Moving the database to a different drive

[stonecherub]

I want to move my database and IMatch needs to know where I put it. Help is not helpful and nobody here in the community has addressed this issue that I can find.

My database is still on an old data drive, a one T stand alone that once also contained the images. Disks being cheap, I bought two 4 T drives and installed them as a mirrored pair for data storage. The images were moved using IMatch so the database knows where they are.   

Where should the database go?  Some comments I read in my search suggest putting the database on a "faster" SSD drive but I have not noticed IM5 being slow having it on H:\. My C:\ drive is a 240G SSD reserved for the Win 7 OS and support files, it has plenty of space to host the database.

[jch2103]

I'd put the database on your C: drive (the SSD), which is what I've done (and I believe a number of other users here). That should provide some speed access although how much will depend on specifics of your configuration. In any event, the database should be on a separate drive from the images, to avoid access contention.

[Mario]

There are some notes in the Database help topic, e.g. the tip to out your database on your fastest disk (SSD) and if possible not on the same disk as the images (to speed up scanning folders).

Depending on the size of your database and what you do with IMatch, the performance improvements gained by moving your database to the SSD should be noticeable to dramatic.

[Aubrey]

A further point. As you already know the integrity of the folder where you store the database, I recommend that you set your virus scanner to exclude this folder.

You might also do the same for the folders where your images are stored... After all these have been copied from your camera.

Aubrey

[stonecherub]

OK, the database is going to the c:\ drive. I just need to know what steps to take to get it there and to verify that IMatch knows its location. I can move it with widows explorer or Powerdesk but, how do I tell the program where it is?

[Aubrey]

You run Imatch
Click on file open and select the database in new location!
Aubrey

[sinus]

You run Imatch
Click on file open and select the database in new location!
Aubrey

Yes. Or you could simply double - click on the moved database, IMatch will opens automatically.
One point.

You should also change the cache-folder in the preferences. (Attachement).

There is also an option for a new (or moved) DB. See my attachement 2.
But I am not sure, know, what this does really, but simply read the help-file.

When I do change my DB, I check alway the cache-folder, if it is wrong, then I change the folder in the preferences.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Mario]

1. Close IMatch.
2. Move your database file to the new location on your C: disk. I recommend a dedicated folder, e.g. "IMatchDB".
3. Make sure you exclude the folder in your virus checker.
4. Start IMatch. Open the Database menu and choose "Open". Select your database. IMatch remembers this automatically.

You don't need to change the cache folder location or database id. Leave the cache folder on your regular hard disk to conserve precious space on your SSD. Keeping the database on the SSD is a big performance boost, the cache does not benefit much from SSD speed.

[stonecherub]

Thanks, Mario, once again I am suffering from FFUS - Failure to Fully Understand the Software. (Could be that I'm old, as well). Do you know any reason why I should not store my Lightroom catalog in the same, easily backed-up place? I have nearly half of the SSD available.

[Aubrey]

First of all apologies... my response on how to tell Imatch where  the database is was a little curt.

The default place where Lightroom stores the catalog is
C:\Users\"User account"\Pictures\Lightroom
Replace "user account" with user account name that you use.
It will also be default store the back up to this folder.

The issue here is that if your system crashes and cannot be recovered and you have to reinstall windows you are most likely to have to reformat your disk, reinstall your system and therefore you will lose your Lightroom catalog and the backup. A better place to store your lightroom catalog would be your non-SSD disk. If your system fails then you only lose what is on your SSD disk. I suspect that you use lightroom as a post processing tool and IMatch as your real catalog. At least this is what I do; I "don't care" what Lightroom does with my images in its catalog !  After I finish with processing a raw image in LR I save it back to the original location, but as a DNG  with fullsize jpg embedded short cut keys CRTL SHIFT E). As Imatch is your primary catalog you are not particularly interested in the performance of the Lightroom database - don't store it on the SSD

This brings me to the next important topic. When you back up IMatch 5(use Pack and Go), and you ought to do this regularly (particularly after a long session of changes), ensure that your backup is NOT on the SSD. Then if the SSD fails and you have to reinstall your operating system you still have your backups.

Little bit long winded email ,but I have tried to expand for clarity

Aubrey.

Aubrey.