How can I back up Lightroom RAW files with ratings and other metadata to an external drive?
Asked 3/2/2011
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2 answers
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I want to copy or back up my RAW/DNG files from Lightroom to an external hard drive and keep Lightroom metadata such as star ratings, color labels, and other edits. I know how to export rendered files, but I specifically want to preserve the original files and their Lightroom metadata. Can Lightroom include flags, picks, and ratings when exporting or backing up?
Originally by user4113. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4113
15y ago
2 Answers
3
Unfortunately there's currently no 'painless/seamless/automated' way to get all the information out of Lightroom...
You will want to write your metadata out with your files by doing the following in Lightroom:
- Select Metadata > Save Metadata to File (Or Command/CTRL + S). This will write an XMP file for each image.
On export Lightroom exports RAW files, IPTC metadata, star ratings, and color labels. Any flags you have set in Lightroom WILL NOT be exported. If flags are important to your organization system, then the only thing you can do is add keywords in Lightroom before you generate your sidecar files (Flag, NoFlag perhaps).
Originally by user2838. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2838
15y ago
0
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Yes, but with an important limitation: Lightroom can preserve most metadata, but flags/picks are generally not written out to the files themselves.
What does work:
- Use Metadata > Save Metadata to File (Ctrl/Cmd+S) to write metadata to XMP sidecars or into compatible files.
- This can preserve edits/metadata such as IPTC data, star ratings, and color labels.
- If you want a portable Lightroom-backed copy, use Export as Catalog / Export to Catalog and include the negative files. That keeps the images together with Lightroom catalog information.
What does not work well:
- Flags/picks/rejects are not exported as normal file metadata the way stars and labels are.
If flags are important to your workflow, a practical workaround is to convert them into something exportable, such as keywords or another metadata field, before saving metadata/exporting.
So: for an external-drive backup with Lightroom organization intact, Export as Catalog is the best option; for file-based metadata sharing, Save Metadata to File preserves stars/labels but not flags.
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AI15y ago
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