Files required for Lightroom Restore

[lep7]

I am using LR Classic and had a hard drive failure on my Windows 10 machine.

I backup every night so my data is intact and I've subsequently installed LR but at this point have not made any changes to LR pending answer(s) to my question(s).

I know I need to copy my catalog.lrcat files to its proper location: C:\Users\[user name]\OneDrive\Pictures\Lightroom\lightroom. BUT are there other files I need to copy as well? For example I've read that presets should be copied to C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom. Looking at my backed-up files I see that that folder contains 38 folders. I have also read that custom watermarks, and other preferences for LR 5 and Windows 8, are stored at C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom.

Is the catalog file all I need to restore? Do I need to copy the other two folders and files as well?

[JP Hess]

What about your images? Have you got them back to where they were before?

[lep7]

Yes. All images have been restored to exactly the same path (Drive/folders) in which they were originally located.

[dj_paige]

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/backup-lightroom-files/

[lep7]

Thanks for that link. I am reading it now and apply it to my restoration.

[lep7 · Accepted solution]

I finished restoring Lightroom and Lightroom works just as it did on my defective hard drive. It appears that my plug-ins are also operational though I may have lost one of them.

For the records, in case anyone else can use the information, here is a summary of my experience with the restoration. This applies to my WIndows 10 computer and I am an Adobe CC member.

1. Using Adobe CC, I downloaded and installed Lightroom Classic.
2. The installation created a folder at C:\Users\<name>\OneDrive\Picture. The folder contains 2 folders: Lightroom Catalog Helper.lrdata and Lightroom Catalog Previews.lrdata and the Lightroom Catalog.lrcat file.
3. I copied the Lightroom Catalog.lrcat file from my backed-up file overwriting the installed the Lightroom Catalog.lrcat file. I allowed the 2 folders, Lightroom Catalog Helper.lrdata and Lightroom Catalog Previews.lrdata to remain not knowing if they should remain or be deleted.
4. I opened the existing C:\Users\<name>\ AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom folder and deleted the existing 13 folders and replaced them with 38 folders from my backed-up files.