# is there a script to backup lightroom & photoshop preferences under mac osx ?



## mantra (Jul 25, 2019)

Hi
is there a script to backup and maybe restore lightroom & photoshop preferences under mac ?
i run high sierra and mojave

i'm worried about osx permisssion and tons of pages about how to fix osx permissions and tool like onyx

i would like to know if i can simply backup zipping the preferences of lightroom and photoshop and maybe if there is a script to do it and maybe restore them

i know it's no the right forum , but i haven't found the right subforum

in the lightroom version i have 8.3.1 , but i have older version too , like photoshop i have installed the lastest ,but i keep older versions
thanks
best regards


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## LouieSherwin (Jul 25, 2019)

Are you not using Time Machine? That is, I believe the simplest way to back up everything including all system files and preferences. 

Short of that you could use the automation features of Carbon Copy Cloner or Chronosync to selectively backup the preference folders.

-louie


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## clee01l (Jul 25, 2019)

You don't need a script.  You only need to use TimeMachine to backup all of your critical user data.   Since you asked the question without an obvious reference to TimeMachine, let me know if you need help setting up TimeMachine.


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## mantra (Jul 26, 2019)

LouieSherwin said:


> Are you not using Time Machine? That is, I believe the simplest way to back up everything including all system files and preferences.
> 
> Short of that you could use the automation features of Carbon Copy Cloner or Chronosync to selectively backup the preference folders.
> 
> -louie





clee01l said:


> You don't need a script.  You only need to use TimeMachine to backup all of your critical user data.   Since you asked the question without an obvious reference to TimeMachine, let me know if you need help setting up TimeMachine.


Hi Louie & Cletus
I dont' use TimeMachine
i have installed  Carbon Copy Cloner Trial  just to backup my operation system before  the update to mojave , i guess i will buy it
but can i do with finder , under windows i use a simple bat to backup  the lightroom preferences  and restore them
can i do manually?

about _timemachine_ , can i exclude all my operation disk (high sierra & mojave ) and select only the folders with lightroom and photoshop preferences?
i don't want to create a bootable disk , i have my external portable trascend hard disk with 2 partitions ,one is exfat so i can read and write quickly under windows 

thanks , appreciate your help!


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## clee01l (Jul 26, 2019)

mantra said:


> Hi Louie & Cletus
> I dont' use TimeMachine
> i have installed  Carbon Copy Cloner Trial  just to backup my operation system before  the update to mojave , i guess i will buy it


Why buy a backup app when TimeMachine is free and probably better than anything on the market





> but can i do with finder , under windows i use a simple bat to backup  the lightroom preferences  and restore them
> can i do manually?


You can use Automator to create a script.  It is pretty intuitive and uses a GUI to visually build conditional processes





> about _timemachine_ , can i exclude all my operation disk (high sierra & mojave ) and select only the folders with lightroom and photoshop preferences?
> i don't want to create a bootable disk , i have my external portable trascend hard disk with 2 partitions ,one is exfat so i can read and write quickly under windows
> 
> thanks , appreciate your help!


Time Machine opens with an Apple selected set of folders to backup.   You can modify this by adding or excluding folders.  The default excludes any attached volumes but you can easily backup every attached volume on your system as long as the target volume is large enough to accommodate the full backup.  The TimeMachine target volume needs to be HFS but the source volumes can be exFAT.


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## mantra (Jul 26, 2019)

clee01l said:


> Why buy a backup app when TimeMachine is free and probably better than anything on the marketYou can use Automator to create a script.  It is pretty intuitive and uses a GUI to visually build conditional processesTime Machine opens with an Apple selected set of folders to backup.   You can modify this by adding or excluding folders.  The default excludes any attached volumes but you can easily backup every attached volume on your system as long as the target volume is large enough to accommodate the full backup.  The TimeMachine target volume needs to be HFS but the source volumes can be exFAT.


Hi Cletus 


> You can modify this by adding or excluding folders


i don't want that Timemachine will make my hd bootable , can i do it  ? (can find any option about it) 
should i exclude the ssd of sierra or mojave and add the folder i want?
might you post a screenshot  ?
thanks


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## LouieSherwin (Jul 26, 2019)

I don't believe that the Time Machine disk is bootable.  In any case what is your concern? 

-louie


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 26, 2019)

Time Machine doesn't make bootable backups. To use it to backup just a few folders is technically possible, but very impractical. Any new folders that are saved to your disk after you have set up the backup would have to be excluded again.


