Lightroom files again!

Mel_P

Mel_P

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I have LR4 on my 128GB SSD and I hace set it to store back-ups on a 1TB HDD. I have here 26GB backups of LR4 in umpteen folders all about 300MB each - dated for the dat U used / closed down LR - as I had it set at "backup each time I close LR".

I also have a 16GB folder of umpteen LR3 backups.

I assume that I can delete most of these as they all contain duplicate information.

What I am not so clear abour is in "My Pictures" on my C-drive (the SSD) I have a folder called "Lightroom" which has a folder called, "Lightroom 4 Catalog Previews.lrdata" which is 13.1GB and has a set of 16 folders inside 0 1 2....F - each temselves with a set of hex numbered folders - I would like to reclaim some of this space - I have the settings set "to optimise" the database on closing and remove previews after 30 days - what on earth takes up 13GB?

Any advice please ? Thanks, Mel
 
I spotted this thread and it prompted me to check my LR backups........................13.9GB of them dating back to March 2012.

I find it surprising that LR does not set a date limit for their auto deletion and at the very least asks if you wish to delete them......................or indeed a Preferences control step to delete prior to a specific date???

Based on the feedback above I take it that it is AOK to delete them via Windows Explorer??? FWIW I have plenty of disk space but a bit of disk housekeeping does not go amiss :lol:
 
The ONLY important files are your working *.lrcat file and the backup(s) of that file (I keep the last 2 or 3 usually).

All the data (not the images) can be removed but this wil slow Lr down as it rebuilds the previews again. You may save some space if you never need to look at certain images again but I think Lr will look to regenerate all the previews again so you might not save much space.

But yes feel free to delete the backups you don't need.
 
EOS_JD said:
The ONLY important files are your working *.lrcat file and the backup(s) of that file (I keep the last 2 or 3 usually).
Click to expand...

Precisely. Raws and lrcat are the only files you need to worry about.

I've mentioned before that the LR catalogue backup system was IMO written late on a Friday afternoon by people who didn't really know what data integrity means. For example, if you use several catalogues it's woefully inadequate.

IMO a better option is to turn off LR backups and manage them yourself. I use a mixture of Chronosync and Hazel but even then it's awkward.
 
Thanks - a host of backups deleted. How many images - 21,590. Ir stuff left alone! Thanks, Mel - 13.9 Gb is currently tolerable for previews.
 
I'm 15Gb but have over 100,000 files.
 
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