Studying the right way to transfer Lightroom to a brand new pc may 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 images workflow.
Since I began utilizing Lightroom, I’ve migrated my Lightroom catalog not less than 4 instances. Right this moment, I give you my methodical, step-by-step method..
First, I don’t deal with my Lightroom setup as a monolith set up; it’s extra like a multi-piece entity with its components scattered throughout totally different corners of my pc.
Let me clarify.
I hold my Lightroom set up with the grasp catalog, configuration recordsdata, and previews on my main SSD (strong state drive) laborious drive. This can be very quick however comparatively small at solely 500 GB. Which means that I can’t retailer my total photograph library (a complete of 5 TB) subsequent to my grasp catalog.
I’ve a traditional laborious drive (8 TB) devoted to my photograph library.
Lastly, I hold my Lightroom catalog backups on a separate laborious drive the place I retailer all my archived recordsdata and the sources I don’t use frequently.
I deal with the method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new pc as a multistep course of the place I tackle the totally different components of the Lightroom setup individually.
The right way to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc
The method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new pc will be damaged down into 8 steps, two of that are elective.
- Step 1 – Install Lightroom
- Step 2 – Switch the Photograph Library to a brand new pc
- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from previous pc
- Step 4 – Port Configuration and Settings
- Step 5 – Re-link the lacking folders
- Step 6 – Migrate Lightroom Preset Library
- Step 7 – Carry Preview Information (elective step)
- Step 8 – Carry Catalog Backups (elective step)
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 should set up the Artistic Cloud software in your new pc.
Login to your Adobe Artistic Cloud account utilizing internet browser, obtain and set up the Artistic Cloud app.
After putting in the Artistic Cloud app, launch the desktop Artistic Cloud software and navigate to All Apps part.
Subsequent, deploy Lightroom Basic by hitting the Set up button from the Artistic Cloud app.
As you most likely know, Artistic Cloud permits you to set up Lightroom on two totally different computer systems (Mac and PC). If in case you have already put in and activated Lightroom on two computer systems, you should go to the Artistic Cloud internet portal (Plans & Cost tab) and disconnect certainly one of your installations.
TIP: Just be sure you don’t disconnect the pc from which you might be at the moment performing the migration. You have to to entry it a number of instances all through the migration course of.
In my case, I’ve Lightroom activated on my PC desktop and on my Mac laptop computer (I’m in means of switching from PC to Mac). After I begin the migration course of, I deactivate my PC Desktop set up in order that I can use Lightroom on my Mac and new computer systems throughout the migration.
Step 2: Migrate Your Photograph Library
Earlier than you begin shifting your photograph library to a brand new pc, be certain that it’s properly organized.
I’ve a devoted tutorial the place I define my Lightroom photograph group and library construction that I take advantage of in my images. The thought behind
This organizational type makes it extremely easy to again up your images. It additionally makes it straightforward to maneuver your total library from one location to a different.
You should have issue managing your library in case your images are scattered throughout totally different drives and directories.
Earlier than beginning the migration, I strongly advocate you conform your photograph library to a one-directory construction.
TIP: Be certain to arrange your library from inside Lightroom utilizing the Folders Panel within the Library Module. If you happen to use Explorer (Win) or Finder (Mac) to maneuver your picture recordsdata round, Lightroom will be unable to trace these modifications.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior laborious drive to repeat your total library to your new pc.
If you’re migrating your Lightroom set up to a laptop computer with inadequate laborious drive house, use an exterior laborious drive to retailer your total photograph library. Be certain the exterior laborious drive is high-speed and dependable. Yow will discover a few of my laborious drive suggestions right here: Finest Exterior Laborious Drives for Photographers
Step 3: Migrate the Lightroom Catalog
The subsequent step is to maneuver the catalog file to a brand new pc. The Lightroom Catalog is a database the place the appliance shops details about the images and their group.
Associated: The right way to Export Lightroom Presets
It’s not 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. Thankfully, Lightroom gives us with a shortcut to an energetic catalog location.
The right way to Discover Lightroom Catalog Location
Listed below are the steps to pinpoint the Lightroom catalog location:
From the highest menu, choose EDIT (Lightroom on Mac) > Catalog Settings… Go to the Common tab and click on the SHOW button. This can take you to the listing the place the Lightroom catalog resides.
The Lightroom catalog has an .lrcat extension.
You have to to repeat the catalog file to your new pc.
I extremely advocate that you just hold your catalog file in your quickest drive, ideally on a solid-state drive (SSD).
Step 4: Copy Configuration Settings
Lightroom combines all of the settings, configuration recordsdata, and presets underneath the Lightroom Settings listing.
The listing accommodates a large quantity of data associated to your Lightroom Catalog. It shops import and export presets, metadata presets, key phrase units, and so forth. If you don’t import all of the configuration info to your new set up, it might probably take weeks and even months to recreate it. Importing the listing is a necessary step of the migrating course of.
In my case, I take advantage of one catalog group and all my configuration recordsdata are situated subsequent to my catalog file.
You have to copy the complete Lightroom Settings folder to a brand new pc and place them in a brand new catalog folder.
Step 5: Re-link the New Catalog with the Photograph Library
When you may have accomplished the 4 earlier steps, you might be able to launch your imported Lightroom Catalog on a brand new pc.
