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DovG1
DovG1
Participating Frequently
June 30, 2019
Question

How to backup photos and catalog to external hard drive with LR CC (Cloud Centric version)

  • June 30, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 10823 views

Hi Folks

New using Lightroom CC not Lr Classic. Cloud storage is expensive so can one backup onto an external drive? What are the pros and cons of doing this?

Thanks

Message was edited by: Mod (Discussion successfully moved from Lightroom Classic — The desktop-focused app to Lightroom — The cloud-based photo service)

      This topic has been closed for replies.

      5 replies

      J
      Community Expert
      Jao vdLCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 30, 2019

      Another subtlety that is often underapprciated is that the local storage option in Lightroom cloud is NOT A BACKUP!!!!!!!!. If you delete an image in the cloud, it will get automatically deleted from the local storage too. there Is no undo for this and deleting images in Lightroom Cloud is very dangerous therefore. The only way to create backups in Lightroom Cloud is to export originals to an external drive or other cloud backup service. just making sure you are appropriately cautioned.

      JohanElzenga
      Community Expert
      JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 30, 2019

      The local storage itself is not a backup for the reason you mentioned, but a backup of the local storage is. That is easier than having to remember to export copies each time you add new photos.

      -- Johan W. Elzenga
      J
      Community Expert
      Jao vdLCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 30, 2019

      Yes that is definitely a working solution. Just making sure people realize that having the local storage option turned on does not mean they have a backup at all. You still have to have a secondary backup solution. Also backing up the local storage does not save the edits to the images, just the originals. You can only backup the edits from Lightroom "cloud" by exporting!

      Just Shoot Me
      Just Shoot Me
      Legend
      June 30, 2019

      Please keep all replies in this discussion.

      JohanElzenga
      Community Expert
      JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 30, 2019

      Lightroom CC has an option to store a local copy of the images, and you can set the location of that storage. That’s in the preferences. There is no option to backup the ‘catalog’ (called ’Library’ in case of Lightroom CC), but you don’t really need that. You can simply rebuild it from the cloud data. The Lightroom CC library is not like the Lightroom Classic catalog. It’s more like a local cache of the cloud data.

      -- Johan W. Elzenga
      DovG1
      DovG1Author
      Participating Frequently
      June 30, 2019

      Thanks for the reply but I am still not clear.

      I understand New Lightroom CC not Classic automatically uploads images into the cloud for which they give 20GB free. If one needs more storage it becomes expensive so, if you do not sync to the cloud can one backup  from Lr CC  to an external and  what are the negatives of doing this And can you import from the external drive to work on the images in Lr CC?

      thanks

      Just Shoot Me
      Just Shoot Me
      Legend
      June 30, 2019

      If all you have it the 20GB option then you should not be using LR CC (Cloud). That free space is with the Photography subscription and if you had subscribed to the Cloud base option you would get 1TB of space.

      So you are using both LR Classic and LR (The Newest name for the Cloud Centric version. NO CC after the name) and PS?

      As to backing up your images. Yes you can do that. You use the File manager for the OS you are using to Copy them to an external drive. You do that independent, outside, of LR.

      Just Shoot Me
      Just Shoot Me
      Legend
      June 30, 2019

      I've moved your discussion to the correct forum.

      Here is your last post to the other topic and forum.

      DovG1 Jun 30, 2019 7:31 AM (in response to LisaMReny)

      So if one does not use the new Lightroom CC cloud because it gets expensive if you need lots of storage,

      how can I back up from Lightroom CC  to an external and what are the negative s if one does this?

      thanks

      dj_paige
      dj_paige
      Legend
      June 30, 2019

      I think most people use an external drive for backup.

      The only negative of local only backups is if a fire or natural disaster destroys your house, then your pictures are gone too. Which is the reason many people also have cloud backups.

      gwinaz
      gwinaz
      Participant
      July 19, 2020

      An Off Site backup of all your important files is recommended. Protects against all kinds of disasters. Portable hard drives are cheap insurance. Just update them periodically. They can be kept at a relative's house or even a safety deposit box. I actually keep two! One at a local relative's house and one at a relative out of state. Even if they are only updated occasionally it is better than losing everything. I also keep a backup in my emergency go bag I update every few weeks.

       

      For constant protection I use a local NAS Raid 1 drive (mirrored hard drives) and an external desktop drive that gets updated nightly. Maybe paranoid but my sister did lose everything in a fire, including all of her pictures.

       

      Don't forget to copy your phone pictures to backup also. Phones can instantly turn into a brick or be lost.

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