In addition to optimizing the computer, you can optimize your Lightroom preferences and catalog settings for best performance.
Note: this post will be updated in May 2021.
Lightroom Updates
Lightroom is usually updated every 2-4 months, and these updates frequently include performance improvements as well, so it’s worth staying up to date.
If you have a CC subscription, open the CC app to check for updates. If a new update has been released but isn’t available in your CC app, click the cog icon and select Check for App Updates. If you have a perpetual (standalone) license, go to Help menu > Updates.
Occasionally, an update introduces new bugs that aren’t spotted before release, so it’s also worth knowing how to roll back, just in case you do run into problems. If you’re not completely comfortable with this process, you may be safer to wait until the update has been available for a few days, just in case any serious new bugs surface. Keep an eye on my What’s New blog posts for the latest news.
Optimize the Catalog
Over the course of time, with many imports and deletions, the data in Lightroom’s catalog can become fragmented and spread across the whole database, making Lightroom jump around to find the information it needs. The File menu > Optimize Catalog command “tidies up” and sorts it all back into the right order, bringing it back up to speed.
It’s worth running the catalog optimization whenever you’ve made significant database changes, such as removing or importing a large number of photos, or any time you feel that Lightroom has slowed down. There’s also a checkbox in the Back Up Catalog dialog to automatically run the optimization each time you back up your catalog, which saves you having to remember.
Enable Graphics Processor checkbox
We’ve already discussed the GPU in the last couple of posts. As a reminder, if you’re using a standard resolution screen, you probably want to turn it off. If you’re using a 4K or 5K screen, you probably want it turned on. If you’re using a smaller retina/HiDPI screen (e.g. a MacBook Pro), try it on and off and see which you prefer. The checkbox is found under Edit menu (Windows) / Lightroom menu (Mac) > Preferences > Performance.
Auto-write XMP off
By default, all of the work you do in Lightroom, such as adding keywords or Develop edits, is stored as text instructions in the Lightroom catalog. If you need to make the metadata available to other programs, such as Bridge or Camera Raw, you need to store it in/with the files using a metadata format called XMP. Some users also use XMP as an additional (but incomplete) backup of edits.
If you frequently edit your photos in other software such as Bridge, writing changes automatically saves you having to remember to do so. However, it can have a notable impact on performance, especially if the photos are stored on a slower drive. To check and change your auto write preference, go to Edit menu (Windows) / Lightroom menu (Mac) > Catalog Settings > Metadata tab > Automatically Write Changes Into XMP. If you choose to turn auto-write off, you can manually write to XMP at any time by selecting the photos in Grid view and selecting Metadata menu > Write Metadata to Files.
Render the Best Previews & Cache Settings for Your Needs
Finally, Lightroom uses a number of different types of previews and caches, and it’s worth gaining a basic understanding so you can optimize the settings for your own workflow. We’ll discuss this in the next post in the series.
This latest CC update has introduced a couple of problems for me. One is that the ‘new features’ box keeps popping up on LR load. I can find no way to get rid of it. It is not only annoying that I must click on one of 2 buttons to remove it before LR finishes loading, but the whole load process is slower. Also I can’t get rid of the splash screen. When i click off the check in edit/preferences, and then click OK, it still reappears next time I load LR.
A question on XMP: you mention that it’s an incomplete backup of edits. What kinds of edits are missing from the sidecar files? Thank you!
Flags, virtual copies, collection membership, uncommitted location data, Develop history, stacks, Develop module panel switches and zoomed image pan positions are currently only stored in the catalog itself, and not the XMP sections of the files.
Thanks for the tips. The last year or so I have had an issue on my Mac that Lightroom can not be updated via the CC-app. It says LR is up to date, even if that’s not the case.
The only solution I have found that works is to uninstall and re-install Lightroom. Anyone who knows about a better way that actually works?
Does it continue to happen even after you’ve uninstalled/reinstalled? If so, run the CC Cleaner app between uninstall/reinstall.
Just saw a remark that increasing the Camera RAW Cache Settings (in preferences > file handling) speeds up LR. Another option is to purge the cache in the same screen. Since I’m running low on disk space I did the latter. After purging the cache LR is fast again, just as it was after I installed it on a new PC.
Yes, that’s actually in the next post in the series here: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-performance-previews-caches/
You don’t need the Camera Raw Cache to be huge, but 5-10GB can help if you’re using a workflow that utilizes it (also explained more in the next post).
Purging the cache doesn’t usually help with speed, but if you’re running low on disk space, that would certainly explain why it’s suddenly become faster for you. The OS and Lightroom both need a bit of elbow room on the drive.
I enabled write to XMP because I use DXO Optics Pro, but I’m thinking now that it’s not necessary. Is there a way. To safely remove the XMP files?
No (other than searching for *.xmp files with your OS and deleting them), but they can safely stay there. It’s only the automatic writing that affects performance, so you could update them manually from time to time as a belt-and-braces backup.
Nothing that is critically important is omitted. The XMP format covers all develop settings as a snapshot of the last edit so you can pass the raw file and xmp on to someone else or another application and reproduce the result.
If this was not the case, it would be a pointless exercise and useless file to have.
As an XML-type file, the more there is to describe the work needed to reproduce the result, the larger the file will be. Hence why historical changes are not stored in XMP, they are stored in your software’s catalogue.
You can also tag the raw/original file in EXIF for things like rating, to keep that metadata if you need it when passing files on.
> Nothing that is critically important is omitted
I’d have to respectfully disagree. Virtual copies are not included in XMP, and if your “final” version of an image was a VC, that’s a pretty important thing to omit. Develop module panel switch settings are also omitted, which could significantly change the look of a photo. Flags are also important to many users, but omitted from XMP.
Looking to implement this “Enable Graphics Processor checkbox” and can’t see the performance tab when opening preferences. Any idea what it could be?
Which version of Lightroom are you using?
I have a question regarding metadata settings in Lightroom Classic. I understand why it makes sense to exclude writing to XMP files if not using Bridge or similar software which requires this metadata to accurately render the modified image. What is puzzling me is why develop settings in metadata should be recorded inside JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PSD files (particularly TIFF and PSD). Is this not even more computationally intensive given the sometimes large file sizes involved? One of the unfortunate side effects of this activity is that even a minor change can result in a large file being flagged as modified which will trigger a backup. Given the limitations of upload bandwidth, this can be problematic if several large files are similarly affected.
On the assumption that frequent and effective catalogue backups are being performed and the File Export function is used to pass images to other applications, is it both safe and effective to uncheck that box too, or am I, (as is all too often the case) missing something fundamental?
Hi Paul
If you don’t have the XMP box ticked then Lightroom won’t write XMP data to any files. For ra files XMP is a sidecar, for rendered (TIFF, etc) it’s in the file header – but without the box ticked it won’t write it to there either.
The additional box you’re referring to is for actual Develop settings inside rendered files. These will only be written if the second box (Write XMP) is ticked or you manually write (Ctrl+S / Cmd+S)