As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Like any other software, facing bugs and errors is not uncommon in Lightroom. I can often get stuck between processing, or the software may come up with errors that need to be resolved. Let’s take a look at how to reset Lightroom for troubleshooting so that you can make the software operational once again.
Quick Navigation
It’s possible to face weird issues in Lightroom that do not resolve no matter what you do. Either the process of importing photos gets stuck, or the image sync just doesn’t seem to work. Whatever the issue might be, resetting the software becomes inevitable for a seamless performance from time to time.
Resetting Lightroom Classic CC to default settings is a simple process that can help you resolve the buggy behavior of the software. Resetting Lightroom involves resetting your Preferences. You will notice a lot of improvement in Lightroom’s performance after carrying out this procedure.
I highly recommend taking screenshots of all the Preference setting tabs before you reset so that you can apply the same settings after restarting Lightroom. If you haven't made any changes in the default Preferences since the beginning, you may skip this step. However, if you did, saving them will be convenient.
This step is essential for the time when you will launch Lightroom after reset. It might ask you to locate the catalog.
Windows:
Mac:
Another way to reset the Preferences is to delete the Preferences file manually. If you don't want to delete them, you can also rename them if you have an apprehension that the procedure might go wrong. You can always revert to the old setting through this renamed file.
After Deleting/Renaming these files, launch Lightroom.
When Lightroom restarts, it usually does not forget your default catalog. However, if it asks you to locate the catalog, you will be easily able to do that if you saved the name and location prior to the reset procedure.
Adobe recommends storing all your presets with the catalog. This will store any future presets that you create where your catalog is stored. I are not just talking about developing presets here, but your export presets, filter presets, keyword presets, and any other presets that you create.
The settings under the Preferences tab determine how you want to use Lightroom. It consists of 9 different tabs with options for General settings, presets, external editing, file handling, interface, performance, Lightroom sync, display, and network.
All of these settings are important for running Lightroom Classic. They affect the look and operation of the software, as well as determine its interaction with other programs. This is the reason why resetting preferences causes to reset Lightroom itself.
After you reset the preferences, it is recommended you restart your computer before relaunching Lightroom.
When you reset Lightroom, this resets most of the settings. However, it does not affect your original photos, Develop defaults, Develop settings, and presets. It also keeps your collections, plugins, and other essential data intact.
Resetting Lightroom is the best way to clear some data and resolve the bugs and errors that were affecting your workflow in any way. The process of reset is not complicated. Just remember to keep track of your preference settings and catalog before the procedure to make sure you can resume with both once you restart Lightroom.