LR2 backing up

[Mike B]

Hi, my name is Mike, I am new to LR and to this forum, and am coming to you for some help.

I previously had LR1 installed on my pc. I never used it properly, but have now installed LR2, which I really like. I have bought Kelby's LR2 book, and find it helpful.

When I set up LR2, I did exactly with Kelby said, I created the "My Lightroom Photos" folder, and put all my folders containing photos under that. Now I need to set up a backup plan, but when I try to do that in catalogue settings the 'location' is listed as "...picture/lightroom", and there are no folders in that one, as I created the "My Lightroon Photos" folder. I cant work out how to change the location for pulling the backups from "My Lightroom photos"?

Also I want to back it all up to an external drive, but I can't find a way to do this after the catalogue has been created from photos already on the PC. I can do it when I do a fresh import from a camera card, but don't see how to set up a repetitive back up plan for the catalogue.

I have been staring at this for the longest time, so I fear that the solution might be so simple that I just cant see the forest for the trees, so if someone can help me, I'd appreciate it.

Mike

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum!

Ok, let me just check that I've understood this right... are you trying to...

1. Backup the catalog (no photos)
2. Backup the catalog AND the photos

 

[wblink]

HI,

After some dissappointment after using a backup I did the following:

My C-drive carries Windows and that is the best 1 to crash. So I have moved as many data as I can from my C: to my D:-drive. There is no Windows there, so no crashes.

I keep a daily backup (Acronis) of my C (and D) drive, so WHEN it (IT is my C-drive) decides to collapse I can reload a previous version that did work ok AND have my ACTUAL data ready on my D-drive.

LRpicture folder is on D-drive. Cataloge was not, but I just moved it after recovery from a crash.

 

[Replytoken]

Hi Mike, welcome to the forum!

Ok, let me just check that I've understood this right... are you trying to...

1. Backup the catalog (no photos)
2. Backup the catalog AND the photos

Mike,

In case you were not aware, Victoria is asking these two questions because photos are not stored in the LR catalog. The photos are stored where you copy or move them on import into the LR catalog (importing only tells LR whree the photos are located). The catalog itself, with its accompanying files (all located in a convenient folder), can be located wherever you choose. So, a proper backup plan has to account for backing up both your photos, and your catalog(s).

--Ken

 

[Mike B]

Victoria and Ken, thanks your replies. Sorry if I'm not completely clear - I am still trying to get used to the terminologies... I would like to back up my catalogue and the photos to an external drive.

Mike

 

[Victoria Bampton]

That's fine Mike, just wanted to make sure we give you the right information.

As a one-off backup, you can use Export As Catalog, point it to the external drive, and make sure 'include originals' is checked.

The main backup facilities in Lightroom only back up the catalog itself, not the photos. To do a regular backup, you'll want Lightroom's own backup turned on, to protect against catalog corruption, and you'll also want some kind of proper backup system to back up your images as well as the rest of your data on your hard drives. Personally I like File Synchronisation software such as Vice Versa for Windows and Chronosync for Mac.

 

[Mike B]

Thanks Victoria. This is probably where I was going nuts, because I thought that LR2 would do regular back ups of all the photos. Otherwise I dont understand fully why it's recommended to schedule back ups on LR2 software.

If as you say it only backs up the catalogue, how do it switch it to the new folder/cataolgue with "My Lightroom Photos", and how do I direct the catalogue back up to the external hard drive?

If you take a deep sigh and 'wonder' about about my question, then I wont be offended. I need all the help I can get ...

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Hey, there's no such thing as a stupid question!

The catalog holds all of the data about your photos, and all of your settings. Being a database, can get corrupted. That's why it prompts you to backup regularly.

Now, when you said about the path in the catalog settings, that shows where the catalog itself is currently stored. You can always move that in Explorer/Finder and then double click to open it at the new location.

To change the catalog backup location, you just need to wait for the backup dialog to appear next time it's due to back up, and that's where you change it. If you want to change it now, just set the backup schedule to 'every time Lightroom starts' and restart Lightroom to show the dialog.

Keeping asking questions.... it's the best way to learn.

 

[Mark Sirota]

This is probably where I was going nuts, because I thought that LR2 would do regular back ups of all the photos. Otherwise I dont understand fully why it's recommended to schedule back ups on LR2 software.

I know I'm late to the party, but I want to give a clear and direct answer to this question.

You don't need to regularly back up the photos, because they never change. Lightroom doesn't touch the originals. So make a backup once at or after import, and that's it.

The exception to this is if you're converting to DNG on import or shooting JPEGs and you write out XMP data automatically or by hand, then your files may change and you'll need to back them up regularly.

Similarly, if you're shooting raw and not converting to DNG and if you write out XMP data automatically or by hand, Lightroom will create .xmp sidecar files alongside your raw files, which need to be backed up regularly.

If you never write out XMP data, you never need to back up the folders containing your originals again. And that's a big part of why I never write out XMP data!

 

[Mike B]

Victoria and Mark. Thanks for your replies. I understand the process better now. When I do a back up of the catalog (not the photos) where does LR send that back up? I know that I haven't purposely chosen a destination.

Victoria, thanks very much for recommending vice versa. I downloaded the trial, and I have to say this is (imho) the most user friendly file and folder back up program I have seen.

 

[Kiwigeoff]

Victoria and Mark. Thanks for your replies. I understand the process better now. When I do a back up of the catalog (not the photos) where does LR send that back up? I know that I haven't purposely chosen a destination.

Victoria, thanks very much for recommending vice versa. I downloaded the trial, and I have to say this is (imho) the most user friendly file and folder back up program I have seen.

Mike you can set the catalog back-up to go wherever you want. In catalog settings set the back up to each time LR opens. Next close and reopen LR, you will get a prompt menu for the back up. On this menu you can select the destination. LR will remember this. Close and reopen LR and rest the back up time interval to what you want.
Note that the back ups aren't deleted or over written so it pays to delete the older ones yourself periodically.

 

[Denis Pagé]

And to add to excellent Geoff's explanation, if you can afford it, select the destination to be on a different drive than the catalog so, in case of a drive crash, you don't loose both the catalog and the backups...

 

[Mike B]

Thanks to all who have spent time replying. This was my first post on this forum. I have spent plenty of time and money on various software programs always thinking the new one will be "better". I spent a fair amount of time researching LR2, and came to the conclusion that it was a worthwhile investment. When I started preparing to "import" my photos to LR2 I did a sort and made the folders as I'd like them. During this process I found that I had some 29,''' images (including nefs, which means some are 'double'). At this point I almost had a cow, because I had no real back up plan.

So although to most people my questions may have been very basic, I really needed to try to start LR2 off on the right foot.

Thanks again.

 

[Brad Snyder]

Mike, most of us have been thru this at least once and every one of us started as a beginner too. We'd much rather answer the 'basic' questions up-front than help straighten out the 'mess' later. We're here because we like it ....

 

[Denis Pagé]

Thanks to all who have spent time replying...

So although to most people my questions may have been very basic, I really needed to try to start LR2 off on the right foot.

Mike, as it seem you are a starter with Lightroom, we have made The Starter Kit for those in your situation. Give it a look!

 

[Kiwigeoff]

Some or I think a more accurate word would be most us us have been in the mess, hopefully we have learned!!:lol::lol::lol: