Studying methods to transfer Lightroom to a brand new pc would possibly sound like a scary proposition to many photographers. However, since we alter computer systems each three to 5 years, it’s unavoidable. That’s the reason I deal with it as a part of my pictures workflow.
Since I began utilizing Lightroom, I’ve migrated my Lightroom catalog at the very least 4 occasions. Right now, I give you my methodical, step-by-step strategy.
First, I don’t deal with my Lightroom setup as a monolith set up; it’s extra like a multi-piece entity with its elements scattered throughout completely different corners of my pc.
Let me clarify.
I preserve my Lightroom set up with the grasp catalog, configuration information, and previews on my main SSD (strong state drive) onerous drive. This can be very quick however comparatively small at solely 500 GB. Which means I can not retailer my complete picture library (a complete of 5 TB) subsequent to my grasp catalog.
I’ve a traditional onerous drive (8 TB) devoted to my picture library.
Lastly, I preserve my Lightroom catalog backups on a separate onerous drive the place I retailer all my archived information and the sources I don’t use regularly.
I deal with the method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new pc as a multistep course of the place I tackle the completely different elements of the Lightroom setup individually.
How you can Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc
The method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new pc might be damaged down into seven steps, two of that are elective.
- Step 1 – Set up Lightroom
- Step 2 – Switch the Picture Library to a brand new pc
- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from outdated pc
- Step 4 – Port Configuration and Settings
- Step 5 – Re-link the lacking folders
- Step 6 – Deliver Preview Information (elective)
- Step 7 – Deliver Catalog Backups (elective)
Once you tackle every part individually, the entire course of turns into very logical and uncomplicated.
Step 1: Set up Lightroom
Earlier than putting in Lightroom, you could set up the Inventive Cloud software in your new pc.
After putting in the Inventive Cloud app, you could authenticate it utilizing your Inventive Cloud credentials.
Subsequent, deploy Lightroom by triggering the set up from the Inventive Cloud app.
As you in all probability know, Inventive Cloud lets you set up Lightroom on two completely different computer systems (Mac and PC). You probably have already put in and activated Lightroom on two computer systems, you could go to the Inventive Cloud internet portal (Plans & Merchandise tab) and disconnect considered one of your installations.
TIP: Just remember to don’t disconnect the pc from which you’re at present performing the migration. You will have to entry it a number of occasions all through the migration course of.
In my case, I’ve Lightroom activated on my desktop and on my journey laptop computer. Once I begin the migration course of, I deactivate my laptop computer set up in order that I can use Lightroom on my outdated and new computer systems throughout the migration.
Step 2: Migrate Your Picture Library
Earlier than you begin transferring your picture library to a brand new pc, ensure that it’s nicely organized.
I’ve a devoted tutorial the place I define my Lightroom picture group and library construction that I take advantage of in my pictures. The concept behind
This organizational fashion makes it extremely easy to again up your images. It additionally makes it straightforward to maneuver your complete library from one location to a different.
You’ll have issue managing your library in case your images are scattered throughout completely different drives and directories.
Earlier than beginning the migration, I strongly advocate you conform your picture library to a one-directory construction.
TIP: Ensure that to prepare your library from inside Lightroom utilizing the Folders Panel within the Library Module. In case you use Explorer (Win) or Finder (Mac) to maneuver your picture information round, Lightroom won’t be able to trace these modifications.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior onerous drive to repeat your complete library to your new pc.
In case you are migrating your Lightroom set up to a laptop computer with inadequate onerous drive house, use an exterior onerous drive to retailer your complete picture library. Ensure that the exterior onerous drive is high-speed and dependable. Yow will discover a few of my onerous drive suggestions right here: Finest Exterior Onerous Drives for Photographers
Step 3: Migrate the Lightroom Catalog
The following step is to maneuver the catalog file to a brand new pc. The Lightroom Catalog is a database the place the applying shops details about the images and their group.
Associated: How you can Export Lightroom Presets
It isn’t all the time straightforward to find a catalog file as a result of, typically, it’s buried deep inside your pc’s set up folders. Fortuitously, Lightroom supplies us with a shortcut to an lively catalog location.
How you can Discover Lightroom Catalog Location
Listed here are the steps to pinpoint the Lightroom catalog location:
From the highest menu, choose EDIT (Lightroom on Mac) > Catalog Settings… Go to the Normal tab and click on the SHOW button. It will take you to the listing the place the Lightroom catalog resides.
The Lightroom catalog has an .lrcat extension.
You will have to repeat the catalog file to your new pc.
I extremely advocate that you just preserve your catalog file in your quickest drive, ideally on a solid-state drive (SSD).
Step 4: Copy Configuration, Settings, and Presets
Lightroom combines all of the settings, configuration information, and presets underneath the Lightroom Settings listing.
The listing accommodates a large quantity of knowledge associated to your Lightroom Catalog. It shops all of the develop presets, import and export presets, metadata presets, key phrase units, and so forth. If you don’t import all of the configuration data to your new set up, it will probably take weeks and even months to recreate it. Importing the listing is a vital step of the migrating course of.
