Deleting Smart Previews

[captured77]

Hi i am using Lightroom CC on a Mac, with the latest update. I am storing my photos on an external hard drive and have the catalog and smart previews on the MacHD. My question is if I delete a smart preview does the original photo get deleted when I reconnect my hard drive. Or do I need to have my hard drive connected before deleting photos and smart previews? I know making changes to the smart preview means that the changes will sync with the original when HD reconnected.

Thanks

[F. McLion]

Preview or photos? These are different things:

The previews - normal and smart - are independent from the original photos. Deleting any of the previews will never harm an original photo and previews can always be recreated by Lightroom.

Deleting a photo gives you the option to only remove from the catalog and leave the original photo alone, or remove from disc also.

[captured77]

Thanks F.McLion. I understand that photos and previews are different things. When I make an edit to a photo using the smart preview the original gets update when I reconnect my hard drive (I know that these are non-destructive edits) I guess another way of posing the question is that if I flag a smart preview as 'rejected' when I connect my hard drive does that flag sync with the original photo?

Thanks

[john beardsworth · Accepted solution]

Yes, the flag and any other metadata will apply to the original.

[captured77]

Thanks, John, so flag but don't delete until hard drive reconnected.

[john beardsworth]

Correct.