Lightroom catalog on separate drive?

I know the two normally go together, but is it posssible to put the Lightroom catalog on a separate drive from the previews?

Check this out. http://www.lightroomforums.net/showthread.php?6206-Separating-LR-catalog-and-preview-files -to-different-locations

Similar Messages

How to reconcile 2 lightroom catalogs in separate locations along with images and metadata?

I split my time between two locations where I need access to all of my images and lightroom catalog... I've been trying to keep everything in sync by transporting new images on hard drives, exporting new updates to a "migration" catalog and then importing that along with the images when I travel back to the other location. This works as long a I don't get lazy, or in a hurry... which I have, of course and now I need to get everything back in order--as best as can be expected.
What would be the best way to do this? I need to migrate changes in both directions... If it was just location A to B, or B to A, then that's not much of a problem. unfortunately, i need to reconcile changes from A to B and B to A...
I learned my lesson, but I still need to resolve this mess.
Any tips appreciated.
Thanks.
kb

Try using the keyer and see if you can pull the blown sky. You should be able to get something acceptable,

Cannot open Lightroom Catalog on External Drive

Please excuse the screen name. I tried so many when registering but they were all taken so I was pretty sure this one would be available.
I am migrating from a PC to a Mac Laptop.
I copied my entire photo drive to an external drive which is what i will use with my Laptop. My catalog and photos are stored on this external drive and when I try to open the catalog, I get the following Error:
Lightroom cannot launch with this catalog. It is either on a network volume or on a volume on which Lightroom cannot save changes. But I have no problem opening an image in Photoshop so I know the files copied over in a readable format.
Ideas?

Hi
I've just moved from a PC to a Mac as well and is having the same problem as the original comment:
"Lightroom cannot create a catalog named “AATKM82011” on volume “/Volumes/FreeAgent GoFlex Drive/AATKM82011” because Lightroom cannot save changes to this location."
I do understand moving the file(s) (which I have several files in this external drive) to my internal HD...so my question would be, that my external drive can not be accessed (written) unless I reformat the drive? Is this the only way for me to use this drive or is there any other way that anyone can suggest?
Thank you in advance for the help.

Storing my catalog on separate fast internal drive...?

I'm curious as to whether certain performance issues with Lightroom 4 are related to my setup...I am on Windows 7, 12GB RAM, 2 750GB 7200rpm hard drives (internal) and several external drives. The way I have it set up is:
C: - Where Lightroom is installed (duh)
D: (separate internal drive) is where my catalogs are stored
4 external USB 3.0 drives store all my photos.
I feel like Lightroom doesn't like the fact that my catalogs are on a separate drive from the program itself (?), despite being a SATA connected fast internal drive. Does anyone else have this setup? Will it affect performance?
Thanks
p.s. My D: drive is also setup as the primary scratch disk for Photoshop. Could this negatively affect performance?

it shouldn't negatively affect the performance the way that you have described:
reference these links-
http://thelightroomlab.com/2011/03/where-should-i-keep-my-adobe-photoshop-lightroom-catalo g/
http://www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/2007/03/five_ways_to_speed_up_lightroo.html
http://kelbytv.com/lightroomkillertips/2012/01/19/using-external-drives/
if you feel you are encountering problems, i would try to keep lightroom and the image storage on the same drive....
-janelle

I use light room on both my desktop and laptop, syncing catalog via google drive. I have been working on the desktop all week, editing a collection in lightroom. this morning i opened the program however to find only an old version of the catalog. All wor

Hi all
So I have lightroom on both my laptop and desktop and sync catalog through google drive.
I have been working on the desktop all week on edits of high res scan in lightroom.
Today i opened the program to find everything i have done for a week isn't there.
Help.
I feel it has synced to the last time i opened on my laptop and lost what ive on on the desktop.
any help much appreciated.
p

I have no idea what happened, why you are seeing what you are seeing.
My only guess at finding the missing work is to look under File->Open Recent on both computers.
I do know that if you aren't making regular backups of your catalog file, and relying on synchronizing catalogs from one computer to another via the cloud, you are living very dangerously, and now you are possibly going to pay the consequences of not making regular backups.

