How do I delete RAW files from disk after removing them from Lightroom, and how can I reduce Lightroom storage use?
Asked 7/31/2015
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2 answers
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When I remove photos from Lightroom, I understand that this usually removes them from the catalog but leaves the original RAW files on disk. How can I find and permanently delete those files after they've been removed from Lightroom? Also, what parts of Lightroom take up space, and what are the main ways to reduce Lightroom's storage usage?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
2
( I am not in front of Lightroom right now, so I cannot test it)
I would do the following:
From within Lightroom:
Do a "synchronize folder" (right click on a folder) on a folder in which you know you have removed images.
If there are images (not only raw) that are not in the current catalog, they will be re-imported and placed in the "Previous Import" folder.
Go to the "Previous Import" folder and select the images you want to delete and properly delete them from disk.
Originally by user14193. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14193
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—if you choose Remove in Lightroom, it usually removes the photo from the catalog only; the original RAW file remains on your drive. Lightroom’s catalog stores metadata and file locations, not the RAW images themselves. The preview database stores generated previews, which can also take significant space.
To delete RAW files that were removed from the catalog, locate them on disk and delete them from the filesystem. One Lightroom-based method is to right-click a folder and use Synchronize Folder. Any image files still present on disk but missing from the catalog can be re-imported, often appearing in the previous import/grouping. You can then select those files and delete them properly from disk.
To reduce Lightroom storage use:
- Delete unwanted original image files from disk.
- Reduce or rebuild the preview cache if it has grown large.
- Keep in mind the catalog itself is mostly metadata, so deleting photos from the catalog alone will not free much drive space unless you also remove the originals or previews.
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