Studying the right way to transfer Lightroom to a brand new laptop 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 images workflow.
Since I began utilizing Lightroom, I’ve migrated my Lightroom catalog at the very least 4 instances. Immediately, 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 completely different corners of my laptop.
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. Because of this I can not retailer my complete 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 regularly.
I deal with the method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new laptop as a multistep course of the place I deal with the completely 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 laptop will be damaged down into 8 steps, two of that are non-compulsory.
- Step 1 – Install Lightroom
- Step 2 – Switch the Picture Library to a brand new laptop
- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from outdated laptop
- Step 4 – Port Configuration and Settings
- Step 5 – Re-link the lacking folders
- Step 6 – Migrate Lightroom Preset Library
- Step 7 – Carry Preview Information (non-compulsory step)
- Step 8 – Carry Catalog Backups (non-compulsory step)
If you deal with every element 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 Artistic Cloud utility in your new laptop.
Login to your Adobe Artistic Cloud account utilizing net browser, obtain and set up the Artistic Cloud app.
After putting in the Artistic Cloud app, launch the desktop Artistic Cloud utility 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 lets you set up Lightroom on two completely different computer systems (Mac and PC). When you have already put in and activated Lightroom on two computer systems, you could go to the Artistic Cloud net portal (Plans & Cost tab) and disconnect one in every of your installations.
TIP: Just be sure you don’t disconnect the pc from which you might be at present performing the migration. You’ll need 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 strategy 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 Picture Library
Earlier than you begin shifting your photograph library to a brand new laptop, be certain it’s effectively 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 photographs. It additionally makes it simple to maneuver your complete library from one location to a different.
You’ll have problem managing your library in case your photographs are scattered throughout completely different drives and directories.
Earlier than beginning the migration, I strongly advocate you conform your photograph library to a one-directory construction.
TIP: Ensure that 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 adjustments.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior laborious drive to repeat your complete library to your new laptop.
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 complete photograph library. Ensure that the exterior laborious drive is high-speed and dependable. Yow will discover a few of my laborious drive suggestions right here: Greatest Exterior Onerous Drives for Photographers
Step 3: Migrate the Lightroom Catalog
The following step is to maneuver the catalog file to a brand new laptop. The Lightroom Catalog is a database the place the appliance shops details about the photographs and their group.
Associated: The right way to Export Lightroom Presets
It’s not at all times simple to find a catalog file as a result of, typically, it’s buried deep inside your laptop’s set up folders. Luckily, Lightroom gives us with a shortcut to an lively catalog location.
The right way to 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. This may take you to the listing the place the Lightroom catalog resides.
The Lightroom catalog has an .lrcat extension.
You’ll need to repeat the catalog file to your new laptop.
I extremely advocate that you simply 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 below the Lightroom Settings listing.
The listing accommodates a large quantity of knowledge 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 may well take weeks and even months to recreate it. Importing the listing is an important 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 will need to copy all the Lightroom Settings folder to a brand new laptop and place them in a brand new catalog folder.
Step 5: Re-link the New Catalog with the Picture Library
When you’ve accomplished the 4 earlier steps, you might be able to launch your imported Lightroom Catalog on a brand new laptop.
The possibility that the file construction in your new machine is equivalent to your outdated one could be very slim. Because of this Lightroom received’t have the ability to discover your photographs as a result of they’re saved in a distinct location.
Associated: My High 15 Lightroom Workflow Ideas
If you see a query mark subsequent to a folder contained in the Lightroom Library module, which means that it has no thought the place to search 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 it’s a must to do is right-click on the prime of the father or mother 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 situation of develop preset recordsdata on a pc laborious drive will not be at all times apparent.
Since XMP presets are shared between Lightroom and Photoshop, by default, presets are imported to Adobe Artistic RAW (ACR) utility. 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 verify the field Retailer presets with this catalog (what I do), the imported presets shall be saved subsequent to the Lightroom catalog.
What it means is that Lightroom presets will be saved somewhere else in your laborious drive. Generally, particular person presets from the identical group (assortment) will be saved in numerous areas. It doesn’t have an effect on your workflow if you use preset-based enhancing however will trigger a headache when you have to migrate your complete preset library to a different laptop.
Right here is my answer.
Use the brand new Lightroom performance ‘Export Group’ to export all the preset group. Lightroom collects presets, even when they’re situated in numerous areas, and zip them into one single file.
If you import them to Lightroom on a distinct laptop, all of the presets from the identical group shall be saved in a single location.
It’s a good way to wash up your preset group.
Step 7: Migrate Previews (Non-obligatory 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 would possibly 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 an important a part of Lightroom’s non-destructive RAW workflow.
I do know that many photographers copy their unique preview recordsdata to a brand new laptop, however I by no means do.
In Lightroom Preferences, you possibly can specify how lengthy you wish 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 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 feature very effectively. Over a interval of months, the preview folder dimension grows uncontrolled and I’ve to manually delete the previews to get better helpful disk house.
The migration course of provides me a possibility to start out the preview era 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 would like them through the use of 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 smart to mix steps 3, 4 and 5 right into a single transfer by copying all the catalog folder with all its content material to a brand new laptop.
Step 8: Transfer Catalog Backups (Non-obligatory Step)
Lightroom has built-in performance to again up the catalog recordsdata in case the grasp catalog is corrupt. That is important as a result of the catalog recordsdata comprise years of gathered info. If you happen to lose it, it is going to 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. Nevertheless, you possibly can configure it to a distinct frequency.
By default, Lightroom shops catalog backup recordsdata contained in the Catalog folder.
However, it’s extremely advisable that you simply use a distinct 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 recordsdata to a brand new set up is advisable, it’s not important.
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 every thing appears to be like good, I create the primary backup on a brand new laptop, which is greater than sufficient for me. Plus, I at all times 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 laptop has a distinct working system?
No worries in case your new laptop has a distinct 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 techniques, so you possibly can simply transfer them with none points.
Simply bear in mind, the Artistic Cloud app and Lightroom set up aren’t common. It’s essential set up them based mostly on whether or not your laptop is a Mac or PC. After that, you possibly can transfer your photographs, catalog, and settings with none issues
Is it potential to maneuver Lightroom to a brand new laptop with out an web connection?
You initially want an web connection to put in the Artistic Cloud and Lightroom functions from the Adobe web site. Nevertheless, as soon as put in, you possibly can transfer your present Lightroom catalog, photographs, and settings to the brand new laptop while not having a relentless web connection.
How do I transfer my photographs to the brand new laptop with out dropping any edits?
To maneuver your photographs to a brand new laptop with out dropping any edits, be certain 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 outdated Lightroom Catalog and the complete photograph library, together with the unique picture recordsdata and any related XMP recordsdata, to the brand new laptop. This ensures that each one edits are maintained if you open Lightroom on the brand new laptop.
The right way to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc | Conclusion
Transferring the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a severe enterprise and generally is a disastrous expertise if finished fallacious. However if you happen to observe the outlined steps, the method shall be painless and will be accomplished very quickly in any respect!
