Where DaVinci Resolve Projects Are Saved

That distinction matters. I've seen editors back up a cache folder, wipe the old computer, and discover that the folder contained renders but not the edit. Before you move, update, or clean a drive, identify the active library in Project Manager and make a separate export you can test.

Where DaVinci Resolve Projects Actually Live

A project library is the working database that holds your timelines, edits, grades, Fusion compositions, Fairlight work, bins, metadata, and project settings. Your camera originals usually live somewhere else. So do render cache, proxies, optimized media, gallery stills, and automatic project backups.

The final Resolve 21 Reference Manual documents the Project Libraries sidebar, location lookup, DRP import/export, library backup and restore, Live Save, Project Backups, and DRA archive options. Those in-app operations are the source of truth when an old tutorial shows a different folder name.

Default Local Project Library Locations

These are common fresh-install clues, not guaranteed destinations. A custom library can be anywhere you chose; an upgraded install can keep an older folder name; App Store builds use sandboxed containers; network and Cloud libraries don't map to the same local folder. Confirm the active path inside Project Manager before copying or deleting anything.

An upgraded installation may still use the older folder name Resolve Disk Database. A library created on an external drive can be anywhere you chose. The Mac App Store build uses a sandboxed container, so its path can differ from Blackmagic’s direct-download build. On Windows, AppData is hidden by default; on macOS, the user Library folder is hidden in normal Finder navigation; on Linux, folders beginning with a dot are hidden.

Inside a local library you may reach a folder such as Resolve Projects/Users/guest/Projects/Project Name/Project.db. That Project.db is an internal library component, not a portable project document: do not double-click it, rename it, or replace it while Resolve is running. One narrow exception is documented in the final manual: on macOS or Windows, you may copy the complete project folder between the correct local-library directories and restart Resolve. That method doesn't work on Linux. For routine or cross-platform transfer, export a DRP instead.

Find the Exact Library Resolve Is Using

If the page layout is still unfamiliar, keep our DaVinci Resolve beginner guide open beside this checklist; Project Manager sits outside the normal Edit, Color, Fusion, and Fairlight pages.

1. Open Project Manager. Click the house icon at the lower-right of the Resolve window, or use File, then Project Manager.
2. Show the Libraries panel. If the left column is closed, click the Project Libraries button at the top-left.
3. Select the library that contains the project. Do not assume the library called “Local” is the one you used last year.
4. Open the library menu. Use the three-dot menu or right-click the selected library, then choose Details or Open File Location when the command is available.
5. Record the name, type, and location. Save that note with the job. For a custom or upgraded library, this is more reliable than any default path copied from the web.

Resolve can work with three broad library types. A local library is directory-based storage on a workstation or attached drive. A network library is normally PostgreSQL-backed and should be maintained as a managed database, not treated like a Finder folder. A Blackmagic Cloud library stores the shared project data through your Cloud account, but it doesn't magically place every source clip on every editor’s disk. Blackmagic’s collaboration overview explains the separate project-library and media-sync pieces.

Export a DRP: The Smallest Useful Safety Copy

A .drp is an exported snapshot of one project. It carries project data and references source media where it already lives; it doesn't package the camera originals. The normal Export Project command also excludes Gallery stills and LUTs. Choose Export Project With Stills and LUTs when the recipient needs those embedded project dependencies, but copy or archive the source media separately.

1. Open Project Manager and right-click the project thumbnail.
2. Choose Export Project.
3. Name it with the project, date, and a short milestone, such as Documentary_2026-08-04_picture-lock.drp.
4. Save it outside the live Project Library, ideally on storage covered by a second backup.
5. Test it: import the DRP into a temporary folder or test library under a different project name, open it, and verify the important timelines.

I export a DRP before a Resolve upgrade, before destructive timeline changes, and at the end of a serious edit day. Resolve’s automatic backups are useful, but a dated export is easy to locate and doesn't depend on the original library remaining healthy. If you are upgrading, follow the full safe DaVinci Resolve update checklist before opening important projects in the new version.

Create a DRA When the Media Must Travel

A .dra is a project archive folder. In Archive Options, Resolve can include source Media Files, Proxy Media, and Render Cache according to the boxes you select. Use it for handoffs, archive tests, or migration when media should travel with the project; verify the restored archive before deleting any independent originals.

1. Open Project Manager, right-click the project, and choose Export Project Archive.
2. Choose a destination with enough free space.
3. Review the options for source media, render cache, and proxy or optimized media. Source media is the valuable part; generated media may make the archive much larger.
4. Let Resolve finish the copy, then inspect the archive size and test Restore Project Archive on a separate location if the job matters.

A DRA is convenient, but it shouldn't be the only copy of irreplaceable camera originals. For very large productions I keep the original media backup and a DRP even when I also make an archive. If the restored project opens but clips are red, use the steps in our Media Offline relinking guide.

Project Backups, Live Save, and Library Backups Are Different

Live Save incrementally writes the current project state and is enabled by default. It protects recent work from a crash but can also save a bad change. Project Backups are separately enabled under DaVinci Resolve > Preferences > User > Project Save and Load. They create periodic complete project files but exclude stills and LUTs. Loading one from Project Manager opens an independent project; it doesn't overwrite the original.

A Project Library backup is broader. In Project Manager, open Project Libraries, select the exact library, click the circled details icon, and choose Back Up. The Restore control imports the resulting .resolve.backup file into a new library name and location. Keep that backup away from the live library. For a managed network/PostgreSQL library, use Resolve's tools or an administrator-approved database procedure.

