fine out of the box.

Below I marked the things I installed. Don't know which one did the trick because I installed them at the same time.