Does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

[Porkyan]

Hi guys, does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

 

[pyla]

Hi guys, does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

If you delete the file from the folder without going through lightroom, the file will remain in lightroom, but when you go to access it, it will say "file not found"

 

[Porkyan]

Hi guys, does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

If you delete the file from the folder without going through lightroom, the file will remain in lightroom, but when you go to access it, it will say "file not found"

What I had meant to ask was the other way around

Will lightroom delete my source files?

 

[Tony Jay]

Hi guys, does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

If you delete the file from the folder without going through lightroom, the file will remain in lightroom, but when you go to access it, it will say "file not found"

What I had meant to ask was the other way around

Will lightroom delete my source files?

It depends:

Lightroom has two options if ne wants to remove an image from Lightroom:

*remove - this merely gets rid of an image from Lightroom but nothing changes otherwise; and

*delete from disk - this option does the above AND deletes the file on the hard drive as well.

In order to understand Lightroom it is important to understand that the relationship Lightroom has with image files in the first place.

Lightroom has several parts to it. It is an application that interacts with a database (called a catalog by Lightroom). There is also a large preview folder where previews of any image files that Lightroom knows about are kept.

Original image files are not to be found "within" Lightroom. The importation process will copy a file onto the hard disk (the user specifies the location), a pointer to this location is created in the database so that Lightroom knows where it is, any metadata accessible to Lightroom from that image file is copied into the database as well, and image previews are copied into the preview folder and a pointer to that location is also created by the database. Depending on your preferences additional larger previews are also created from the original image data and stored in the preview folder.

It should be obvious by now that image files DO NOT live inside Lightroom in any way. Lightroom can only keep track of any imported images via the pointers kept in the catalog. This explain why, if one deletes an imported image using the OS, that Lightroom still knows about the image, as evidenced by the fact that it can still display the previews and it still has metadata related to that image yet, Lightroom will display a question saying that the original file is missing.

If one "removes" an image from Lightroom all the application does is scrub the database (catalog) and the preview folder of any knowledge of that image. Lightroom does not touch the original image on the hard drive.

If one "deletes from disk" the sanitation process described above will take place, but, in addition, Lightroom will also delete the image at the level of the hard drive.

My strong advice to you, if you are going to use Lightroom, is get properly familiar with the application. To do this you need one or more decent reference works to systematically learn about image workflow. Your current situation reminds of a child playing with a gun: a tragic accident is imminent...

 

[imagedynamics]

"If one "deletes from disk" the sanitation process described above will take place, but, in addition, Lightroom will also delete the image at the level of the hard drive."

This is true. (at least in the older version of lightroom that i possess - v5).

Also, be aware that Lightroom handles the deletion of the source image particularly badly in my opinioin. I.E. it deletes the source file without placing it in the recycle bin.

 

[Tony Jay]

"If one "deletes from disk" the sanitation process described above will take place, but, in addition, Lightroom will also delete the image at the level of the hard drive."

This is true. (at least in the older version of lightroom that i possess - v5).
Also, be aware that Lightroom handles the deletion of the source image particularly badly in my opinioin. I.E. it deletes the source file without placing it in the recycle bin.

I think that depends on whether the file is located on an internal or external drive.

Also, these commands, and how they work, are dependent on the OS, not Lightroom. So, if you are cranky about how things work, blame the OS.

 

[NicholasD]

Hi guys, does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

If you delete the file from the folder without going through lightroom, the file will remain in lightroom, but when you go to access it, it will say "file not found"

What I had meant to ask was the other way around

Will lightroom delete my source files?

It depends:

Lightroom has two options if ne wants to remove an image from Lightroom:

*remove - this merely gets rid of an image from Lightroom but nothing changes otherwise; and

*delete from disk - this option does the above AND deletes the file on the hard drive as well.

In order to understand Lightroom it is important to understand that the relationship Lightroom has with image files in the first place.

Lightroom has several parts to it. It is an application that interacts with a database (called a catalog by Lightroom). There is also a large preview folder where previews of any image files that Lightroom knows about are kept.

Original image files are not to be found "within" Lightroom. The importation process will copy a file onto the hard disk (the user specifies the location), a pointer to this location is created in the database so that Lightroom knows where it is, any metadata accessible to Lightroom from that image file is copied into the database as well, and image previews are copied into the preview folder and a pointer to that location is also created by the database. Depending on your preferences additional larger previews are also created from the original image data and stored in the preview folder.

It should be obvious by now that image files DO NOT live inside Lightroom in any way. Lightroom can only keep track of any imported images via the pointers kept in the catalog. This explain why, if one deletes an imported image using the OS, that Lightroom still knows about the image, as evidenced by the fact that it can still display the previews and it still has metadata related to that image yet, Lightroom will display a question saying that the original file is missing.

This bit is worth repeating - any file deletion or relocation (say one has a traditional tree file structure built up within LR and you want to move an image file from "2017" to "2018") needs to be done from within LR. Otherwise, you'll soon encounter a "file not found" message (not the end of the world, but a real PITA). As far as images in LR, do not make changes from Windows Explorer or mac Finder - do everything from LR.

