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trouble with saving catalog

F

FrankU

Active Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2016
Messages
239
Lightroom Experience
Intermediate
Lightroom Version
Lightroom Version Number
14.4.1
Operating System
  1. macOS 26 Tahoe
When I am done with LRC editing and want to close LRC, I get this message that LRC cannot find my Catalogue ...

It is obviously there. Just look at my "can't find Catalogue" message and the Catalogue's location on my hard drive ...

Where did my Catalogue go? My backup drive with 6 TB is 90 % unused; my Macbook has 40 % unused space ....

I am the only user on this computer ...

Thanks,

FrankU
 

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The message doesn’t say it can’t find the catalog, it says it can’t backup it. This is a known issue, caused by catalog corruption. What you could try is this: Create a brand new catalog (‘File - New Catalog’) and choose 'File - Import from Another Catalog'. Select your old catalog to import. In the import dialog choose to import all photos, but do not move them. This will create an exact copy of your old catalog, but usually without the corruption. The only thing that won't come across is any publishing services you may have. You will have to recreate those. If you synced your catalog then you will have to enable sync for the new catalog. There are some reports that this could cause a problem. Here’s how to solve that: https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/bl...problems-caused-by-switching-the-sync-catalog

By the way: do not backup to the same drive as where you catalog folder is! That is the default, but that is a bad idea. If that drive fails, you do not only lose your catalog but also all its backups… Use another drive for backups.
 
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For some reason.. LrC has found an issue with the target backup location.

Eg.. It was renamed or moved .

The best option is select To Select a Different Backup folder.

You can then try and select the original location ….. to see if you get an error message of some kind..

or select a temp new folder .. to confirm that LrC can complete the backup. Then you can explore what is the issue with the original target.

A common issue is people use default settings.. LrC backs up inside pictures folder and the system drive fills up (when using larger catalogs with lots of previews). This does not seem to be the obvious issue here.. but it will be some issue with the stored target backup location.

When the backup dialogue box opens.. you do have the option to select a different target location.. If you select a diff location then this response is remembered the next time you are doing a backup.
 
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Overlapping posts… Johan’s post would be my next step.. if I did not find an obvious issue with the existing target location.
 
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Johan Elzenga said:
The message doesn’t say it can’t find the catalog, it says it can’t backup it. This is a known issue, caused by catalog corruption. What you could try is this: Create a brand new catalog (‘File - New Catalog’) and choose 'File - Import from Another Catalog'. Select your old catalog to import. In the import dialog choose to import all photos, but do not move them. This will create an exact copy of your old catalog, but usually without the corruption. The only thing that won't come across is any publishing services you may have. You will have to recreate those. If you synced your catalog then you will have to enable sync for the new catalog. There are some reports that this could cause a problem. Here’s how to solve that: https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/bl...problems-caused-by-switching-the-sync-catalog

By the way: do not backup to the same drive as where you catalog folder is! That is the default, but that is a bad idea. If that drive fails, you do not only lose your catalog but also all its backups… Use another drive for backups.
Click to expand...
Johan Elzenga said:
The message doesn’t say it can’t find the catalog, it says it can’t backup it. This is a known issue, caused by catalog corruption. What you could try is this: Create a brand new catalog (‘File - New Catalog’) and choose 'File - Import from Another Catalog'. Select your old catalog to import. In the import dialog choose to import all photos, but do not move them. This will create an exact copy of your old catalog, but usually without the corruption. The only thing that won't come across is any publishing services you may have. You will have to recreate those. If you synced your catalog then you will have to enable sync for the new catalog. There are some reports that this could cause a problem. Here’s how to solve that: https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/bl...problems-caused-by-switching-the-sync-catalog

By the way: do not backup to the same drive as where you catalog folder is! That is the default, but that is a bad idea. If that drive fails, you do not only lose your catalog but also all its backups… Use another drive for backups.
Click to expand...
I cannot find the "choose 'File - Import from Another Catalog'." option. I have created a new MyLRc folder and it is empty and the only one that Lrc now opens in.
I cannot switch to the old Catalogue and LRc is quite unusable now. I can import. though. From where ? From my MacintoshHD or my backup 6 TB hard drive.

So should I import my old Lightroom Classic -v13-3.lrcat or what. The one that cannot be backed up ....

I also notice that I have 51 GB of previews. (Wow!) Should I delete all, or only those that are more than a month or two old (how done) as large preview folders seem to be a problem somehow ...

Thanks JE, you are such a great help with LR,

FrankU
 

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Gnits said:
For some reason.. LrC has found an issue with the target backup location.

Eg.. It was renamed or moved .

The best option is select To Select a Different Backup folder.

You can then try and select the original location ….. to see if you get an error message of some kind..

or select a temp new folder .. to confirm that LrC can complete the backup. Then you can explore what is the issue with the original target.

A common issue is people use default settings.. LrC backs up inside pictures folder and the system drive fills up (when using larger catalogs with lots of previews). This does not seem to be the obvious issue here.. but it will be some issue with the stored target backup location.

When the backup dialogue box opens.. you do have the option to select a different target location.. If you select a diff location then this response is remembered the next time you are doing a backup.
Click to expand...
I do not quite know what you want me to do , G, and how to do it. I am not that nimble with those LRC moves and words you use. I will have to learn when desaster strikes.

FrankU
 
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You have to use the main File menu in LrC to create a new empty catalog.

It will then close the current catalog and open the empty catalog.
 
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BTW. As routine mtce I
a) Re load my catalog into an empty catalog approx every 18 months as a routine mtce task.
b. At the same time I clear all previews and then just rebuild previews for the last 12 months. This keeps my previews free of corrupt or orphaned previews and clears previews I will rarely use.

If you use LrCloud then this has implications. I only synch from LrC to LrCloud .. so happy to rebuild my albums from scratch.
 
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This is the backup dialogue box.. Note the Choose button to select / create a new backup location.

1781257775694.png


Alternative.. you can update in the Menu / Catalog Settings /BackUps Tab.

1781257967480.png


BTW... I recommend to experienced and new LrC users to go to Catalog Settings... General tab..

and do a screen grab, print an pin to your notice board (or behind your screen, etc)..

This shows you the exact location and catalog name of the catalog in use.

It is amazing how many times people do not have access to this.. (especially when something simple goes wrong.. and it always happens when you are in a hurry.



1781258135760.png



Getting back to your query.

I would first check there is nothing obviously wrong with the current destination ... and then explore Johan's suggestion...
 
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Matt, with all due respect, I think you are confusing the OP with your screenshots of the catalog backup. The error where Lightroom Classic says that it can’t backup due to lack of space or privileges is a clear indication of the catalog corruption I mentioned. I’ve seen this issue many times, and the solution always worked. If Lightroom Classic can’t find the backup location, it will simply say so and propose the default location (which I think the OP already uses), so that is not the issue, nor the solution.

@FrankU What you need to do is start Lightroom Classic, and then choose the menu ‘File - New Catalog’. Give it a name, and once that is done, use the menu ‘File - Open Catalog’ to restart Lightroom Classic with this new catalog (it probably already has done that, I’m not sure and can’t check this because I’m typing this in an iPad). Now look for the menu ‘File - Import from Another Catalog’. It will be there, trust me.

IMG_4737.jpeg
 
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