Lightroom: delete catalog - how it works
You can create your own catalogs in Lightroom. This practical tip shows you how to delete a catalog if necessary.
How to delete a catalog in Lightroom
When you delete a catalog folder, you delete any changes in Lightroom that were not saved in the photo files. The preview images are deleted, but not the linked original photos.
- By default, Lightroom stores your catalogs in the "Pictures" directory on your hard drive.
- Therefore, navigate to the "Pictures / Lightroom" folder in Windows Explorer.
- If you cannot find the catalog you want there, you have saved it in a different location. You can use Windows Explorer or the Windows taskbar to find the catalog folder.
- If you can't remember the name, enter the extension .lrcat in the "Find" dialog box. Then all the catalogs found are displayed in the search result.
- Right-click on the catalog you want to remove and select the "Delete" entry.
- Lightroom always opens the most recently used catalog when it starts. However, if you have deleted it, you will receive a message that the catalog was not found. You now have to select either the standard catalog or another catalog you have created.
- Extra tip: When Lightroom is started for the first time, the standard catalog Lightroom Katalog.lrcat is created automatically. A standard catalog is mandatory so that you can open the program. So it's best not to delete this catalog.
We will introduce you to the best plugins for Adobe Lightroom in the next article.