Lightroom Catalogs: As if LR weren't confusing enough, its catalog system makes matters even worse. I'm moving my pictures to another computer, and I see I have almost 5GB of LR...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

As if LR weren't confusing enough, its catalog system makes matters even worse. I'm moving my pictures to another computer, and I see I have almost 5GB of LR catalog. Opening that folder shows me a "Backups" folder full of zip files. There are two other folders dating from Feb 2. Whenever LR asks if I want to do a backup, I do a backup.

So, what's the story?

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

jerryc41 wrote:

As if LR weren't confusing enough, its catalog system makes matters even worse. I'm moving my pictures to another computer, and I see I have almost 5GB of LR catalog. Opening that folder shows me a "Backups" folder full of zip files. There are two other folders dating from Feb 2. Whenever LR asks if I want to do a backup, I do a backup.

So, what's the story?

The story? You told Lightroom to do a backup, so it did.... it has ALWAYS been up to you to go back and clean up any backup catalogs. I keep two backups and delete the remaining ones. No big deal. Some people will automate the task of deleting.

To use a backup when you need it unzip one and copy it to where the corrupt catalog is then OPEN it in Lightroom, done...no special restore, no hoops to jump thru.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

As if LR weren't confusing enough, its catalog system makes matters even worse. I'm moving my pictures to another computer, and I see I have almost 5GB of LR catalog. Opening that folder shows me a "Backups" folder full of zip files. There are two other folders dating from Feb 2. Whenever LR asks if I want to do a backup, I do a backup.

So, what's the story?

You can say yes every time but what about the times you are not making changes and just went in to look or possibly just export a file. Just say no.

Thanks for the reminder I just cleaned up. :)

And as already noted it is up to you, just like any backup plan, to manage the number of copies. When I finally remember to clean up, I save maybe 5 at most copies and that is overkill. If you ever need to go back that many catalogs to save something, you have a real problem and likely hardware related.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

As a computer guy, a man can never have enough backups. Storage is cheap. I clean up every month or so and keep a couple of backups in reserve. They are also out on Carbonite and an external drive. I'd hate to lose all my edits. Luckily, even if the catalog goes south and you can't get it back, your originals are still on your hard drive. This is why I still use a hierarchical filing system where I categorize by year -then shoot -then edited photos under the original folders. Just in case Adobe goes belly up, I have some semblance of order. I import into LR from that hierarchy. Guess I'm a belt and suspenders, raincoat, galoshes and waterproof boots kind of guy, but I have seen the wailing and gnashing of teeth of my clients when they haven't heeded our advice on multiple backups onsite and in the cloud and disaster has struck. I love LR, I just don't trust it 100%.

Dngallagher Loc: Wilmington De.

Mr PC wrote:

As a computer guy, a man can never have enough bac... (show quote)

I hear ya ;) I shoot raw, convert from NEF to DNG and write XMP info to my images instead of only to the catalog for just the same reason ;) That way, all my edits remain within my files, JPG or raw (DNG) and can be seen by Adobe products, like PSE.

:thumbup:

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Once a month I delete my older backups but the last 3

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

Dngallagher wrote:

The story? You told Lightroom to do a backup, so it did.... it has ALWAYS been up to you to go back and clean up any backup catalogs. I keep two backups and delete the remaining ones. No big deal. Some people will automate the task of deleting.

To use a backup when you need it unzip one and copy it to where the corrupt catalog is then OPEN it in Lightroom, done...no special restore, no hoops to jump thru.

I have Lightroom doing the backup to a completely separate drive from my main drive. It is a 2 TB drive vs the 4 TB SATA main lightroom drive. I then copy my LR backup folders to two 3.0 USB drives for long term storage. I also write a copy of it to a DVD for backup. (Yes, I know CD, DVD, Blu-Ray are not considered great long term backups but I am trying to get it on various media.)

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

dcampbell52 wrote:

I have Lightroom doing the backup to a completely separate drive from my main drive. It is a 2 TB drive vs the 4 TB SATA main lightroom drive. I then copy my LR backup folders to two 3.0 USB drives for long term storage. I also write a copy of it to a DVD for backup. (Yes, I know CD, DVD, Blu-Ray are not considered great long term backups but I am trying to get it on various media.)

But you still have a single point of failure, your house. If your house was to experience a fire, all 200 backups go up in smoke. If you're keeping all these mediums as backup, I would at least get one offsite, i.e a cloud backup or at least a family friend or relative. The advantage of cloud backups, they also backup and usually copies go to underground facilities in case of a real disaster.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

pithydoug wrote:

But you still have a single point of failure, your house. If your house was to experience a fire, all 200 backups go up in smoke. If you're keeping all these mediums as backup, I would at least get one offsite, i.e a cloud backup or at least a family friend or relative. The advantage of cloud backups, they also backup and usually copies go to underground facilities in case of a real disaster.

I can picture the scene. I'm standing outside my house, which has burned to the ground, and I'm upset because some old pictures are gone. :D

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

jerryc41 wrote:

As if LR weren't confusing enough, its catalog system makes matters even worse. I'm moving my pictures to another computer, and I see I have almost 5GB of LR catalog. Opening that folder shows me a "Backups" folder full of zip files. There are two other folders dating from Feb 2. Whenever LR asks if I want to do a backup, I do a backup.

So, what's the story?

And you backups are on the same hard drive as your main catalog?

Dds82

pithydoug wrote:

But you still have a single point of failure, your house. If your house was to experience a fire, all 200 backups go up in smoke. If you're keeping all these mediums as backup, I would at least get one offsite, i.e a cloud backup or at least a family friend or relative. The advantage of cloud backups, they also backup and usually copies go to underground facilities in case of a real disaster.

S--t thx for the pointer.....how easy we forget

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

pithydoug wrote:

But you still have a single point of failure, your house. If your house was to experience a fire, all 200 backups go up in smoke. If you're keeping all these mediums as backup, I would at least get one offsite, i.e a cloud backup or at least a family friend or relative. The advantage of cloud backups, they also backup and usually copies go to underground facilities in case of a real disaster.

Or a burglary/robbery. That's how I lost everything!

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

I can picture the scene. I'm standing outside my house, which has burned to the ground, and I'm upset because some old pictures are gone. :D

Of course it will not be your primary concern, but look a month down the line when you have moved into a new place and not one picture or even a camera to remind you of all those previous years that are burnt to a crisp.

Now tell me, it will not hurt.

Peeb Loc: NE Oklahoma

pithydoug wrote:

Of course it will not be your primary concern, but look a month down the line when you have moved into a new place and not one picture or even a camera to remind you of all those previous years that are burnt to a crisp.

Now tell me, it will not hurt.

Golf legend Raymond Floyd said that when his home in Florida burned to the ground, the photographs are what he missed the most- they could not be replaced.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

pithydoug wrote:

But you still have a single point of failure, your house. If your house was to experience a fire, all 200 backups go up in smoke. If you're keeping all these mediums as backup, I would at least get one offsite, i.e a cloud backup or at least a family friend or relative. The advantage of cloud backups, they also backup and usually copies go to underground facilities in case of a real disaster.

Wrong, one of the USB drives is ALWAYS kept in the safe deposit box at my bank. I rotate them weekly.