daldds Loc: NYC

Several weeks ago I asked the forum about using different external hard drives to run LR with one laptop, to avoid using the laptop's hd, for back-up, and to travel.
This is how I handle it. No matter which hd I use, when I'm done, first I click on the automatic back-up pop-up, then I drag:
Lightroom II Previews.lrdata
Lightroom II Smart Previews.lrdata
Lightroom II.lrcat
to each of the other two drives (all with the same paths) where it overwrites the previous ones. Seconds later, peace from worries, because all hard drives fail eventually.
Next time I start LR, I go to the hd of the moment & click on the catalog.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

What about your images?

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

Good point, Don. It would seem that the images would need to also be synched up. In the case of a catastrophic drive failure on the drive with the images, all that would be left would be the Lightroom database info and previews.

daldds Loc: NYC

EVERYTHING copies.
For example, if you use LR & PS, you are aware that the saved edited photo from PS shows in row of photos at the bottom of your LR screen along side of the unedited one. But ALL edited photos copy right where you would expect them to be on whatever HD you use. No work is lost.

(I have other folders with all of my PS saves, of course.)

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

Daldds: Let me say right off the bat, that I used Lr for only a very short time, and I hated it, therefore I cannot with authority state anything about this program. I can however, ask questions, that have come from reading problems "other folks" have with Lr. So here goes:

Have you actually opened those three folders on your external drives to look for your photos? I don't mean through the LR program, but by using Windows Explorer (or the Apple's equivalent to Explorer) to navigate to these three folders to see what's in them? For your original photos, depending on the camera you use, I expect each file to be a minimum of around 5 or 6 mb.
If the files in these folders are not your original photos, I would expect them to be the "catalogue thumbnails" and be what, a few kb in size?

The fact that of the three file names you posted, two contain the word "Previews" and one the abbreviaten "cat" presumably for catalogue.

From the many messages posted here on the Hog, I understand that when you're looking at an image in Lr, it is not the actual image, but a thumbnail thereof.
I also know the importance of backing up photos and work on them. Therefore, if you have not already done so, I would "investigate" those three folders and make sure they contain your actual photos.

daldds Loc: NYC

I have been doing this successfully now for two weeks. Whichever hd is used, and I purposely have used all three, it is as if I am using one hd. EVERYTHING is there for me to do whatever I want.
When I switch hd's, I have found it easiest to start LR by clicking on "Lightroom II.lrcat" in the hd I have attached to the laptop. rather than the LR icon in the dock, because LR will try to open from the last hd used.
I am not in any way a genius with computers, but sort of like a driver who knows how use a jack to change a tire, or to change a wiper. I'm much too old to deal with complications.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

In a genuine effort to help, I must say that your process seems to be setting you up for lost images.

If your 'migration' process does not copy files with a DNG, PSD, JPG, etc. filename extensions, then you may have various copies of the same photos in varying degrees of edit.

Just because your process is free from complications doesn't mean it's effective.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

But have checked that your actual photos are in fact in those folders? Depending on what format you use, they would be be raw files (whatever extension your camera uses), .tiff, .dng, .jpg, etc.
Just because your folders copy, does not necessarily mean that your images are in those folders, and what clued me in that you may only be updating thumbnails, is that you said "in seconds" it's all done. Large photofiles often do take longer than "seconds" unless there are only one or two.
Do me favour - and possibly yourself in the end as well - check to see what's in those folders you listed.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

From your explanation, you are only making copies of your catalog, which does NOT contain your images, so unless you also keep the images synced on all your external drives you are NOT keeping a complete copy of your files - thats all I was saying.

The ONE true test of ANY backup is delete some random files, empty the trash can, then see how long it takes to recover them from the backup, if you can successfully delete a few random images from any hard drive, then you are easily able to get those images back - great!

If not, then any issues will need to be addressed.

Psergel Loc: New Mexico

I would be VERY interested in the results of this test and what you find when you looks for the actual images....the real files.
If your copy routine completes in a few seconds I'd think that would be a clear indication that things are not happening as you think. That the actual images are not being copied.

zigipha Loc: north nj

yeah trash a pic and see if you can get the full size back.

most people dont test the backup systems and wait till failure to see if it works.

Along that vein, when was the last time you checked the tire pressure in your spare?

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Based on how I read the original explanation, it sounds like the LR catalog exists on all three external drives, but the actual images are spread over all the external drives, so nowhere does it sound like a complete copy of the image file exists - loss of ONE external will result in an unknown amount of image files being lost forever.

Hopefully I misread !

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I'm very fearful you haven't. :-(

Psergel Loc: New Mexico

Spare?

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

From the list of files that you have provided, you are NOT backing up your image files. What you are probably seeing, and think that you have the full files, are the smart previews. Smart Previews allow you to see and do limited work on the images but are NOT the original files. They are often used by people who are on the road, want to sort or rate their photos but can't take the entire database. When they return, they then update the main data base with those edits. Your original photo files are usually contained in a folder called "My Pictures" or some other name that you may have chosen. To find out where they are located, right click on any photo and chose "Show In Explorer". Remember, to truly back up your work, you need to copy BOTH the LRCAT file AND the original pictures folder(s)!