Go to Preferences > File Handling and set your Camera Raw Cache to at least 20GB or 50GB if you have the disk space.
Here is an interesting write-up on what these files actually are, why they act the way they do in Lightroom, and the hidden costs of shooting in this format. lightroom file cr
You cannot upload a .CR file to Instagram, print it at Walmart, or put it on a website. No one can read them except specialized software. Go to Preferences > File Handling and set
The logic goes: "I'll shoot in Raw so I can fix the exposure later." The reality: No one can read them except specialized software
Many users get stuck in step 2, editing endlessly, forgetting that the .CR file is just the starting point. The magic of Lightroom is that it treats these clunky, heavy proprietary files as if they were clay, waiting for the sculptor.
The "Lightroom file cr" keyword usually points to one of two things: dealing with files or understanding how Lightroom handles Content Recovery and catalog database management.
However, the relationship between Lightroom and CR files is not without its hurdles, particularly regarding the evolution from CR2 to CR3. While CR2 was the standard for over a decade, Canon’s introduction of the CR3 format brought a new architecture based on the ISO Base Media File Format. This required Adobe to release specific updates to its Camera Raw engine to ensure compatibility. For users of older, "perpetual license" versions of Lightroom, this technological shift often creates a compatibility gap. When Lightroom cannot read a new CR3 file, photographers must often use the Adobe DNG Converter as a bridge, transforming the proprietary Canon data into a universal Digital Negative format.