None of these replaces a media backup. CacheClip, ProxyMedia, optimized media, generated optimized audio, and gallery locations may occupy most of the disk while remaining reproducible. Delete them only after checking the active project’s paths. If Resolve becomes unstable while opening or saving projects, work through the non-destructive checks in our DaVinci Resolve troubleshooting guide before changing library internals.

Safest Way to Move a Project to a New Computer

For one modest job, a tested DRA is the easiest transfer. For a large job whose media is already copied and verified separately, move the media in its existing folder structure and import a fresh DRP. Then open the project and use Relink Selected Clips or Change Source Folder to point Resolve at the new root.

1. On the old computer, export a dated DRP.
2. Copy and verify the source media. Compare file counts and, for critical work, hashes.
3. Copy custom fonts, LUTs, audio plugins, stills, and external graphics that the edit depends on.
4. Install a compatible Resolve version on the new computer. Check the current Resolve system requirements first.
5. Import the DRP into a new or existing library.
6. Relink media at the highest common parent folder.
7. Check timelines, grades, Fusion comps, audio plugins, frame rate, color management, and deliver presets before retiring the old machine.

Don't make a blind copy of the hidden live-library tree your first migration plan. The documented complete project-folder copy is limited to local libraries on macOS and Windows, requires the correct source and destination directories, and needs Resolve to restart. A tested DRP or DRA gives a clearer cross-platform boundary and is easier to verify.

Project Missing? Use This Recovery Order

1. Stop cleaning or reinstalling. Do not write more data to a drive that may contain the only library.
2. Check every listed library. A blank “Local” library may simply be a newly created library, not proof that the old project was deleted.
3. Reconnect known storage. Confirm the external drive is mounted under the expected Windows drive letter or macOS/Linux volume path.
4. Connect the parent library. In Project Manager, use Add Project Library, then Connect and select the library root, not an individual Project.db.
5. Look for your exported DRPs and library backups. Restore them into a separate library so you do not overwrite evidence.
6. Inspect Project Backups through Resolve. Right-click the expected project and choose Project Backups when the library still sees it.
7. Relink media only after the project opens. Offline clips and a missing project are two separate problems.

Recent community reports repeat the same failure pattern: editors find cache or Resolve Project Backups and assume it's the live library, or Resolve opens a different empty library after an installation change. Treat those reports as diagnostic clues, not permission to paste a random Project.db into a managed database. If the storage may be physically failing, stop writes and make a recovery image or involve a specialist before experimenting.

Free vs Studio: Does the Storage Location Change?

The local Project Library, DRP export/import, project backups, and standard project archives are available in both DaVinci Resolve Free and Studio. Installing Studio doesn't intentionally convert every project into a different file format. Problems after switching editions more often come from opening a different installation, user account, sandbox container, library connection, or software version.

Blackmagic Cloud libraries and advanced collaborative workflows involve account and network choices, but the same backup principle applies: protect project data and media separately, then test a restore. Also remember that a project opened and upgraded by a newer Resolve release may not open in the older release. Make the DRP and library backup before the version change.

My No-Surprises Project Backup Checklist

• Confirm the active library name, type, and exact location in Project Manager.
• Export a dated DRP after every meaningful edit session.
• Enable Project Backups and verify the destination is actually writable.
• Back up the complete library on a regular schedule.
• Keep at least two verified copies of original media on separate storage.
• Include fonts, LUTs, graphics, audio assets, and plugin notes.
• Create a DRA when a self-contained handoff is worth the extra space.
• Test-import a DRP and test-restore a library backup before deleting or upgrading anything.

A backup isn't the folder you hope is correct. It's a recovery path you have opened and checked. Once you can name the library, restore a DRP, and relink the media without relying on the old machine, the project is genuinely portable.

Project-library safety comes before every workflow in the DaVinci Resolve tutorial roadmap, especially updates, editing, and delivery.

DaVinci Resolve Project Storage FAQ

Does DaVinci Resolve save projects as normal files?

No. Working projects normally live inside a Project Library. Resolve creates a portable .drp file only when you explicitly export a project.

Where is the Resolve Project Library on Windows?

A typical current location is %APPDATA%\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Resolve Project Library\. Custom, upgraded, and shared libraries can be elsewhere, so confirm the actual path in Project Manager.

Where is the Resolve Project Library on macOS?

A typical direct-download installation uses ~/Library/Application Support/Blackmagic Design/DaVinci Resolve/Resolve Project Library/. App Store, upgraded, and custom libraries may use another sandbox or folder.

Does a DRP include video and audio files?

No, not normally. A DRP carries project data and references the source media. Copy the media separately or create a DRA project archive when the footage must travel with the edit.

Can I open or move a Project.db file manually?

Do not treat an individual Project.db as a portable project. Connect the parent library or use Resolve’s export, import, backup, and restore commands to avoid corrupting its managed structure.

Are cache and proxy files a project backup?

No. Cache, proxies, and optimized media are replaceable performance files. They don't preserve the project database and they don't necessarily contain your original-quality source media.

Should I use DRP or DRA to move a project?

Use a DRP when media is already copied or will be relinked separately. Use a DRA when you want Resolve to package the project with selected media for a more self-contained transfer.

Related guides

• Fix DaVinci Resolve: the troubleshooting hub: the wider fault-finder this guide plugs into.
• How to Save Work in DaVinci Resolve: Live Save, backups and the recovery workflow on top of these locations.
• Media Offline in DaVinci Resolve: when the project opens but the footage paths broke.

Jason Miller I run DaVinci Resolve Club as an independent publication: hands-on edits, color grading breakdowns, Fairlight sessions, Fusion tests, and honest notes on where Resolve gets in the way.