# Keeping LR CC completely in sync across multiple PC's



## smidra (May 5, 2015)

Hi, I have searched through the forums how to keep LR in sync on multiple PC's, but cannot find the answer to my problem. Can you please help?

I use BT Sync to sync entire "Photo" folder structure including LR catalog, previews and backups across 2 PC's . However, the changes to Folders and Collections structure are not synced between the PC's. 

1) I have moved some folders to subfolders on PC#1 and updated missing folders in LR#1. This change get's synced to PC#2 folder structure and the LR#2 catalog is in sync as well, but LR#2 is still reporting missing folders. 
2) The same scenario is with collections. I have created several collections (syncing to CC) on PC#1. The Catalog on PC#2 is in sync, but the new collections are not shown on LR#2. 

Are Collections not part of the Catalog? And so are folders? Do you know what else must be synced to keep the 2 PC completely in sync? I have followed this guide, but it does not mention anything special for folders and collections.
http://www.lightroomqueen.com/backup-lightroom-files/

Thanks!


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## melb (May 23, 2015)

I have this challenge as well.  I'm using export / import catalog back into my master version.  How can  get my master collections (smart or otherwise)  onto my other machines?  Thanks in advance


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## clee01l (May 23, 2015)

Welcome both of you to the forum. I'm sorry this earlier post got missed. 

LR is designed to manage one catalog (at a time) on one computer.  LRMobile is only functional with 'near' computer devices such as iPhones/iPads and Android phones/tablets.  So the CC subscription is not going to be a benefit here. If your multiple computers are on the same local network, you can store at least the master image copies on a network file server or network shared drive. The working copy of the master LR catalog needs to be on a locally attached drive.  Only one computer can access the local copy of the master catalog at a time. 

You can use a cloud sharing service such as DropBox, iCloud, OneDrive BTSync etc. to keep your local folders in sync.  However, referential integrity is not managed and becomes a user responsibility. If you open the local copy of your LR master catalog on one computer, you must exit that copy and let your sync'ing app sync these changes to the cloud copy before opening the (newly sync'd) local copy on another computer. If you follow all of these manual user management processes your local copies of the catalog will always be in sync.  The Folder structure shown in the LR Folder panel always reflects the state of the path to the master image files as recorded in the catalog.  As long as your master catalog is up to date and the local copy of that master catalog is in sync, the folder panel will reflect the folders added no matter which computer was used to import the images. 

Since each of you are running Windows OS, you also have a path management problem unique to the Windows OS. That is the use of Drive letters to designate different volumes.  If the path to your master image files is (for example) Drive E:\ on one computer, it must be Drive E:\ on all computers running LR and accessing that catalog.



> Are Collections not part of the Catalog? And so are folders?


 Collections are part of the catalog.  Folders are a construct of the filesystem being used and are not directly a part of the catalog.  The path (folder hierarchy) to ONLY the images that have been imported are maintaining the database which is the LR catalog. In Windows that path includes a drive letter as well as folders and subfolders.  I've already discussed the necessity of maintaining drive letter consistency across multiple computers. 

Presets and LR settings are not a part of the catalog and are maintained in the Lightroom Settings folder which defaults to a global location on the local computer.  You can store (some) of the LR settings in a folder adjacent to the catalog file and this is an option for keeping only those Presets that LR will manage if you move them to the folder named "Lightroom Settings"  after having checked the checkbox labeled "Store Presets with this catalog" in the preferences "presets" section.

*melb*,
The method that you use is probably the most efficient for traveling with a laptop and merging the travel catalog with the master catalog kept at home base.
Currently I am traveling  with a MBP and will merge this travel catalog when I return.  To start out I copied the master catalog (and only the master catalog) to my laptop. I also copied all of my LR presets from the Lightroom Settings folder on the master computer to the travel computer. I also copied all of my LR plugins from the master computer to the travel computer following the same folder storage location.  When I opened the catalog on my travel computer, I had all of my collections and  all of my publish services.  I also had ~30,000 image cataloged but listed as "Missing" since I did not move the 650GB of cataloged images along with the catalog.  In my travel catalog, I selected ALL of the ~30,000 images in the "All Photographs" and "removed" then from that catalog.   Now I have a complete mirror of my master catalog but it contains zero images until I import some new images to a local folder on the travel computer.


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## smidra (May 25, 2015)

Thanks a lot for such a detailed explanation, it really helped! I did a clean install on both machines and setup the sync from scratch to have both catalogs in exactly the same path. It worked like a charm. I added sync of the preset folders and now I can really pickup on pne PC where I left at the other. Fantastic!

Thanks again!


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## johnbeardy (May 25, 2015)

clee01l said:


> The method that you use is probably the most efficient for traveling with a laptop and merging the travel catalog with the master catalog kept at home base.
> Currently I am traveling  with a MBP and will merge this travel catalog when I return.



I think that used to be true. But since Lr5 and the introduction of smart previews, I find it's better to take with me the master catalogue and a larger number of smart previews. On the road I have a useful level of access to those images, and afterwards I simply copy the master catalogue back to its normal place.

For a few years my plugins and presets have all been on Dropbox, using shortcuts / aliases / symbolic links to point LR away from the system application support folder.


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