Lightroom Catalog Restore Options

[kiwi]

Yes, that's true it works fine.

[Kym]

Lightroom is fairly forgiving and does some smarts as to rebuilding catalog. You can run its fixup from within as well.

When I rebuilt my PC recently (new machine, XP -> Vista etc.) I relocated my Catalog/Files. I got dangerous and edited the catalog directly from SQLite Manager plugin in Firefox

Managed to get it all right. Absolutely not for beginners and dangerous without a backup. FYI: The file extension is .lrcat.

Write up here: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...ad.php?t=18668

[MrJorge]

Just for future readers of this thread it is also noted a few times that if you open one of your backup copies of your catalog from the Backup directory it will work and you can start using it. However your working catalog file is now in the Backup directory and not the normal directory.

So if you need to revert to a backed up catalog either copy the backup lrcat file from the backup directory to where you want your active catalog to be or start a new one and import catalog from the backup copy into the new one.

Otherwise you'll end up trying to find your active lrcat file later and won't think to look in the backup dir but that's where it'll be.

Hope that makes sense.

[MrJorge]

Thanks for the replies Darren and Kym.

Sounds like the plan is:

1) Get the new drive in and installed with Windows etc
2) Install Lightroom and CS3 (same versions)
3) Put the original image directory structure back into the same location
4) Put the Lightroom Catalog directory structure back into the same location
5) Try to open my Catalogs as normal, if not revert to one of the backed up copies

[Kym]

Should work. The LR catalog is in 'My Pictures/Lightroom'.

You must ensure that you create the same user name on the new system! Reason: it part of the path - if you don't you may need to edit 'AgLibraryRootFolder' table in the LR catalog.

[MrJorge]

Yup am well aware of where the Catalogs are. Being the #### IT organised nut I am I set up a special structure for it. So know where to get it from. And yes it's under the user's directory so I'll make sure to create the same username.

[kiwi]

Should work. The LR catalog is in 'My Pictures/Lightroom'.

You must ensure that you create the same user name on the new system! Reason: it part of the path - if you don't you may need to edit 'AgLibraryRootFolder' table in the LR catalog.

By the way - it annoys me that the catalogs live in My Pictures - do you know if you can change the directory that they are stored in ?

[Kym]

By the way - it annoys me that the catalogs live in My Pictures - do you know if you can change the directory that they are stored in ?

Yes! This workflow assumes you will use an external drive to share a catalog between machines.

http://www.photoshopsupport.com/ligh...-workflow.html

Download the PDF!
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/ligh...m-workflow.pdf

[kiwi]

Kym, you are a gem mate.