Catalog size is more than 4GB

[Ross_Stevenson]

I am using an iMac and my catalog size is larger than 4GB! Therefore it will not back it up. I get the message to use a 3rd Party utility such as 7-zip or StuffItExpander to extract my catalog backup. BUT!!! It Adobe doesn't tell me how to solve the problem and more importantly HOW TO DO IT!!

[BKKDon]

Hi,

What are you saying here ... are you trying to recover a catalog from a backup? Or are you trying to backup a catalog from Lightroom?

What version of Lightroom are you using?

If you need 7-zip or StuffitExpander just download from the internet.

Look at this explanation from Adobe: Extracting compressed Lightroom catalog backups larger than 4 GB on Mac

[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

There is a bug in Lr- Mac Users on Backing Up: “Your Catalog Size Is Larger than 4 GB” | Laura Shoe's Lightroom Training, ...

This link explains it.

It is unlikely your catalog is >4Gb anyway.  (Previews probably- but not the problem)

You would only need an 'expander' program IF you have to recover from a backup (such as after a crash or corrupt catalog), AND the catalog is >4Gb, AND your OS will not extract from a zip file.

[Ross_Stevenson]

Many thanks that answers my question

[Ross_Stevenson]

Hi BKKDon,

What I'm asking is "Does Lightroom backup my catalog as a zip file and if I

need to recover it I have to use 7-zip?"

I am using Lightroom CC (newest download)

Cheers

[BKKDon]

Hi,

Yes the backups are compressed and you have to extract the .lrcat file from the Zip file if you are on Windows, for the Mac you will need to use StuffIt Expander Mac ... only because the default macOS unzip utility is unable to unzip files larger than 4 GB.

But it is also highly unlikely that your catalog will be more than 4GB, because on windows it is about 40-45,000 images per 1GB.

[Ross_Stevenson]

Hi ,

Many thanks for the excellent assistance you have given me. Your

explanation answers fully what I need to know.

Rgds.