How can I archive Lightroom photos to a NAS without losing edits?
Asked 1/13/2012
4 views
2 answers
0
I use multiple Lightroom catalogs and want to move older original RAW files from my computer to a NAS to free up local storage, while keeping all Lightroom edits and metadata intact for long-term access. After moving files outside Lightroom, the folders appeared missing in Lightroom, and I was concerned the edits were lost.
What is the correct way to archive photos to a NAS, remove them from the main drive, and still preserve Lightroom edits so the files can be relinked and edited later?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
7
The easy way: Use LR to move them.
- Add the NAS folder to the folder list
- Open the local folder in the library view
- drag the images from the local folder to the NAS folder.
Note that this will lose the undo stack!
The better way: move them in the OS, then tell LR where you moved them to.
- Quit LR
- Do the move as you did, best to move the entire folder
- Restart LR
- in the Folder view you'll see the folder is greyed out with a question mark, right click on that folder and choose "find missing folder"
- Navigate to the NAS and select the same root folder
- wait.
Note that this is the way I highly encourage you to do it. And you will not loose your edits this way, or your undo stack. (At least I haven't, and I do that all the time.)
Originally by user1872. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1872
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightroom edits are non-destructive, so your adjustments are usually stored in the Lightroom catalog database, not in the RAW files themselves. That means moving the originals to a NAS does not remove the edits, as long as Lightroom can reconnect to the files and your catalog is preserved.
Two workable methods:
- Move the files or folders within Lightroom:
- Add the NAS folder in Lightroom’s Folders panel
- Drag the images/folders from the local drive to the NAS folder
- Or move them in your operating system, then relink them in Lightroom:
- Quit Lightroom
- Move the entire folder to the NAS
- Reopen Lightroom
- In the Folders panel, right-click the missing folder and choose Find Missing Folder
- Point Lightroom to the folder on the NAS
Relinking should restore access to the photos with edits intact. One answer notes that moving outside Lightroom and then using Find Missing Folder may also preserve the undo history better.
Important: back up your Lightroom catalog too. A NAS can be storage, but it should not be your only backup.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI14y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I move Lightroom photos to a NAS without losing edit settings?
How do I keep Lightroom edits and metadata when moving a folder between local storage and a NAS?
How can I batch-convert a large photo archive into screen-sized JPEGs while keeping the folder structure?
How can I relink or move Lightroom folders that were imported to a microSD card without losing edits?
Why does Lightroom Classic show my NAS volume twice in the Folders panel?