Relying in your preferences, the Lightroom Settings listing might be situated within the catalog listing or within the Lightroom set up folder.
In my case, I take advantage of one catalog group and like to retailer all my configuration information and presets subsequent to my catalog file. This helps me localize all catalog associated information in a single location, nevertheless it additionally implies that the settings and presets can’t be shared throughout a number of catalogs.
You need to copy the whole Lightroom Settings folder to a brand new pc and place them in a brand new catalog folder or a brand new Lightroom set up listing.
Step 5: Re-link the New Catalog with the Picture Library
When you’ve got accomplished the 4 earlier steps, you’re able to launch your imported Lightroom Catalog on a brand new pc.
The prospect that the file construction in your new machine is similar to your outdated one may be very slim. Which means Lightroom gained’t be capable of discover your images as a result of they’re saved in a special location.
Associated: My Prime 15 Lightroom Workflow Suggestions
Once you see a query mark subsequent to a folder contained in the Lightroom Library module, which means it has no thought the place to seek out them and that you’ll want to re-link the lacking folders to level them to a brand new picture location.
The excellent news is that you just wouldn’t have to do that for each folder. All it’s important to do is right-click on the high of the mother or father folder and level to the brand new location the place you positioned the picture library in Step 2. Lightroom will do the remaining by mapping all of the folders to their new areas.
Step 6: Migrate Previews (Elective)
The best way Lightroom works is that for every picture you import, to catalog it creates a preview file(s) or a JPEG model of your unique picture. Relying in your preferences, Lightroom would possibly create a full-size JPEG model of your RAW file plus a smaller model should you use Good Previews performance. The preview information are a vital a part of Lightroom’s non-destructive RAW workflow.
I do know that many photographers copy their unique preview information to a brand new pc, however I by no means do.
In Lightroom Preferences, you may specify how lengthy you wish to preserve full-size previews earlier than they’re discarded. Due to the restricted disk house on my main SSD drive, I take advantage of the 30-day possibility. Which means if I don’t use a selected picture for longer than 30 days, Lightroom discards its preview. However, I discover that Lightroom doesn’t handle this feature very nicely. Over a interval of months, the preview folder dimension grows uncontrolled and I’ve to manually delete the previews to get well invaluable disk house.
The migration course of provides me a possibility to begin the preview technology course of from scratch with out importing any pointless information.
When I’m completed with the migration, I can start recreating preview information as I want them by utilizing the handbook methodology in Library Module.
TIP: Mix Steps 3, 4 and 5 into one
motion
Since Lightroom shops the Catalog, Settingsand Previews contained in the catalog folder, it is smart to mix steps 3, 4 and 5 right into a single transfer by copying the whole catalog folder with all its content material to a brand new pc.
Step 7: Transfer Catalog Backups (Elective)
Lightroom has built-in performance to again up the catalog information in case the grasp catalog is corrupt. That is crucial as a result of the catalog information include years of accrued data. In case you lose it, it will likely be a catastrophe.
See additionally: How you can Batch Edit in Lightroom
In my case, the backup course of is about to a weekly schedule. Nevertheless, you may configure it to a special frequency.
By default, Lightroom shops catalog backup information contained in the Catalog folder.
However, it’s extremely advisable that you just use a special location out of your grasp drive the place the catalog resides. The logic right here is that in case your grasp drive fails, you should have an intact backup on one other drive.
Whereas importing backup information to a brand new set up is advisable, it isn’t crucial.
Within the 12 years that I’ve used Lightroom, I’ve by no means had any points with catalog information so I’m not very paranoid on this regard.
Once I full the migration course of and every little thing appears good, I create the primary backup on a brand new pc, which is greater than sufficient for me. Plus, I all the time have a number of variations of the catalog backup saved on my Backblaze cloud.
Replace: Migrating Lightroom Preset Library
After Adobe modified the format of Lightroom presets in 2018 from .lrtemplate to .xmp, the situation of preset information on a pc onerous drive is just not all the time apparent.
Since XMP presets are shared between Lightroom and Photoshop, by default, presets are imported to Adobe Inventive RAW (ACR) software. It is smart as a result of the presets might be accessed by Lightroom and Photoshop from a single location.
However should you change the Lightroom settings and examine the field Retailer presets with this catalog (what I do), the imported presets can be saved subsequent to the Lightroom catalog.
What it means is that Lightroom presets might be saved elsewhere in your onerous drive. Generally, particular person presets from the identical group might be saved in numerous areas. It doesn’t have an effect on your workflow once you use preset-based modifying however will trigger a headache when you’ll want to migrate your complete preset library to a different pc.
Right here is my answer.
Use the brand new Lightroom performance ‘Export Group’ to export the whole preset group. Lightroom collects presets, even when they’re situated in numerous areas, and zip them into one single file.
Once you import them to Lightroom on a special pc, all of the presets from the identical group can be saved in a single location.
It’s an effective way to wash up your preset group.
How you can Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc | Conclusion
Transferring the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a severe endeavor and generally is a disastrous expertise if achieved flawed. However should you comply with the outlined steps, the method can be painless and might be accomplished very quickly in any respect!