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Best- (most efficient) Setup ?

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James Pattison

New Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2017
Messages
8
Lightroom Experience
Beginner
Lightroom Version
5.x
Operating System: Windows 10 Intel i5 7500, 16 gig RAM
Exact Lightroom 5.7 Version (Help menu > System Info):
Hi I'm a new member but I have been using LR for quite awhile.
I have just set up a new computer with an SSD - HD for my OS to run on.
LR is loaded on the SSD drive as well.
I don't intend to Import my pictures to the SSD.

I have two 1 TB 7200 rpm drives on board to store my picture files on.
When I Import I do so to both of the 1-TB drives at the same time so that my Original pictures are always backed up.

My question is for best performance do I put my Catalogue on the SSD drive or on one of the back-up HDs?
Thanks for the replys.

James
 
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SSD if you have room

Sent from my LG-TP260 using Tapatalk
 
When I Import I do so to both of the 1-TB drives at the same time so that my Original pictures are always backed up.

If you look at the directory structure of the second copies made on input, you'll see that it really isn't appropriate for a backup. If your primary disk of images fails, the second copies won't be in the same folders, so getting them where they belong will be a hassle. The second copies are meant to simply allow you to reformat your card, knowing that you have two copies of the images. You really need to back up the images that are referenced in the Lightroom catalogue. After that is done, you may delete the extra copies made on input.
 
I'm not really sure that I understand why my backup of the Original is incorrect, but that is my way of protecting them in two separate locations.

I'm only accessing one of the 1 TB drives through LR to work on my images.

I am hoping to be able to put my Catalogue (1) on the SSD drive for the increased speed it has and then back up that Catalogue on one of
the 1 TB drives as well.
One of my concerns is for just how much HD space will be used up by the Catalogue to the SSD.
 
The concern that Hal is raising is, that the images on your copydrive that you are using as a backup may be in a folder structure/names that are different from the Lightroom images folders/names and if you ever move any images using Lightroom to a different folder/name they would certainly not match. In the event of a catastrophic failure if you lost your main drive, it would be painfully hard if not almost impossible to try and move the backup images into the correct folder structure/names to match your current Lightroom catalogue. However, if you backup the prime drives images that the catalogue is pointing to, you do not have this problem
Steve
 
Ok, thanks. now I understand the significance.

I have LR set so that I am prompted to do a backup of the Catalogue every time I shut it down.
When the dialogue box comes up it gives the option of selecting a location of choice for the Back-up. Question; If I initially have my Catalogue stored on my SSD drive and when the "Dialogue" box comes up it shows the Drive and Location I have mentioned on the SSD, if I choose to change it and select a location on another drive will I then get the Catalogue backed up to both locations or am I effectively "moving" the Catalogue location to this other drive?

Thanks
James
 
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Similar to yourself I too have my settings to backup the catalogue on exit. This creates a compressed copy of my Catalogue at the location I have chosen in a folder that is time stamped, therefore each time I exit and save I create another compressed backup copy of the catalogue, thus giving me a choice of backed up catalogues by dates to restore if ever I need to rectify a problem.
If I choose a different location, Lightroom will happily save to the new location each time I exit, the old location will contain all of the backups that I have saved previous to this location change

Have a look at Victoria's tutorials that go in depth on backups, catalogues etc here: Backups

Steve
 
Similar to yourself I too have my settings to backup the catalogue on exit. This creates a compressed copy of my Catalogue at the location I have chosen in a folder that is time stamped, therefore each time I exit and save I create another compressed backup copy of the catalogue, thus giving me a choice of backed up catalogues by dates to restore if ever I need to rectify a problem.
If I choose a different location, Lightroom will happily save to the new location each time I exit, the old location will contain all of the backups that I have saved previous to this location change

Have a look at Victoria's tutorials that go in depth on backups, catalogues etc here: Backups

Steve
Thanks Steve, what I really need to clarify is if I start out with LR writing my Catalogue to my SSD drive and then in the Backup Modual select another drive to "Backup" to will it then be in both locations or just 1?

Which would then be "new" one.

James
 
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Your backup will be in the location you specified for the backup. Your original catalog will stay in its original location.
 
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