question regarding "backing up" keywords

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fotosbydavid

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I've just spent ten hours cleaning up my keyword list (yes it was that much out of control) and I want to make sure that the keywords are backed up when I back up my catalog. Is this the case or do I need to back them up "Separately"?
cheers,
Dave
 
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For sure your Keywords are embedded within the catalog, and are therefore backed up when your catalog is backed up. However, for a real 'belt & braces' touch, you can always export your keywords (Metadata>Export Keywords)....this procedure creates a simple .txt file (you name it, you decide where to put it) which could be used to subsequently import them (using the Import Keywords command) should you somehow 'lose' them. Also could be imported to a different catalog if you want to replicate your keyword hierarchy....
 
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I also store my Export Keyword List in a folder called Keywords located where my presets are stored. This way as I sync up my presets between various machines, I always have list(s) of keywords I can readily reload if needed. This is particularly handy for travel catalogs on my field machines that I plan to integrate into my master catalog when I return from a trip.
 
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Just a point of clarification.

Why you discuss backing up your catalog, some people use that to mean "all my photos". If that's what you are talking about, you are missing a key element.

Other people use the phrase backing up your catalog to mean the "all my photos and catalog file". If you mean it that way, then you have done a complete backup, including keywords, collections, edit history, virtual copies, etc.

For the original poster, who spent a lot of time cleaning up keywords ... if you use collections at all, or virtual copies, or color labels or stacks or a few other Library module functions, you must back up the catalog. The writing of metadata (keywords, captions ,etc) to the individual files will NOT store collections, edit history, virtual copies, color labels, stacks and a few other things, and the only way to back this up is to make a backup of the catalog file itself.

The only safe way to back up all of the work you have done in Lightroom is to make a backup of the catalog file and all your photos.
 
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[quote author=RikkFlohr link=topic=947'.msg63813#msg63813 date=127'12''27]
I also store my Export Keyword List in a folder called Keywords located where my presets are stored. This way as I sync up my presets between various machines, I always have list(s) of keywords I can readily reload if needed. This is particularly handy for travel catalogs on my field machines that I plan to integrate into my master catalog when I return from a trip.
[/quote]

Good tip, Rikk...thanks for that.

I was having a discussion in the Troubleshooting & Bug Reports forum with Denis Pagé about syncing presets across multiple machines. Do you have an automated way of doing it, or do you do it all by manual copy?
 
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