Where is my Catalog?

[nysepete]

Ok - first post -- didn't anything on the first few pages about something this basic... although all in all I am not too shabby about working with LR.

i want to THANK everyone in advance for what i am sure will be an incredibly helpful group of people and new friends!

here goes:

when i double click on my LR app icon -- i automatically open up a catalog called "still solid 1/'9"

i have a couple of older [and now] obsolete catalog folders below called "pnyc redux" and "SLR I - pnyc" which i would like to delete as i will never have a use for them again.

1: where is "still solid 1/'9" ? why doesn't it have a folder with all its contents like the others?

2: since i don't see the "still solid 1/'9" folder -- am i safe to delete the other 2 folders without fear of losing "still solid 1/'9" ??

3: is it possible to back up my current "still solid 1/'9" catalog in 2 locations? 1 being the xHD it's on and another backup on a failsafe xHD i eject and keep in my closet?

4: should i do the backup before deleting the old catalog folders?

thanks guys

 

[Kiwigeoff]

First always back up before deleting anything!!
Welcome too!!!!!!
First point where is your catalog??
Look under Catalog Settings. See the screen shot which shows you the path and the button to find it.
Lets look at the other bits after you confirm that you know where your working catalog is.:cheesy:

 

[nysepete]

ah! thank you for the quick and smart response.

i did what you said and:

i remember now - it was a while ago - the path is:
/Volumes/FOTO I/pnyc redux/New Cat 5-'8

AKA

"still solid 1/'9" which i guess i renamed at some point when i felt good about it all still being there.

so before we do anything else - i will take your advice and back up the catalog on a separate xHD just to be sure we are getting off on the right foot.
will return to let you know when i have done so!

 

[nysepete]

ok -- i'm back.

i did a back up to a separate xHD called "LaCie Disk"
i checked - and it's there.

so back to my initial questions: [and with newly ascertained info]

1: that backup was quick and tiny [184 MB] it can't possibly be backing up all the photos... where are they all stored and how do i back them up? isn't that even more important than what i just did? [aka saving the actual photo files themselves?]

2: now that "New Cat 5-'8" aka "still solid 1/'9" has been located -- is it ok for me to simply delete the other catalogs and their corresponding files without fear? i'd guess that's a no until i back up the photo files themselves -- not simply the directory / metadata / etc per se

 

[Kiwigeoff]

i did a back up to a separate xHD called "LaCie Disk"
i checked - and it's there.

so back to my initial questions: [and with newly ascertained info]

1: that backup was quick and tiny [184 MB] it can't possibly be backing up all the photos... where are they all stored and how do i back them up? isn't that even more important than what i just did? [aka saving the actual photo files themselves?]

2: now that "New Cat 5-'8" aka "still solid 1/'9" has been located -- is it ok for me to simply delete the other catalogs and their corresponding files without fear? i'd guess that's a no until i back up the photo files themselves -- not simply the directory / metadata / etc per se

That is great, now to your issue with the files. LR contains NO image files, only links/pointers to where YOU have put the files on your disk/s.
Now the easiest way to ascertain where the files are on disk is to right or ctrl/click the folder/s in your Library/Folder panel and you have the option to show them in explorer or finder.

You will need to back them up or copy them using another application. Probably easiest at this stage is to use the OS and make a copy where YOU want them to be.

Next start reading up about back up and naming strategies. There is plenty in the forum here to begin.
Great work so far!!:lol::lol: