where are keywords and metadata saved?

[liquidmonkey]

i'm FINALLY getting around to putting in keywords for the 2',''' photos i have and am 1/3 way done.i'm just curious as to where these keywords are saved? is it in an .xml or sidecar file or the actual catalog?
what about the metadata? is that written directly to the jpg or .raw file?
i have a mixture of jpg and raw files.and i also get this weird feeling that some photos i have keyworded before and now those keywords are gone. can that be possible?
am asking for the purpose of backup as its taken weeks just to get this far.thanks!

 

[Victoria Bampton]

They're saved in the catalog, and if you go to Grid view, select them and hit Ctrl-S (or Metadata menu > Write Metadata to Files) you can also write them back to the files as a belt-and-braces backup.

Your previous keywords shouldn't have mysteriously disappeared, but perhaps you removed the photos from the catalog (losing the data) and then reimported them, or something like that?

 

[liquidmonkey]

ok cool, thanks victoria!!
just backed up my catalog.

and yes, i did need to do a re-import a while ago, that must have been it. i suppose i should have done a catalog re-import instead or how would i do that if i ever move my pics from one computer or HDD to another? is it just re-import catalog?

i also do the METADATA STATUS ---- RESOLVE CONFLICTS thing after i highlight a whole folder, thanks!

 

[dj_paige]

No more re-importing photos. None. None! That's zero re-importing photos in the future! It is not a good idea, you lose lots of information.

If you are moving to another computer, move the *.lrcat file(s). You can find their location in Lightroom, select Edit->Catalog Settings->General. Move the photos also, in the same folder tree structure. Then double-click on the *.lrcat file, and if the folders have question marks next to them, right-click on the top-level folder and select Update Folder Location. If you want to move the photos to an new HD, then leave the catalog where it is and move the photos and then use the Update Folder Location trick.

 

[liquidmonkey]

thank you for clearing that up!
that MUST be why i'm having deja vu when making my keywords now

i will remember your instructions for future moves etc, THANKS!!