I have a new Mac Pro computer and have migrated my files from my older computer to the new computer. In trying to open a Lightroom catalog on an external hard drive I keep on getting the message "lightroom cannot use the catalog named " " because it is

I have a new Mac Pro computer and have migrated my files from my older computer to the new computer. In trying to open a Lightroom catalog on an external hard drive I keep on getting the message "lightroom cannot use the catalog named " " because it is not writable and cannot be opened. I have fixed all the "permissions" and yet it will still not open. How do I fix this?

Hello Forum Members,
I figured it out. You have to select the actual logo of the Lightroom catalog and then click on "get info" and allow what ever your new user name to "read and write". That worked!
Henri Silberman

I have a new computer. I wish to uninstall Lightroom5 and photoshopCC on old computer and re-install on new computer. How do I do this. Also, Lightroom catalog is currently on external drive. Will Lightroom recognize it on new computer

I have a new computer. I wish to uninstall Lightroom5 and photoshopCC on old computer and re-install on new computer. How do I do this. Also, Lightroom catalog is currently on external drive. Will Lightroom recognize it on new computer

Hello Francinera,
please have a first look here: Activation & deactivation help >>> http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/activation-deactivation-products.html.
Please come back if necessary.
Good luck!
Hans-Günter

Lightroom will not accept caches on different drives for multiple catalogs on different drives

I have three catalogs: one for my work files, one for botanical pictures (>200,000 pictures on a network drive) and one for everything else (about 90,000 pics). (i have been forced into this because the keyword files for each set are very large and interfere with the keyword files for the other files.)   Lightroom has become very slow, so I keep the catalogs on different drives, some ssd, some not. I read that you should keep the cache with the catalog. so i changed my preferences to do this. but lightroom insists on using the last cache. so if i switch to my work catalog from my botanical catalog, Lightroom still uses the botanical cache. is there any way to fix this?
(I believe i am using lightroom 64 bit but the title bar only shows lightroom.)
system info
Lightroom version: 5.4 [955652]
Operating system: Windows 7 Ultimate Edition
Version: 6.1 [7601]
Application architecture: x64
System architecture: x64
Logical processor count: 32
Processor speed: 2.2 GHz
Built-in memory: 32751.1 MB
Real memory available to Lightroom: 32751.1 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 774.7 MB (2.3%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 732.9 MB
Memory cache size: 117.9 MB
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 32
System DPI setting: 120 DPI
Desktop composition enabled: Yes
Displays: 1) 1920x1200, 2) 1920x1200
Application folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4
Library Path: D:\LRcat not plants\Lightroom 5 Catalog.lrcat
Settings Folder: I:\Users\rchannon\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom
Installed Plugins:
1) Canon Tether Plugin
2) Facebook
3) Flickr
4) rc Reportamus
Config.lua flags: None
Adapter #1: Vendor : 1002
    Device : 6718
    Subsystem : e182174b
    Revision : 0
    Video Memory : 2006

nahcr wrote:
I read that you should keep the cache with the catalog. so i changed my preferences to do this. but lightroom insists on using the last cache.
What cache are you talking about? which preference?
I mean, the only "true" caches I know of are:
ACR cache, whose location is fixed, and
Preview cache, which is *always* with the catalog (unless you go out of your way to link to another drive).
(there is also a "negative" cache, but it's not really exposed to the normal user..).
So, I'm assuming you are talking about the preference to keep presets with catalog, no? But then it still isn't clear what the problem/issue is, or what is the observation about cache usage: "lightroom insists on using the last cache" - what does that mean, how have you concluded it, what did you see?...
You're not confusing presets with a cache are you?
Is this the preference you're talking about?

Running lightroom catalog on an MS-DOS drive

I need to create a cartalog that both PC and Mac users can access.
I created the catalog (LR 3.4.1) and loaded the pictures on my mac, then copied the entire folder (previews, catalog file, pictures and all) to the MS-DOS drive, but when I open the catalog, though the previews are visible, the catalog is trying to find it on the mac drive.
So I thought I'd try creating a new catalog on the external drive and reimport the pictures in-situ, but when I choose import, the import dialog shows no pictures at all, though I can see the pictures in Finder on the external drive.
Anyone got a solution to this or another way I can have a Lightroom catalog accessible from both Mac and PC?