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## mantra (Jul 26, 2019)

LouieSherwin said:


> I don't believe that the Time Machine disk is bootable.  In any case what is your concern?
> 
> -louie





Johan Elzenga said:


> Time Machine doesn't make bootable backups. To use it to backup just a few folders is technically possible, but very impractical. Any new folders that are saved to your disk after you have set up the backup would have to be excluded again.



hi
i have read about before "update to mojave" create an backup with carbon copy cloner or TimeMachine
thanks


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## clee01l (Jul 26, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Any new folders that are saved to your disk after you have set up the backup would have to be excluded again.


If you exclude a "parent" folder, then any "child" folders created there will be excluded.  For instance, I exclude the Previews folder.  New sub folders are created in the Previews folder all the time and never get backed up.   If I created a new file/folder at the same level as the Previews folder it would be subject to a TimeMachine backup unless I excluded it.


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## clee01l (Jul 26, 2019)

mantra said:


> i have read about before "update to mojave" create an backup with carbon copy cloner or TimeMachine


When installing an Operating system on a new formatted Primary drive, the MacOS install gives you the option to restore from a TimeMachine backup, an OS downloaded from Apple's website or another computer.  This is why you want to always have a good backup of all of your critical user data and settings.  

*When *your primary hard drive fails, you will replace it with a new disk.  This disk needs to be initialized and have an OS installed  TimeMachine is a good source for your last OS update, your system preferences, your apps and all of your user data.  You can not boot from a TimeMachine disk.  and the data on the disk is compressed into a sparse bundle file.


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 26, 2019)

clee01l said:


> If you exclude a "parent" folder, then any "child" folders created there will be excluded.  For instance, I exclude the Previews folder.  New sub folders are created in the Previews folder all the time and never get backed up.   If I created a new file/folder at the same level as the Previews folder it would be subject to a TimeMachine backup unless I excluded it.


True, but the new folder I mentioned may not be a child folder. It could be a ‘sibling’ folder. If you want to backup your Lightroom catalog folder, then you can’t exclude your Pictures folder (assuming the catalog folder is in this default location), for example. And that means that any new folder you add to the Pictures folder will have to be excluded manually.


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## clee01l (Jul 26, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> If you want to backup your Lightroom catalog folder, then you can’t exclude your Pictures folder (assuming the catalog folder is in this default location), for example. And that means that any new folder you add to the Pictures folder will have to be excluded manually.


Not exactly true.  For this is what I have done.  However I excluded all of the subfolders EXCEPT the /Lightroom folder and. I did this one time, the first time I opened the Options tab all at one selection. If you let LR manage your folders then you don't have to worry about a accidental folder getting added to /Pictures   And any time you add a folder outside of Lightroom, you need to ask yourself one question:  Do I want TimeMachine to back up the contents?   If No, then put the folder inside a folder already excluded.If Yes, then put the folder inside a folder already being backed up.y "/Pictures/Lightroom" folder contains a  "/Pictures/Lightroom/Pictures" folder for all of my imports and does get backed up as well as a  "/Pictures/Lightroom/[Catalog Name] Previews.lrdata"  that is excluded from backup.

FWIW, m


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 26, 2019)

Well, it seems you just confirmed my point. It _can_ be done, but it’s pretty inconvenient. I do use Time Machine to backup my entire hard disk, but I use something else (Carbon Copy Cloner) to make specific backups like this.


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## clee01l (Jul 26, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Well, it seems you just confirmed my point. It _can_ be done, but it’s pretty inconvenient. I do use Time Machine to backup my entire hard disk, but I use something else (Carbon Copy Cloner) to make specific backups like this.


I guess we disagree on "inconvenient".   I set my TimMachine up on two different machines years ago and it was basically a one time thing.  I have not touched the options panel since except to look to see exactly how I set it up.


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 27, 2019)

I guess we do. I find it inconvenient if I would have to think about things like backups each time I create a subfolder in my Pictures folder. I would also find it inconvenient if I can't use Time Machine for its true purpose (to make a full disk backup) because I am already using it for something else (some one folder backup).


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## clee01l (Jul 27, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> I find it inconvenient if I would have to think about things like backups each time I create a subfolder in my Pictures folder.


For me, it is not that complicated.  The only folder that I care to backup in the Pictures folder is the Lightroom Folder which contains my catalog, my images (in subfolders) and my Previews.  And I exclude the previews folders.  A Sub folder of the Pictures folder is the only significant other folder and is where I only  create exports using a Publish Service and this subfolder is excluded from backup because I can recreate any thing that gets created there.  Also excluded are my Photos Library and my Cloudy Lightroom library.   Once set up,   I don't have to think about it.  
My photos and the contents of the /Pictures folder are only managed by Lightroom, the Photos app and the Cloudy Lightroom App.  I don't care to have those apps create anything that needs be backed up.


