Backup DaVinci Resolve Databases

By default, DaVinci Resolve uses a disk database to keep track of every project you create. All projects you create, everything you’ve done in Resolve except media files, are stored/saved in it. It’s a good policy to backup your database periodically. If anything happens to the database, you can restore your projects from previous database backups.

Backing Up DaVinci Resolve Databases

To backup your database, launch Resolve. Project Manager is the first window you’ll see when DaVinci Resolve starts up. If you’ve already opened a project, you can reopen the Project Manager at any time by clicking the Home button at the bottom right corner of the DaVinci Resolve window.

Click the button at the upper left corner of the Projects window to open the Databases sidebar. You can use this sidebar to open different databases and browse the projects found inside. Click to select the database you want to back up. If you only have one database, it will be selected by default. Currently with DaVinci Resolve 16 for Mac, you have five controls at the top of the Databases sidebar: Backup, Restore, Sort Databases, Toggle detailed information on/off, Search.

Backup Databases DaVinci Resolve for Mac

Click Backup button to open the Backup Database window. You can then choose a different backup file name and select where to save the database backup. It will have a default name with .diskdb as its file extension, but you can change that to something recognizable if not yet, such as customer’s name, date, Resolve version. If you have already created additional databases with descriptive name in the first place, you can ignore this as the database name will be put in the backup file name automatically. Choose a location to which to save the backup in the Backup Database dialog, and click Save. A new dialog pops up saying:

Are you sure you would like to backup the “your database name” database?

Please note that this operation might take some time depending on the size of your database

Click the Backup button, then wait for the database to be backed up.

I would also suggest keeping a copy of your database somewhere else other than the hard drive which Resolve is installed on.

To restore a database

Click the button at the upper left corner of the Projects window to open the Databases sidebar. Click the Restore button at the top of the Databases sidebar. Locate the database you need to import, and click Open.

Export/Import projects

Other than backing up databases and all projects saved in them, you can also choose to export individual projects one by one.