natcarish wrote:
sorry, 'it' being the catalog. I've got the whole catalog copied to the MS-DOS drive, then double-click on the lrcat file on the external drive, but instead of sourcing the pictures on the MS-DOS drive it looks on my internal OSX drive for the data in the catalog
The external drive has a different naming than on the Mac system, which leads to missing images when you switch to the mac. There are two options to solve this:
On the windows system, move the top-level folder(s) with the originals into the folder on the external drive where the catalog resides (do this using Lightroom!!). This makes them acessible via a relative path from the catalog, which is valid both on Windows and Mac
Do a "Find missing Folder" for the top-level folders when the catalog is open on the Mac, pointing to the folders on the external drive.
But you would have to do this everay time you switch between Windows and Mac and vice-versa.
Beat

I had to refresh my OS which wiped out all my software. I need to re-install Lightroom. How do I do it? I have a copy of the file on a separate drive.

I had to refresh my Windows 8 OS which wiped out all my software. I need to re-install Lightroom. How do I do it? I have a copy of the file on a separate drive.

download the installation files and use your serial number to install,
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Photoshop Elements: 13 |12 | 11, 10 | 9,8,7 win | 8 mac | 7 mac
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Download and installation help for Adobe links
Download and installation help for Prodesigntools links are listed on most linked pages. They are critical; especially steps 1, 2 and 3. If you click a link that does not have those steps listed, open a second window using the Lightroom 3 link to see those 'Important Instructions'.

Technical question: Is it possible to work on the same Lightroom catalog across two computers and have the catalog sync? If so, how??

Technical question:
Is it possible to work on the same Lightroom catalog across two computers and have the catalog sync? If so, how??
Here's a little more information on what I am trying to do.
I have a desktop computer with 4tb worth of pictures that has Lightroom and Photoshop on it. I also have a laptop with Photoshop and Lightroom. I would like to be able to edit those same pictures with their current edits that are currently on my desktop on my laptop. If this can be done, I'm sure I need to be on the same wifi network for my laptop to be able to access my desktop's photo library. I am technically savvy enough to map a network drive, but how do I get my two Lightroom catalogs to sync when I make a change on one of my computers? Would i be working only on one catalog? Or two separate catalogs that would need to be manually synced to the other computer? Would it be beneficial to put my lightroom catalog on something like dropbox?
I'd appreciate any information or tutorials if someone knows how to do this.

I do this by having my LR catalog and photos on an external drive that I swap between the two computers. I am on Windows and have the same drive letter assigned to the drive on both computers.
Because the photos are on a portable drive I back up the portable drive to another hard-drive every night or after important work, because portable drives are susceptible to damage or loss.

Shared Lightroom Catalog???

I use Lightroom exclusively for my photos.   I initially used it with my desktop Mac (PowerPC G5) and then started using it also on my laptop (Macbook Pro). Both computers have all photos on external drives. There is a separate Lightroom catalog on each computer corresponding to each computer with it's individual external drive.   You can imagine my problem now, I'm sure. I have, effectively, TWO Lightroom catalogs, each with unique images, but also I've copied some photos over between them. The problem is growing exponentially.
Here's what I'd LIKE to do.   I'd like to install a shared NAS drive (perhaps an Apple Time Capsule drive) on my central hub in my house (my whole house is wired for Ethernet so that's not a problem), then put all photos on that single hub, thereby using a single Lightroom catalog and with it's images from either computer. If I have to travel somewhere and take some photos with me, I can deal with that because that it is typically the exception, not the rule.
Has anyone tried to do this?   I don't need to nor expect to hit the shared catalog from both computers at the same time. I'll be using one or the other, but not both. But I'd like to bring these two environments together.
I'd love some insight from forum members who've attacked this problem and solved it. I just don't know if Lightroom will allow the catalog to be on a shared drive, thus accessed by either computer.    If it will, then I imagine the work I need to do is:
1)     create a large shared NAS drive.
2)     copy all images to that drive.
3)     pick one of the two Lightroom catalogs and make that the master and somehow point it to the NAS drive.
4)     import the remainder of the photos on the NAS drive to Lightroom.
5)     make sure that both computers reference the Lightroom catalog on the NAS drive.
or maybe not. Maybe there's a better way. I'd like your input.
if this won't work, then has anyone successfully merged two Lightroom catalogs together.   One of my catalogs has about 80,000 images, and the other about 35,000 images.   At least 50% of all images are keyworded and I'd really hate to lose my keywords and collections that I've created.
anyway, insight is welcome. Tell me if I'm nuts too.
Thanks in advance.
Dennis

