# Lightroom Library has increased suddenly to 160GB....due to Proxies 144GB



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

I have Lightroom CC on my MBP running 10.14. It is set to store smart previews internally and Originals on an external  SSD.

This has worked fine but suddenly the Library is 160GB and I have hardly any drive free space.

Opening the Library shows this is all due to Proxies/720p is 6.88GB and Proxies/2560 is 144GB.

I think they downloaded last night from the cloud as it said Syncing in the top right even though the filter showed everything was syncd.

I also have Lightroom CC on my27"  iMac with its own external holding originals.

Do I need these proxies?

What setting controls them.?

Thanks


----------



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

Some more info about my problem:

I just opened the Library package file on my iMac.  Its size is 20.39GB which is more like what it was on my MBP before Proxies appeared.

There are no proxies on the iMac.

What is odd about the Library on my iMac, is that inside the package file there are* two* folders with *different* alphanumeric identifiers.  One is the same number as on my MBP and is 11GB. The other is 8Gb and has not been modified since July 3rd. This happened before and I was advised I could delete the one not being used which I did and all was well.

Is it a supported configuration to have LRCC on two Macs, synchronised to the same Adobe ID/cloud library, with both Macs having their own originals location? I feel the 140 GB of Proxies in the MBP library is somehow connected with my setup.

Apart from the above anomalies and the excessive size of the MBP library, Lightroom CC is behaving very well. Two iPhones and iPad are also signed in to the account.

Thanks for any help.


----------



## Jim Wilde (Oct 1, 2018)

The "proxies" are the Smart Previews, so if you have LRCC on one Mac set to store a local copy of all Smart Previews, then that's what it does. Compare the Preferences>Local Storage tab on the two systems...is that option set on one system but not the other?


----------



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

Thanks Jim, I wrote most of the below before your message but I think it is still relevant.

Sorry this is turning into a bit of a journal as I make progress understanding my issues!

I am now pretty sure the two problems I mention are unrelated:

1. The problem of the two alphanumeric folders in the iMac Library has happened before and is the result of a false start setting up LRCC in July and starting all over. But I don't think I did the start all over completely cleanly.  When I noticed it before I deleted it and all was well, but now it has come back (same alphanumeric) so it is lurking in my account somewhere, and will probably appear again, but has never appeared on my MacBook Pro. I have deleted it again and all is well (no effect whatever). Any advice on how to clear this would be welcome.

2. The problem of the excessive size of the LRCC library on my MBP is beginning to make some sense, but far from understood. The local storage settings in the MBP are to store all smart previews on the internal and all originals on an external.  Local Storage preference window says "required space is 84.8GB" which seems right for 70,000 photos. This is also consistent with the Library size on a recent back up (before the step change in size) where the Library is 95GB and where the proxies folder was 75GB. 

So the mystery is why there has been a step change in size of the proxies folder from 75GB to 150GB?

Can I delete the Proxies folder and let it recreate them and hope they are back to the 75GB level?

Thanks very much for any input.


----------



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

The screenshot below shows the Library content on the recent backup TOP, and current BOTTOM, which maybe makes the situation a bit clearer.

It changed from the top to the bottom overnight, where I could see it was downloading, and the icon top right said "Syncing" but the filter said everything was syncd and backed up.


----------



## Jim Wilde (Oct 1, 2018)

I can't explain why the size of the smart previews cache has suddenly almost doubled, sorry. But do you need both Smart Previews AND Originals stored locally? Because I use Classic as well as LRCC (thus all my originals also exist locally outside of LRCC), on my Classic system I have LRCC store only the smart Previews, and not the originals. But on my second system, which doesn't run Classic, I do the opposite, i.e. store originals but not Smart Previews.

But answering your question, yes you probably can delete the proxies folder and in theory LRCC should download them again. Haven't tested that though, generally I delete the entire Local Library and then let LRCC rebuild it completely.


----------



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

Thanks very much Jim.

That is a good question about whether I need both Smart Previews AND Originals on the same Mac.  My logic (which may well be flawed) is that:-

1. I want the Smart Previews on it so that I can view and edit without having the external Originals drive attached.

2. I want the Originals locally on the external because when I am on holiday or away from base with just the MBP,  I want to import photos to the Library and do some culling and editing while away.  If I import them *without* the Originals drive attached, the originals are stored* inside* the library after import, filling up precious internal space.  So I have an Originals drive for the MBP to avoid this.

But I believe that if I changed the setting to "not store Originals" then the imported-on-holiday originals would only be on the internal temporarily, and would be deleted once the files had been uploaded to the Cloud and downloaded to the Originals drive on my iMac. Is that right and does it work reliably?  if so then I don't need to keep Originals locally on the MBP.  I think I have enough space to keep holiday import originals internally temporarily.

So subject to your reply I am motivated to abandon the external Originals MBP drive and change the setting to not keep Originals on the MBP,  and will also delete the oversize proxies folder.


----------



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

Just re-read your post and noted the advice   _"....generally I delete the entire Local Library and then let LRCC rebuild it completely"_

So that means what it says, and you just reopen LRCC app and sign in and it all downloads?

That sounds like it might be a good thing to do on my iMac with the phantom alphanumeric folder?


----------



## mikebore (Oct 1, 2018)

I have just done as suggested and deleted the whole Library and it redownloaded as below. Back to correct size. I have also stopped it save originals locally as discussed above. Will keep and eye on what happens. Thanks for all the help.


----------

