Will a Mac Time Machine restore keep my Lightroom catalog linked to my photos?
Asked 1/21/2012
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I’m moving to a Mac and plan to back up the computer to an external drive with Time Machine. If I ever need to restore Lightroom, including both the catalog and the image files, will the restored catalog still retain my edits and stay linked to the original photos? If some files are restored to a different location, can Lightroom reconnect them easily? I’m also wondering whether I should rely on Time Machine alone or additionally keep a separate exported copy of the Lightroom catalog and photos. I currently understand that Lightroom edits are stored in the catalog, and optionally in XMP sidecar files.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
1
Lightroom edits exist in the Lightroom catalog*, the image themselves are untouched. Edits can, optionally, also be recorded in XMP sidecar files, which are files associated with the RAW images and typically are stored in the same directory as the images. Where your Lightroom catalog exists is dependent on where you decided it should be, as Lightroom doesn't care.
Lightroom handles image location changes every elegantly, and isn't all that bothered when it can not find the image files, which you will know as the Library module will show a series of "?" showing its not sure where the files are. If you restore images in a different location, or on a different drive, you simply tell Lightroom where those images are (right click on a folder and choose "update folder location") and Lightroom will update its links to those images.
This makes it very simple to move your images to other harddrives, rename a hard drive, whatever, as its only a one or two click change in Lightroom.
So, I wouldn't worry about 'marrying' your catalog and images, as this is a standard, simple task in Lightroom. Worry more about keeping backups (note the plural) of both your LR catalog and the images.
**technically in metadata, which is what is stored in the Lightroom catalog, as well as in other image types like DNG and PSD, which have provisions for storing metadata in the file itself. 'XMP sidecar' is a metadata file*
Originally by user4880. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4880
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—if Time Machine backs up both your Lightroom catalog and your image files, a restore should preserve your edits and file links as long as the folder/drive structure is restored the same way. Lightroom stores edits in the catalog, and can also store them in XMP sidecar files if you enable that.
If photos are restored to a different location or drive, Lightroom may show missing-file or missing-folder icons, but you can usually relink them quickly by updating the folder location in Lightroom.
So Time Machine can work fine for Lightroom backups, but make sure it includes:
- the catalog file
- the image files
- any XMP sidecars, if you use them
Several photographers still prefer more than one backup method. Time Machine is useful, especially for recovering individual files, but an additional backup/export of your catalog and photos is a sensible extra layer of protection for a large photo library.
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