Studying easy methods to transfer Lightroom to a brand new pc may sound like a scary proposition to many photographers. However, since we modify 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 at the least 4 instances. At this time, 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 components scattered throughout totally different corners of my pc.
Let me clarify.
I hold my Lightroom set up with the grasp catalog, configuration information, and previews on my major SSD (strong state drive) onerous drive. This can be very quick however comparatively small at solely 500 GB. Because of this I can not retailer my whole picture library (a complete of 5 TB) subsequent to my grasp catalog.
I’ve a standard onerous drive (8 TB) devoted to my picture library.
Lastly, I hold my Lightroom catalog backups on a separate onerous drive the place I retailer all my archived information 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 deal with the totally different components of the Lightroom setup individually.
Tips on how to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc
The method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new pc will be damaged down into seven steps, two of that are optionally available.
- Step 1 – Set up Lightroom
- Step 2 – Switch Photograph Library to a brand new pc
- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from outdated pc
- Step 4 – Port Configuration and Settings
- Stap 5 – Re-link the lacking folders
- Step 6 – Convey Preview Recordsdata (optionally available)
- Step 7 – Convey Catalog Backups (optionally available)
While you deal with every element individually, the entire course of turns into very logical and uncomplicated.
Step 1: Set up Lightroom
Earlier than you possibly can set up Lightroom, you need to set up the Artistic Cloud software in your new pc.
After putting in the Artistic Cloud app, you need to authenticate it utilizing your Artistic Cloud credentials.
Subsequent, deploy Lightroom by triggering the set up from the Artistic Cloud app.
As you most likely know, Artistic Cloud lets you set up Lightroom to 2 totally different computer systems (Mac and PC). When you have already put in and activated Lightroom on two computer systems, you need to go to the Artistic Cloud net portal (Plans & Merchandise tab) and disconnect one in every of your installations.
TIP: Just remember to 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 desktop and on my journey laptop computer. After 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 Photograph Library
Earlier than you begin shifting your picture library to a brand new pc, be sure it’s properly organized.
I’ve a devoted tutorial the place I define my Lightroom picture group and library construction that I take advantage of in my images. The thought behind
This group fashion makes it extremely easy to again up your images. It additionally makes it simple to maneuver your whole library from one location to a different.
In case your images are scattered throughout totally different drives and directories, you’ll have a tough time managing your library.
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Earlier than beginning the migration, I strongly advocate that you simply conform your picture library right into a one-directory construction.
TIP: Make 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 information round, Lightroom will be unable to trace these adjustments.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior onerous drive to repeat your whole library to your new pc.
In case you are migrating your Lightroom set up to a laptop computer with inadequate onerous drive area, use an exterior onerous drive to retailer your whole picture library. Make certain the exterior onerous drive is excessive velocity and dependable. You’ll find a few of my onerous drive suggestions right here: Finest Exterior Exhausting 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 the details about the images and their group.
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It’s not all the time simple to find a catalog file as a result of, typically, it’s buried deep inside your pc’s set up folders. Happily, Lightroom offers us with a shortcut to an lively catalog location.
Tips on how to Discover Lightroom Catalog Location
Listed here are the steps to pinpoint Lightroom catalog location:
From the highest menu, choose EDIT (Lightroom on Mac) > Catalog Settings… Go to the Basic tab and click on the SHOW button. This may 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 simply hold your catalog file in your quickest drive, ideally on a strong 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 an enormous 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 might 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 will 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 knowledge in a single location, nevertheless it additionally implies that the settings and presets can’t be shared throughout a number of catalogs.
You could copy the complete 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 Photograph Library
When you have got 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 an identical to your outdated one could be very slim. Because of this Lightroom gained’t have the ability to discover your images as a result of they’re saved in a unique location.
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While 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 have to re-link the lacking folders to level them to a brand new picture location.
The excellent news is that you simply should not have to do that for each folder. All you need to do is true click on on the prime of the guardian folder and level to the brand new location the place you positioned the picture library in Step 2. Lightroom will do the remainder by mapping all of the folders to their new areas.
Step 6: Migrate Previews (Non-obligatory)
The way in which 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 may create a full-size JPEG model of your RAW file plus a smaller model in the event you use Sensible 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 possibly can specify how lengthy you need to hold full-size previews earlier than they’re discarded. Due to the restricted disk area on my major SSD drive, I take advantage of the 30-day choice. Because of this 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 dimension grows uncontrolled and I’ve to manually delete the previews to get better precious disk area.
The migration course of offers me a chance to start out 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 would like them by utilizing the guide 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 sensible 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 7: Transfer Catalog Backups (Non-obligatory)
Lightroom has built-in performance to again up the catalog information in case the grasp catalog is corrupt. This can be a very essential performance as a result of the catalog information include years of gathered data. If you happen to lose it, it is going to be a catastrophe.
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In my case, the backup course of is ready to a weekly schedule. Nevertheless, you possibly can configure it to a unique frequency.
By default, Lightroom shops catalog backup information contained in the Catalog folder.
However, it’s extremely beneficial that you simply 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 a backup that’s intact on one other drive.
Whereas it’s endorsed that you simply import backup information to a brand new set up, it isn’t essential.
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.
After I full the migration course of and all the pieces seems to be good, I create the primary backup on a brand new pc and that 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.
Wrapping Up
Shifting the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a severe endeavor and is usually a disastrous expertise if executed incorrect. However, in the event you comply with the outlined steps, the method will likely be painless and will be accomplished very quickly in any respect!
