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Lightroom Classic Catalog Backup Not Backing Up lr Cat - Data File

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Tinkerbell

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Nov 12, 2019
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Lightroom Version Number
Lightroom Classic
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  1. Windows 10
Hi
I am using LR Classic version 11.4.1 on a laptop PC. I am hoping someone might be able to help me with the issue I am having in trying the backup my catalog.

1. Apparently it is not backing up the lr cat-data file. My catalog backups are on my laptop and the pictures are on an external drive. I have done a back up with and without the external drive connected and the lr cat-data file still doesn't backup. When I go to the folder on the PC for Lightroom, where it backed up the catalog, and click on Lightroom, it shows and over wrote the other catalog and the new one is there but the other three files associated with it are just white sheets of pages with the names of: LR Classic Catalog - v11 lrcat.lock; LR Classic Catalog-v11 lrcat.shm; and LR Classic Catalog-v11 lrcat.wal. If I click on the folder with the date of the backup when the backup was done, it shows the zip file for the backup and the folder for the LR Classic Catalog-v11 lrcat.data file but when I click on the data folder all of them are empty. I do not know how to correct this so the lrcat-data file is backed up with the new catalog?

2. I am not sure why it overwrote the previous catalog or did it just update it? In LR and when I go to Edit Catalog Settings it shows Created: 10-29-2021 and Updated 07-12-2022. How do I get it to use the new backup and make sure the lrcat-data file is also attached to it? Or in this setting (created) still using the 10-29-2021 catalog or is it now using the new backup? I am apprehensive on clicking on anything so I don't lose anything. I haven't yet unzipped the catalog file.

Thanking everyone in advance for any advice you might be able to provide.
 
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The lrcat-data file will only be backed up if you actually have used AI masks. If not, that file is still empty and it won't be backed up.
 
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Thank you for your reply. I have used AL masks on a lot of my pictures so still wondering why it wasn't backed up? I haven't unzipped the file yet and I am apprehensive on doing so. I'm afraid I won't get my original backup back if I unzipped this file for it was overwritten with this new update. As stated above, what is the white sheet of paper label with Lightroom cat-v11 IR cat.Lock? Is this the lr cat-data file from my recent backup?

Thanking you for any information and what steps I should do in order to correct this that you can provide.
 
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Tinkerbell said:
Thank you for your reply. I have used AL masks on a lot of my pictures so still wondering why it wasn't backed up? I haven't unzipped the file yet and I am apprehensive on doing so. I'm afraid I won't get my original backup back if I unzipped this file for it was overwritten with this new update. As stated above, what is the white sheet of paper label with Lightroom cat-v11 IR cat.Lock? Is this the lr cat-data file from my recent backup?

Thanking you for any information and what steps I should do in order to correct this that you can provide.
Click to expand...
Just unzip a copy…
 
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Tinkerbell said:
As stated above, what is the white sheet of paper label with Lightroom cat-v11 IR cat.Lock
Click to expand...
Delete it if it’s there while Lightroom is not running, otherwise ignore it. That is a file that Lightroom Classic creates to stop other apps from opening the catalog at the same time. When Lightroom Classic quits correctly, it will delete it again. If Lightroom Classic crashes, the lock file may remain and may cause a problem when you want to start Lightroom again, because it will tell you another app has opened the catalog so it can’t do that.
 
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Thank you for your reply in trying to help me. I have now made a copy of my latest update and copied it to my external drive where I have extracted the file. When I click on the lrcat-data file and click on one of the folders, there seems to be something in it, which I am understanding these to be the data files connected to my Catalog (Al masking adjustments). Am I correct?

When I do another backup, should the external drive be connected for the backup for all of my pictures are on the external? The Catalog is on the PC but a backup copy on the external. Or doesn't it matter?

If you could clarify this next question for me , I would appreciate it if you have time to do so. In LR and when I go to Edit Catalog Settings it shows on the screen Created: 10-29-2021 and under that is says: Updated 07-12-2022. Is this "Created" telling me it is still using this Catalog? How can I tell which one it is using? After an update has been made, am I suppose to click on the new Catalog so it starts using that one or does it just automatically know which one to use?

Sorry for the confusion I am having but I thank you for your help.
 
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Tinkerbell said:
When I click on the lrcat-data file and click on one of the folders, there seems to be something in it, which I am understanding these to be the data files connected to my Catalog (Al masking adjustments). Am I correct?
Click to expand...
Yes. The .lrcat-data file contains AI-Mask data.

Tinkerbell said:
When I do another backup, should the external drive be connected for the backup for all of my pictures are on the external? The Catalog is on the PC but a backup copy on the external. Or doesn't it matter?
Click to expand...
A catalog backup is a catalog backup. Your pictures are not backed up by this procedure! Whether or not the images were online when you make a catalog backup is irrelevant, but if you want Lightroom to save the backup to an external drive then obviously that external drive needs to be available.

Tinkerbell said:
After an update has been made, am I suppose to click on the new Catalog so it starts using that one or does it just automatically know which one to use?
Click to expand...
No, you should simply continue to use the original catalog! A backup is a copy for just in case something bad happens with the original. It’s like an insurance policy. You do not call the insurer as long as you do not have a problem, and you do not use backups as long as your original is fine. Just start Lightroom normally. It will know which catalog to use.
 
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Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions. I really appreciate it.

I still have a question though that I would like clarification on because I don't know what this is telling me when I look at this screen and it doesn't make sense to me and would appreciate it if you could clarify this so I understand it when I am looking at this screen. Don't know how to ask this question so you know what I am asking, so, here it goes.

I have been using LR since 2013 and have been backing up the catalog all along, so I don't understand why then when I go to the Edit >Catalog Setting and under "Edit Catalog Settings" it shows on that screen "Created: 10-29-2021". This is what I don't understand and would appreciate it if you could clarify this so I understand it when I am looking at this screen.

If created back in 2013, why doesn't this "Created" show the first time I created the catalog?

Under what circumstances (why and when) will this Create date change?

Is this showing the current catalog in use or when catalog was updated or first created or what?

If I remember correctly, I believe towards the end of 2021 Lightroom had a version update from 10 to 11. Is this reflecting the new V11 update? Will this always show this Created: 10-29-2021 date until another version update is available?

I hope I have made myself somewhat clear in what I am asking and I really appreciate your time and wonderful knowledge you share with everyone.
 
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Every time LRC gets a major update, like from 10 to 11, the catalogue gets updated to support the new release. That involves reading the old catalogue, and copying it into the new format as a new file. The date you're seeing is the date that the new file was created.
 
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Thank you so much for clarifying this for me. After thinking about this for a while, I was wondering if this wasn't the case. If I am thinking correctly, this date will stay the same then until the next major update, right? Then all catalog updates from them on will also reflect this update in case you have to update the catalog for whatever the reason or for moving catalog to a new computer.

Thanking you again for all of your wonderful knowledge in helping us
 
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