Is the Creative Cloud corrupting LR catalogs ?

[xShoorty]

Hello,

I've lightroom now since over a year. Since around 4 months I experience LR catalogs getting corrupt. There are many threads online, but I couldn't find any which definitly specifies what causes the catalogs to get broken. The only thing I read is hardware or OS problems.
In my personal opinion, this is nonsense! I installed Win10 2 weeks ago - got again a corrupted LR catalog. And also the hardware isn't it.

I think more it's something in the backup routine or the creative cloud synch.

For this part, I got a question left: I've installed CC on my system drive. In the CC folder I got my catalogs (3). Do I need to turn off the CC synch everytime I work in LR or is this clearly not the problem for causing the corrupted LR catalogs?

Thanks in advance!
Kind Regards

[Mohit Goyal]

Hi xShoorty,

We're really sorry for all the trouble. Adobe Creative Cloud app Or syncing images doesn't corrupt the Lightroom catalogs. Could you please let us know the exact version of Lightroom you are using now?

You can keep the Lightroom catalogs on a local drive and all the images on a external drive for the best performance. You can also, turn on the backup of the Lightroom catalog and give it location of external hard drive so that the backup doesn't eat the space on your local hard drive.

Please refer the following article: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/catalog-corruption-cause-prevention/

Regards,

Mohit

[dj_paige]

It is a bad hard disk that causes catalog corruption. You need to run diagnostics on your hard disk where the catalogs live, and if necessary replace the disk.

As an experiment, you could move the catalog file to a different disk and see if the problem goes away. (Note: you may find that the catalog runs slower on a different disk, depending on the speed of the connection)

[xShoorty]

dj_paige  schrieb

It is a bad hard disk that causes catalog corruption. You need to run diagnostics on your hard disk where the catalogs live, and if necessary replace the disk.

As an experiment, you could move the catalog file to a different disk and see if the problem goes away. (Note: you may find that the catalog runs slower on a different disk, depending on the speed of the connection)

Because of the reason, I tested it on both of my drives + a laptop and I have no problems with other applications, I ruled this cause out.

And further more the new clean installation of windows got me thinking, that it must be something else.
And even more all the guys which opened threads with the same problem, beeing sure it's not their hdd causing it.

So for me it seemed right, that it must be something else..

JohanEl54​

And to this I just can say: stop wasting time of someone and take the X on the top right corner instead, thanks!

Mohit Goyal​
Thank you, but one further question.
I did several different ways of repairing because the LR self repair never worked:

1. Import in new catalog (didnt work most of the time)
2. Export as catalog
3. sql repairing by myself

To 1&2: Will the new catalog be free of any corruption if it starts normally on the next try?

To 3: If it isn't corrupted after the start, can I assume that it is working correctly or can there still be something hidden in the deep which can corrupt it again at a later point ?

Regards

[dj_paige]

Because of the reason, I tested it on both of my drives + a laptop and I have no problems with other applications,

This doesn't mean anything and doesn't prove anything. Lightroom could be stored in a bad sector and other software won't be affected.

You didn't say how you tested the drives (plural), although only the one that has your catalog needs to be checked, but the standard built-in disk check doesn't always show the problem.

Anyway, the only known cause of any file corruption is hardware failure. In the absence of hardware failure, corrupted files don't happen.

You could try copying a working version of the catalog file to a different disk, and launching it from there, to see if the problem goes away.

[Just Shoot Me]

xShoorty  wrote

Because of the reason, I tested it on both of my drives + a laptop and I have no problems with other applications, I ruled this cause out.

Regards

As far as I know unless you uninstall LR then in the CC DTA change the Install Drive-Folder all Adobe apps are installed to all Adobe programs will be installed to the System drive, C on Window and Mac HD on OS X.

If you are talking about placing the catalog file on another drive and it still get corrupted then I start by running RAM tests.

[JohanElzenga]

xShoorty  wrote

Hello,

I've lightroom now since over a year. Since around 4 months I experience LR catalogs getting corrupt. There are many threads online, but I couldn't find any which definitly specifies what causes the catalogs to get broken. The only thing I read is hardware or OS problems.
In my personal opinion, this is nonsense! I installed Win10 2 weeks ago - got again a corrupted LR catalog. And also the hardware isn't it.

