Catalogs Stopping LRC from syncing to OneDrive

[geraldmurphyx]

Lightroom Version Number

v13.3

Operating System

1. Windows 11

Hi, I've been getting corrupted catalog issues because, unknown to me, although I had created the lrcat v13.3 data, Helper, and Previews files on my E:\ 8TB data HDD and deleted the OneDrive versions from the 2TB C:\Users\myname\ Pictures folder, LRC seems to have been syncing again, because some photo folders have been added to OneDrive as recently as yesterday - even though I instructed Onedrive not to sync photos. I assume that this is why I am having problems with LRC. For example, photos in many of my LRC collections are greyed out and I've lost a ton of photos from previous catalogs. The loss of photos isn't a big deal as I have 1.95TB of photos backed up onto various external hard drives, on my data drive, and on lots of SD cards (I switch to new SD cards, whenever they become half full). The greyed out business is a nuisance and I have problems loading new files. I tried ,today, to import some shots as 'Add to catalog' but I get a message 'no photos in current import'. I then retried but all the images I had tried to import were shown greyed out as though they had not been been added, or added to an unknown catalog. Please advise me. I have since noticed that if I go to 'Previous Import'. The images are shown fully and as imported. In Preferences - the catalog is shown as E\: Lightroom\LRC Catalogs. I assume that I will have to delete the catalogs with greyed out images and that I should forget trying to rebuild the catalog with lost photos.

 

[Gnits]

I have not time to study your post in detail right now... but the following default behaviour by both Microsoft and Adobe leads to massive problems down stream, including corruption of catalogs.

Windows by default puts your Pictures (and Docs and Downloads and Music, etc) folders inside OneDrive.
Adobe, by default creates the default catalog in the Pictures folder.

An approach to avoid One Drive (and similar ) entanglement.

Create a folder at root level on a drive (preferably if possible) not on the C (Systems) Drive... such as MyData (give it a more personal name).

Inside that folder create another folder...called MyCatalogs. Inside that folder called MyCurrentCatalog. Use this folder for your Lr Catalog and associated folders... ie previews, etc.

Inside MyData create another folder called MyImages. Create subfolders for each year. Use these for your images.

Now your catalog and images are completely outside of the control of OneDrive and related cloud synch services.

Devise a strategy to back up the MyData folder. QED.

 

[Califdan]

Typically having the catalog under OneDrive is a major cause of issuses including corrupted catalogs. However having image files on OneDrive tends to work OK for most folks.

But @Gnits gives good advice.

I'm not sure that you need to put your catalog on a non "C" drive. Just make sure that the folder containing the catalog is NOT shown in File Manager as being under the OneDrive folder. If the "C" drive is a fast SSD and your other drives are slower spinning disks, then the C drive would actually be a better place for the catalog than the other drives.

If you consider OneDrive as a major part of your backup strategy, taking the LrC catalog out of OneDrive will require that you compenstate by backing it up some other way. Also, even though the catalog folder is no longer under OneDrive, there is no reason why the catalog backups you take when LrC exits can't be under OneDrive. And, if you haven't done so already, change your catalog setting to display the "do you want to backup" dialog every time LrC exits and do it any time you've made changes in LrC in that session (or at least the last time you close LrC on any day where you made any changes.

 

[clee01l]

It has been many years since I had a Windows computer. I recall when One Drive was introduced, it was optional. Is that still true?

 

[Gnits]

It is possible to uninstal OneDrive. but do not know what residual issues might remain and status of files / folders on pc or cloud. The situation gets more complicated if you have multiple computers… Say desktop at home and laptop for travel. Then there is potential for 3 way synch.

 

[Gnits]

I'm not sure that you need to put your catalog on a non "C" drive

No problem using a C or System drive … but often people have difficulties creating a directory at root level.

Also, from a practical perspective C /System drive is often space constrained, especially for laptops. I often help people trying to get started with Lr /LrC who have an existing laptop whose C / System drive is almost full before ingesting any images.

 

[Califdan]

It has been many years since I had a Windows computer. I recall when One Drive was introduced, it was optional. Is that still true?

Yes it is still optional but the default when installing Windows is for it to be installed and have pretty much all the "user" fodlers (documents, pictures, downloades, etc.) included under the OneDrive Folder. The last time I installed Windows (Windows /10 several years ago) ther was a crypitc checkbox during installation which prevented OneDrive from taking over those folders. I can't recall how it was labeled but it was quite misleading. "Something like " Protect your data" or "safeguard your system" and the text on the check box did not mention OneDrive or the cloud at all. Maybe that's different now.

However there are plenty of tutorials online on how to exorcise OneDrive from you system.

 

[geraldmurphyx]

Thank you, Califdan and Gnits for your helpful replies. I've created new directories as advised, but on my HDD data drive and set up backups for every time I exit Lightroom. I just hope that this stops onedrive from interfering with my Lightroom work.

 

[Gnits]

VG.
Once you have had a bad OneDrive experience you will be watchful of avoiding a repeat.