Inspiring

Question

Why is config.lua failing so often? It stops catalog backup. LR CC on Win 10.

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
May 14, 2019
2 replies
1162 views

Default behavior on my Lightroom saves is automatic backup on every exit. Yesterday I again got the message "Wont save..."(this summarizes the message) and as in all my other cases I have to download a "new" config.lua, copy the new version into the right folder, and restart Lightroom. This is happening more and more. That is I see that the last failure was 3/22/2019.Three earlier times reach back into 2018. I *have* spent time looking for any references to this issue.

I run Lightroom CC on a 64-bit Win 10 Pro editing station updated as far as version 1803. 32Gig RAM, I-8700K processor. There are 220,000 images in the database stored on two physical drives (one an external Western Digital USB3-connected RAID array and the other an internal HD.) . I believe there is LOTS of hard disk space where the saved catalogs go on the third HD. Most of the time I do not ask the save process to optimize the catalog. I add that request in about 1 out of 6, maybe 10, backups of this type.

Two nights ago I cured the problem when it appeared again with the usual "config.lua" download copied into the catalog folder. I make sure the old one is "gone" or marked ".OLD". I open up Lightroom fresh and save/backup.

So here it is again last night! Why is this happening?

What causes this failure? Anyone got an idea about how to fix it for good?

config.lua

This topic has been closed for replies.

Tony_See

Inspiring

Can I ask where you are getting your config.lua file?

I have no vested interest either way in your answer but just curious for the information I suppose.

On another note, are your catalog(s) stored internally on your PC oe one of the external drives you mention?

J

jonathan+7007Author

Inspiring

Tony,

See the above reply to John for a little more context, and the catalog storage.

I have a bookmark in Firefox for the file download within Adobe servers, and when I go to that page I find I cannot copy the URL to my clipboard! Wow. By way of two OneNote captures:Lightroom was unable to back up the catalog named

Tony, I just searched to give you the Adobe page and it doesn't show in my results. Weird... On this page was the first link source that I used and my bookmark still works.

I appreciate the chance to learn more about this! Thanks to you and John Beardsworth for answering.

Jonathan7007

john beardsworth

Community Expert

Back up a bit. Why are you using a config.lua file at all? There is no "usual config.lua download" as this is a special file for debugging options and making test settings. To "fix it for good", I'm tempted to say delete and forget it.

J

jonathan+7007Author

Inspiring

John, thank you.

I thought the config.lua file was a usual part of the LR file set in the catalog folder on my boot drive (SSD).

I started getting an error (LR CC) - starting about 9 months ago (and with increasing frequency now) - about 60 seconds after quitting and seeing the usual progress bar. "Lightroom was unable to backup the catalog named XXXXX" cannot save to the folder chosen. Please check folder permissions, and make sure that you have available space on your backup drive and main catalog's drive."

From this state I can only Try Again, Choose Different Backup Folder, or Exit. The different target folder has never helped. The Permissions are always still just as originally set, which is full control. I do this pretty much every day!

Searching for this error text you most often get directed to an Adobe page which guesses that you have double-byte characters in your catalog name ( goofy idea, sorry...) But the workaround Adobe offers is to download a new config.lua file and place that (uncorrupted?) file in the catalog folder. The first time I did so there was a "config.lua" file in there so I thought it normal.

To get that file others have posted a link into Creative Cloud where the file is offered. There is a link on the Adobe page, too, can't remember what you see with that link right now.

When I swap the config.lua file to place the "current-from-Adobe" form, the backup works as designed. That is, I have to quit LR *without* a backup then restart, hoping all is well, and immediately do a exit backup. if the file swap has worked it performs the correct backup steps.

I wish Adobe told us more about the software tasks for which this file was responsible. If it's "configuration" am I changing other elements of my setup?

Context again:

Win 10 Pro advanced to version 1803. 32Gig RAM, fast intel processor.

Catalog and related files are stored on the boot drive, a Samsung NVMe 512GIG m2 SSD

Catalog is 3.1GB and holds the info for 220,000 files. The image files are on two storage units: an external USB array and an internal high-capacity HD.

john beardsworth

Community Expert

If - if - the config.lua is relevant to your issue, what matters is what is in it. A new LR installation contains a config.lua, which is blank, but Adobe use this file to address a wide range of problems. So for example, I had some problems syncing files to LrMobile, so I was asked to add a line to config.lua which told LR to create a log of all sync operations. You might have a config file with lines telling backup to do x y or z - you can see these by opening the file in Notepad. But config.lua settings are really intended to be temporary tweaks.

So let's not get distracted by config.lua. I'd suggest that you remove the config.lua file and see how this affects the backup problem.

That error message usually means what it says. What directory is shown when LR tries to back up?

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