9 · Back up and restore your library
What's in a library backup?
A library backup saves records of the work you’ve done in Merceq. The video files themselves aren’t included in this backup. The note on the backup screen reminds you: “Your decisions and edits are backed up; videos aren’t included.” You should keep copies of your footage separately on a safe disk.
| What’s in a library backup | What you need to save separately |
|---|---|
| Your clip decisions and folders | Your original video files |
| Clip names, notes, and tags | Videos you’ve exported and editing project files |
| The in and out points of selected scenes and saved library information | Video copies kept on a second disk |
| Speech transcripts and search information (read the difference below by backup type) | Downloaded Sense files |
| Thumbnails and lightweight preview copies | |
| Settings specific to the Mac you use (such as theme, playback, and update permissions) |
It’s important to know the difference between the two backup types:
- A
.dbbackup you save to a file is a full backup of your library records. It still doesn’t contain video files. - Backups kept in the Backups window — whether you create them with a name or Merceq makes them automatically — don’t include visual search information. After restoring one of these backups, a clip whose video can’t be accessed may not appear in visual search results.
Settings specific to this Mac aren’t restored either. Preferences such as theme, playback, and update permissions stay as they’re set on your current Mac.
When source videos are accessible, Merceq can recreate thumbnails and preview copies. A library backup can’t restore an original video that has been lost, though.
Also, don’t confuse these two operations: Backup disk during export creates a second copy of video files. A library backup saves decisions you made and organization you created in Merceq. You may need both to fully protect your work.