This presumes files were "copied" from a card or "moved" from some existing file already on the computer. If one copies a file from the computer into LR catalog, I suspect deleting from within LR doesn't touch the original file location. But handling files in this way doesn't make sense and is likely risking future confusion or worse.

If one "removes" an image from Lightroom all the application does is scrub the database (catalog) and the preview folder of any knowledge of that image. Lightroom does not touch the original image on the hard drive.

If one "deletes from disk" the sanitation process described above will take place, but, in addition, Lightroom will also delete the image at the level of the hard drive.

My strong advice to you, if you are going to use Lightroom, is get properly familiar with the application. To do this you need one or more decent reference works to systematically learn about image workflow. Your current situation reminds of a child playing with a gun: a tragic accident is imminent...

 

[Porkyan]

"If one "deletes from disk" the sanitation process described above will take place, but, in addition, Lightroom will also delete the image at the level of the hard drive."

This is true. (at least in the older version of lightroom that i possess - v5).
Also, be aware that Lightroom handles the deletion of the source image particularly badly in my opinioin. I.E. it deletes the source file without placing it in the recycle bin.

I think that depends on whether the file is located on an internal or external drive.

Also, these commands, and how they work, are dependent on the OS, not Lightroom. So, if you are cranky about how things work, blame the OS.

Woah these softwares made it all so complicated :-O

Haha thanks all for your help!
I'll check my version and do as stated

 

[Porkyan]

Your current situation reminds of a child playing with a gun: a tragic accident is imminent...

The gun does seem scary! Which is why I asked a seemingly silly question on this forum haha. At least I won't lose all my images now

 

[Older Fossil]

As others have stated, it depends on which option is selected in the delete dialog box.

For me, if an image is worth keeping I want it in my Lightroom catalog. My workflow includes copying image files (mostly raw) using a card reader into a defined folder structure using the OS. Then I import all new files into the Lightroom catalog. I do my image culling in LR and almost always use the "delete from disk" option when removing images from LR.

Art

 

[Tony Jay]

Hi guys, does lightroom remove the original file if i delete the imports?

If you delete the file from the folder without going through lightroom, the file will remain in lightroom, but when you go to access it, it will say "file not found"

What I had meant to ask was the other way around

Will lightroom delete my source files?

It depends:

Lightroom has two options if ne wants to remove an image from Lightroom:

*remove - this merely gets rid of an image from Lightroom but nothing changes otherwise; and

*delete from disk - this option does the above AND deletes the file on the hard drive as well.

In order to understand Lightroom it is important to understand that the relationship Lightroom has with image files in the first place.

Lightroom has several parts to it. It is an application that interacts with a database (called a catalog by Lightroom). There is also a large preview folder where previews of any image files that Lightroom knows about are kept.

Original image files are not to be found "within" Lightroom. The importation process will copy a file onto the hard disk (the user specifies the location), a pointer to this location is created in the database so that Lightroom knows where it is, any metadata accessible to Lightroom from that image file is copied into the database as well, and image previews are copied into the preview folder and a pointer to that location is also created by the database. Depending on your preferences additional larger previews are also created from the original image data and stored in the preview folder.

It should be obvious by now that image files DO NOT live inside Lightroom in any way. Lightroom can only keep track of any imported images via the pointers kept in the catalog. This explain why, if one deletes an imported image using the OS, that Lightroom still knows about the image, as evidenced by the fact that it can still display the previews and it still has metadata related to that image yet, Lightroom will display a question saying that the original file is missing.

This bit is worth repeating - any file deletion or relocation (say one has a traditional tree file structure built up within LR and you want to move an image file from "2017" to "2018") needs to be done from within LR. Otherwise, you'll soon encounter a "file not found" message (not the end of the world, but a real PITA). As far as images in LR, do not make changes from Windows Explorer or mac Finder - do everything from LR.

This presumes files were "copied" from a card or "moved" from some existing file already on the computer. If one copies a file from the computer into LR catalog, I suspect deleting from within LR doesn't touch the original file location. But handling files in this way doesn't make sense and is likely risking future confusion or worse.

If one "removes" an image from Lightroom all the application does is scrub the database (catalog) and the preview folder of any knowledge of that image. Lightroom does not touch the original image on the hard drive.

If one "deletes from disk" the sanitation process described above will take place, but, in addition, Lightroom will also delete the image at the level of the hard drive.

My strong advice to you, if you are going to use Lightroom, is get properly familiar with the application. To do this you need one or more decent reference works to systematically learn about image workflow. Your current situation reminds of a child playing with a gun: a tragic accident is imminent...

If one imports into Lightroom using the "Add" option in the Import dialog the same rules apply as explained when trying to delete those images.

If "Delete from disk" is chosen those images will be deleted from the hard drive.

There is no way of copying a file from the computer into the catalog. Did you not already agree that no images actually exists within any Lightroom construct including the catalog?

Your terminology is so imprecise that it would just confuse somebody who did know better. As it stands, what you wrote is actually factually incorrect.