I think more it's something in the backup routine or the creative cloud synch.

For this part, I got a question left: I've installed CC on my system drive. In the CC folder I got my catalogs (3). Do I need to turn off the CC synch everytime I work in LR or is this clearly not the problem for causing the corrupted LR catalogs?

Thanks in advance!
Kind Regards

Seems to me you’ve already decided that you don’t want to hear the correct answer as to what most likely causes catalog corruption. A bit like a member of the Flat Earth Society who asks why you can’t see New York from the west coast of Ireland, no matter how strong your telescope is. So I’ll only say what you might want to hear: no, you do not have to turn off sync in order to avoid catalog corruption.

[Just Shoot Me]

In your last reply you said you have tested LR and the catalog on other computers and although you don't say it has the catalog been corrupted on those other computers?

If it has then I would start looking at what other software is installed on all of them. Like a Anti Virus and or anti malware program that is reading and re-writing the catalog file changing it in some way that makes LR think it is corrupted.

Otherwise it has been my experience that no files get corrupted unless there is some type of hardware fault. Faulty hard drives or RAM or even some type of overheating issues with the CPU.

[bhousto90]

One other possibility for catalog corruption could be that you are using a cloud sync service like Googledrive or OneDrive etc? Or some automated backup? This is commonly reported as having corrupt previews when someone uses these services on the LR folder/catalog.

Make sure that the sync is complete before reopening the catalog in LR.

Also it has been asked what is the version of Lightroom we are talking about here?? LR CC or LR Classic CC? ver#.#?

[xShoorty]

I will test with another disk check software plus i will check the RAM. Version is the 7.4 classic CC since yesterday. Tried out some older versions on a corrupted catalog before, because i read something about it in a thread.

The only cloud system I use is the CC, which i stated in the entry thread. Overheating is definitly no problem. I've a big fan and the CPU stays at normal temps.

What do you guys think about the following question. If the tests show it is any hardware problem. Will the whole catalog be "forever" corrupted ? In the mean of - is it fully repaired if I can open it once again and no error shows up ? Or can it be that some error just shows up sometimes later ? Supposed that i changed the faulty piece before repairing it through any of the above stated ways.

[dj_paige]

If you don't have a backup or current version that is un-corrupted, then the catalog probably is not usable and will never be usable. If you have a working version and fix the hardware issues that caused corruption, then it should work indefinitely.

As I said, if you have a working version or working backup, try copying it to a different disk and using it there to see if the problem goes away.

[xShoorty]

dj_paige  schrieb

If you don't have a backup or current version that is un-corrupted, then the catalog probably is not usable and will never be usable. If you have a working version and fix the hardware issues that caused corruption, then it should work indefinitely.

As I said, if you have a working version or working backup, try copying it to a different disk and using it there to see if the problem goes away.

I have a working version. Because I repair it by myself and also since the first time it got corrupted I backup after each LR closing.
Yes, I need to test it on a 3rd machine, can take some time. On my 2 already tested machines there is the same behaviour after some random time/actions.

[xShoorty]

xShoorty  schrieb

The only cloud system I use is the CC, which i stated in the entry thread.

2 different catalogs are located there.

[john beardsworth]

Please say precisely what you mean by catalogues being corrupt. How do you know a catalogue is corrupt? Is there some error message? Can we see a screenshot?

[xShoorty]

john beardsworth

Please say precisely what you mean by catalogues being corrupt. How do you know a catalogue is corrupt? Is there some error message? Can we see a screenshot?

On opening the catalog, it says that there is an error and that LR can't open it bcs the catalog is corrupt. Then LR automatically closeses. At the next start it tells that there happend smth and if you want to repair. This LR repair doesn't work, so the catalog can't be opened anymore.
No screenshot needed.

[xShoorty]

Checked the RAM yesterday - no errors.

Will test the drives today with a second software, but i think the result will be the same.

[xShoorty]

Checked the SSD & HDD - both are "Good" regarding to CrystalDiskInfo & Samsung Magician.

[Just Shoot Me]

Do you use any cloud storage / backup system on your computers and if you do do you have the LR catalog file included in that system?