The possibility that the file construction in your new machine is equivalent to your previous one may be very slim. Which means that Lightroom received’t have the ability to discover your images as a result of they’re saved in a unique location.
Associated: My High 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 search out them and that you should re-link the lacking folders to level them to a brand new picture location.
The excellent news is that you just shouldn’t have to do that for each folder. All you must do is right-click on the prime of the dad or mum folder and level to the brand new location the place you positioned the photograph library in Step 2. Lightroom will do the remaining by mapping all of the folders to their new areas.
Step 6: Migrating Lightroom Preset Library
After Adobe modified the format of Lightroom presets in 2018 from .lrtemplate to .xmp, the placement of develop preset recordsdata on a pc laborious drive is just not all the time apparent.
Since XMP presets are shared between Lightroom and Photoshop, by default, presets are imported to Adobe Artistic RAW (ACR) software. It is smart as a result of the presets will be accessed by Lightroom and Photoshop from a single location.
However if you happen to change the Lightroom settings and test the field Retailer presets with this catalog (what I do), the imported presets will probably be saved subsequent to the Lightroom catalog.
What it means is that Lightroom presets will be saved in other places in your laborious drive. Typically, particular person presets from the identical group (assortment) will be saved in numerous areas. It doesn’t have an effect on your workflow whenever you use preset-based modifying however will trigger a headache when you should migrate your total preset library to a different pc.
Right here is my answer.
Use the brand new Lightroom performance ‘Export Group’ to export the complete 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 unique pc, all of the presets from the identical group will probably be saved in a single location.
It’s a good way to wash up your preset group.
Step 7: Migrate Previews (Optionally available Step)
The way in which Lightroom works is that for every photograph you import to catalog, it creates a preview file(s) or a JPEG model of your unique picture. Relying in your preferences, Lightroom may create a full-size JPEG model of your RAW file plus a smaller model if you happen to use Sensible Previews performance. The preview recordsdata are a necessary a part of Lightroom’s non-destructive RAW workflow.
I do know that many photographers copy their unique preview recordsdata to a brand new pc, however I by no means do.
In Lightroom Preferences, you’ll be able to specify how lengthy you need to hold 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 that 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 selection very properly. Over a interval of months, the preview folder measurement grows uncontrolled and I’ve to manually delete the previews to get well useful disk house.
The migration course of provides me a possibility to start out the preview technology course of from scratch with out importing any pointless recordsdata.
When I’m completed with the migration, I can start recreating preview recordsdata as I want them through the use of the guide technique 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 complete catalog folder with all its content material to a brand new pc.
Step 8: Transfer Catalog Backups (Optionally available Step)
Lightroom has built-in performance to again up the catalog recordsdata in case the grasp catalog is corrupt. That is vital as a result of the catalog recordsdata include years of amassed info. If you happen to lose it, will probably be a catastrophe.
See additionally: The right way to Batch Edit in Lightroom
In my case, the backup course of is ready to a weekly schedule. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to configure it to a unique frequency.
By default, Lightroom shops catalog backup recordsdata contained in the Catalog folder.
However, it’s extremely really useful that you just use a unique location out of your grasp drive the place the catalog resides. The logic right here is that in case your grasp drive fails, you’ll have an intact backup on one other drive.
Whereas importing backup recordsdata to a brand new set up is really useful, it’s not vital.
Within the 12 years that I’ve used Lightroom, I’ve by no means had any points with catalog recordsdata so I’m not very paranoid on this regard.
After I full the migration course of and all the pieces appears to be like good, I create the primary backup on a brand new pc, which is greater than sufficient for me. Plus, I all the time have just a few variations of the catalog backup saved on my Backblaze cloud.
FAQ: The right way to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc
What if my new pc has a unique working system?
No worries in case your new pc has a unique system, like switching from Home windows to Mac. I did it earlier than, and it’s not an enormous deal. The settings in Lightroom (catalog, presets and configuration recordsdata) work easily on each methods, so you’ll be able to simply transfer them with none points.
Simply bear in mind, the Artistic Cloud app and Lightroom set up will not be common. It is advisable to set up them based mostly on whether or not your pc is a Mac or PC. After that, you’ll be able to transfer your images, catalog, and settings with none issues
Is it potential to maneuver Lightroom to a brand new pc with out an web connection?
You initially want an web connection to put in the Artistic Cloud and Lightroom purposes from the Adobe web site. Nonetheless, as soon as put in, you’ll be able to transfer your current Lightroom catalog, images, and settings to the brand new pc without having a relentless web connection.
How do I transfer my images to the brand new pc with out dropping any edits?
To maneuver your images to a brand new pc with out dropping any edits, be certain that to know the place your edits are saved. Relying in your Lightroom settings, edits are both saved within the Lightroom Catalog or as XMP recordsdata subsequent to particular person photos, utilizing the identical file names.
To protect your edits, switch your previous Lightroom Catalog and the total photograph library, together with the unique picture recordsdata and any related XMP recordsdata, to the brand new pc. This ensures that each one edits are maintained whenever you open Lightroom on the brand new pc.
The right way to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc | Conclusion
Shifting the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a severe enterprise and generally is a disastrous expertise if finished flawed. However if you happen to comply with the outlined steps, the method will probably be painless and will be accomplished very quickly in any respect!