The closest think to this that will work is to put all the images on a large Firewire 800 drive with the LR catalog on the same drive, possibly in another partition. And alternately plug the drive into one machin or the other.
It is Networked drives where one can't put a Catalog, as John says.
Don

Error. Lightroom catalog can't open

Hello I keep getting the error: 'The Lightroom catalog named Lightroom 5 catalog cannot be opened because another application already has it opened' when opening Lightroom. There is no other application using it. there is only one file available, no back up as I have been uploading a 5.3TB catalogue over the past 4 days and didn't shut down. the RAW files sit on a separate hard drive to the laptop where the Lightroom catalogue is. I cannot now access that catalogue. I had a crash prior to this happening ... can anyone help out there?

I just wonder whether it was GB not TB!!!!
JimHess wrote:
Good grief! That flew right by me. That is one huge catalog. I wonder if there is a "practical" limit to catalog size.Or I wonder if this is terminology confusion. Catalog size vs. library size.

Can I move the Lightroom Catalog from one location to another?

Lightroom by default, places the Lightroom Catalog in the Pictures folder on my PC. My image library though, is located on an external hard drive. I've read that it is better to have the Catalog at the same location to avoid disconnected images, which sounds reasonable. Is it feasable to move the Catalog over to the same drive as my image library, or will that cause a problem? In other words would I need to start over again and create a new Catalog on the external drive? I know this sounds like a dumb question, but I've learnt to my cost that the obvious solution isn't necessary the correct one.

For better performance it is preferable to have the catalog located on an internal hard drive. By default the catalog and the preview files have to be located in the same folder since there is continual read/write taking place while working in Lightroom. Lightroom does not make any changes to the original files so its fine for them to be located on another hard drive internal or external. Lightroom loves lots of hard disk space to operate so if your catalog is on an internal drive make sure it not starved for disk space.
However its ok for your catalog/previews files to reside on an external HDD with your original photo files.
Your photo files can reside on a HDD conected to a network but your catalog and preview files cannot be located on a network.
e.g I have my catalog / previews on the main HDD with my operating system with over 50% free disk space. My Photo files are on a secondary internal HDD with over 75% free disk space. I back up to external HDD.

I would like to migrate from Aperture. What happens to my Masters which are on a RAID array and then what do I do with my Vault which is on a separate Drive please ?

I am sorry, but I do noisy understand what happens to my RAW original Master files, which I keep offline on a RAID array and then what I do with my Vault which as all my edited photos ? Sorry for such a simple question, but would someone please help my lift the fog ?
Thanks,
Rob

Dear John ,
Apologies, as I am attempting to get to the bottom of this migration for my wife ( who is away on assignment ) and I am not 100% certain on the technical aspects of Aperture, so excuse my ignorance.
She has about 6TB worth of RAW Master images ( several 100 thousand ) which, as explained, are on an external RAID drive. She uses a separate Drive as a Vault . Can I assume that this Vault contains all of her edits, file structures , Metadata, etc ?
So, step by step........She can Import into Lightroom her Referenced Masters from her RAID and still keep them there ? Is that correct ?
The Managed Files that are backed up by her Vault , are in the pictures folder of her MacPro, but not in a structure that looks like her Aperture library ? This means Lightroom will just organize all the Managed files, simply by the date in the Metadata ? Am I correct ( Sorry for being so tech illiterate ).
How do I ensure she imports into Lighgtroom in exactly the same format as she runs her workflow in Aperture ? ( Projects, that are organized by year and shoot location and Albums within those projects with sub-locations, or species , etc ). What exactly do I need to do in Aperture please to organize Managed Files to create a mirror structure of Aperture on my internal Hard Drive ?
There are a couple of points I am unsure about in regard to Lightroom. Does it work in the same way as Aperture ? Meaning, can she still keep Master Files on an external RAID and Lightroom will reference them ? If the answer is yes, how do you back up your Managed ( edited ) work in Lightroom ? ( Can you still use an external Drive as a Vault ? ) . Will the vault she uses now be able to continue to back up Managed Files post migration ?

Lightroom catalog on separate drive?

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