Transferring cr2 files

[Maritimer1]

Is there a way to transfer cr2 files from one computer to another without losing the changes that have been made in ACR? I moved them to a jump drive from cs5 on my old computer and then to the same program (same serial number) on the new computer. All the changes I had made were lost so it was back to the drawing board as I needed the jpegs tonight. Argh!!

Thanks for any advice offered,

Myra

[enaiman]

If I'm not wrong - when you modify something on a raw file and you open the image after in PSE - the modifications will be saved in a separate file (don't know the extension because I'm not at home atm). The file name will be the original file name, but the extension will be different.

If you want to keep whatever changes you made, you will need to copy these files too along with the others.

Edit: I think the extension for the file is ".xmp" (look for YourImageName.xmp files in the old location)

[Colin Southern]

Is there a way to transfer cr2 files from one computer to another without losing the changes that have been made in ACR? I moved them to a jump drive from cs5 on my old computer and then to the same program (same serial number) on the new computer. All the changes I had made were lost so it was back to the drawing board as I needed the jpegs tonight. Argh!!Thanks for any advice offered,Myra

Hi Myra,

If they really are *.CR2 and not *.DNG, then the change information will be saved in 1 of 2 places - either in a *.XMP sidecar file, or in a seperate ACR database. If it's the former then you'll need to move the associated sidecar files - if it's the latter you'll need to move a COPY of the database to the new PC and point ACR to it (Control + K in ACR to get location).

And when you've finished tearing your hair out, start converting your CR2 files to DNG in future so that the edits are stored in the one place! (***wags finger***)

[Glenn NK]

I use Light Room and am in the process of migrating to a new computer. The simplest is if you have both the old and new machines on a local network (LAN). I just drag and drop (or copy/paste) an entire folder with the images. LR is a relatively new program (compared to PS), and it keeps the xmp files with the CR2 files in the same folder.

Perhaps some of the older software can't do this - Light Room was created by photographers for photographers.

Not everyone has trouble with CR2 files.

Glenn

[Colin Southern]

The simplest is if you have both the old and new machines on a local network (LAN). I just drag and drop (or copy/paste) an entire folder with the images. LR is a relatively new program (compared to PS), and it keeps the xmp files with the CR2 files in the same folder.

LR uses ACR's engine, and thus handles files in (pretty much) the same way If ACR or LR store edits in sidecar files then they're always in the same folder and available to other programs -- if they store the edits in their own databases, then they're available only to the program that put them there.

Perhaps some of the older software can't do this

Um, it's essentially the same software

Light Room was created by photographers for photographers.

And Photoshop / ACR / Bridge was created by exactly the same people

Not everyone has trouble with CR2 files.

I'm sure they don't - but personally, I just don't see (m)any benefits in edits being stored seperately from the RAW data ... in my mind it's an invitation for Murphy's law to bite one in the bum - as it has here

[pat brennan]

no body mentioned PSD files do they not contain all adjustment made or am i mistaken. regards pat

[Maritimer1]

Thanks! I am just home for a minute and out the door again in another. I am sure with all your good ideas, I will figure this out. I have dumped a lot of PSD files and... I usually trash the sidecar files as I didn't think I had to keep them.....I know, I know!

Colin, I don't know DNG from a hole in the ground, but I'll figure it out

Thanks so much! I knew there would be answers

[Colin Southern]

no body mentioned PSD files do they not contain all adjustment made or am i mistaken.

Hi Pat,

They contain "Part B" of the recipe only. Best practice is to adjust things like exposure / levels etc whilst in RAW form (Part A) - and then pass the image through to the likes of Photoshop for final processing. If one still has the *.PSD file then one has the "final form" of the photo, but if one has trashed the *.XMP file then all of the initial adjustments applied to the RAW file are now gone, and would have to be redone should the photographer wish to revisit that RAW file for some reason - that can be anything from a trivial inconvenience to a major PITA.

[Colin Southern]

Colin, I don't know DNG from a hole in the ground, but I'll figure it out

Hi Myra,

Basically, when ACR makes changes, it needs to record those somewhere. Because Camera manufacturers may change the format of their proprietary files without notice, Adobe don't want to take the risk that writing edit data to a proprietary RAW file may cause come kind of corruption or data loss - so to be safe, the either write the info to an *.XMP "sidecar" file, or into their own database.

Sidecar files annoy me - and if changes are written to their own database then that database needs to be kept error free and fully functional from now until the end of eternity (or to infinity and beyond, whichever is longer) - and that makes me even MORE nervous!

However - there is another way ...

Adobe developed an open standard called DNG which converts proprietary manufacturer RAW formats into a format with a common structure that is well documented - in other words, a format that it's safe to write change data back to. It has several advantages ...

1. No pesky sidecar files & no change data written into some database hidden in the bowels of your PC

2. File sizes are generally slightly smaller (better lossless compression)

3. It allows files from later models of camera to be opened on versions of Photoshop that were created before the camera was made.

If one wishes, one can also embed the original RAW file inside the DNG file (for extra safety, although I don't bother). The only downside that I've found is that if you want to open your RAW files in a program that doesn't support DNG as an input format (like DXO) then you're sunk.

Personally, I convert EVERYTHING to DNG (either using Adobe's free converter or I just get Bridge to do it when I pull the images off the card) - and then I delete the original RAW files. Never had a problem - recommend using DNG whole-heartedly.