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## mantra (Jul 27, 2019)

clee01l said:


> I guess we disagree on "inconvenient".   I set my TimMachine up on two different machines years ago and it was basically a one time thing.  I have not touched the options panel since except to look to see exactly how I set it up.


hi
well i 'm tring to configure TimeMachine now
i want to exclude everything but not lightroom adn photoshop preferences
it's hard because both are stored in :/Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/
in " /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/" there is a lot of data , i need only lightroom and photoshop

Lightroom Classic: /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.LightroomClassicCC7.plist
Lightroom 6: /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Lightroom6.plist

according Adobe webpage Preference file and other file locations | Lightroom Classic and Lightroom 6
thanks


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 27, 2019)

You will need to backup the whole preferences folder. And you need to include more than that. Your presets are in a different location: Lightroom Classic File Locations | The Lightroom Queen


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## mantra (Jul 27, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> You will need to backup the whole preferences folder. And you need to include more than that. Your presets are in a different location: Lightroom Classic File Locations | The Lightroom Queen


hi 
but in my hard disk  it's 2TB , i have other data about 20GB , do you know where does TimeMachine store their backups ? 
inside visible folders?
by the way even a script would be great
thanks


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 27, 2019)

Time Machine stores its backups on the external disk you tell it to store them. The backup is in a visible folder called 'Backups.backupdb'.


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## mantra (Jul 27, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Time Machine stores its backups on the external disk you tell it to store them.


hi 
i mean , the backups are inside folders ,do you know where does it store the backups 
i know i need another disk  , but where does it store ?
thanks


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## clee01l (Jul 27, 2019)

mantra said:


> i want to exclude everything but not lightroom adn photoshop preferences
> it's hard because both are stored in :/Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/
> in " /Users/[username]/Library/Preferences/" there is a lot of data , i need only lightroom and photoshop


"need only lightroom and photoshop". is a "wrong thinking" statement. Using TimeMachine for just Lightroom and Photoshop is not very practical or wise.   There are lots of "Cloning" apps that will do that job.   Time Machine and other true backup apps are designed for protection against catastrophic failure of the Disk drive or "stupid user mistakes".   You have a lot of other critical data that should be included in any backup scheme.   All of your settings and preferences are important not just Adobe's
My user Library Folder is only 32GBs  (smaller than one on my original image files).   When your disk drive fails, you will be very glad to be able to recover everything in your user Library folder.


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## clee01l (Jul 27, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> i mean , the backups are inside folders ,do you know where does it store the backups
> i know i need another disk , but where does it store ?


Once you mount the other disk, and designate it as the TimeMachine Backup disk, it is managed by TimeMachine and Time machine creates a sparse bundle called 'Backups.backupdb'.  This is a folder that will contain timestamp named folders for each time TimeMachine runs a backup.  These folders contain the folders and files that are backed up during that instance of the TimeMachine backup.


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 27, 2019)

clee01l said:


> Using TimeMachine for just Lightroom and Photoshop is not very practical or wise.


Funny. That's exactly what I said, but just some messages ago you said we disagreed on this...


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## mantra (Jul 25, 2019)

Hi
is there a script to backup and maybe restore lightroom & photoshop preferences under mac ?
i run high sierra and mojave

i'm worried about osx permisssion and tons of pages about how to fix osx permissions and tool like onyx

i would like to know if i can simply backup zipping the preferences of lightroom and photoshop and maybe if there is a script to do it and maybe restore them

i know it's no the right forum , but i haven't found the right subforum

in the lightroom version i have 8.3.1 , but i have older version too , like photoshop i have installed the lastest ,but i keep older versions
thanks
best regards


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## clee01l (Jul 27, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Funny. That's exactly what I said, but just some messages ago you said we disagreed on this...


We disagreed on the word "Inconvenient".  Using TimeMachine for just (ONLY) Lightroom and Photoshop is not very practical or wise.   While I may exclude TimeMachine from everything in my Pictures Folder except my Lightroom Folder,  I still use TM for a full system backup every 30 minutes..   The user posing the question could with little difficulty exclude every file in the Library folder except those pertaining to LR and PS. It is not IMO very wise and practical to do so.


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## Johan Elzenga (Jul 27, 2019)

We fully agree then. You called it 'not very practical or wise', I called it 'inconvenient'. We both say 'Don't do it'.


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