Studying the right way to transfer Lightroom to a brand new laptop 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 at the very least 4 instances. In the present day, 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 completely different corners of my laptop.
Let me clarify.
I preserve my Lightroom set up with the grasp catalog, configuration recordsdata, and previews on my major SSD (stable state drive) arduous drive. This can be very quick however comparatively small at solely 500 GB. Which means I can not retailer my complete photograph library (a complete of 5 TB) subsequent to my grasp catalog.
I’ve a traditional arduous drive (8 TB) devoted to my photograph library.
Lastly, I preserve my Lightroom catalog backups on a separate arduous 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 laptop as a multistep course of the place I tackle the completely different components of the Lightroom setup individually.
Learn how to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc
The method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new laptop might 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 laptop
- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from previous laptop
- Step 4 – Port Configuration and Settings
- Step 5 – Re-link the lacking folders
- Step 6 – Migrate Lightroom Preset Library
- Step 7 – Convey Preview Information (elective step)
- Step 8 – Convey Catalog Backups (elective step)
If you tackle every element individually, the entire course of turns into very logical and uncomplicated.
Step 1: Set up Lightroom
Earlier than putting in Lightroom, you will need to set up the Inventive Cloud software in your new laptop.
Login to your Adobe Inventive Cloud account utilizing internet browser, obtain and set up the Inventive Cloud app.
After putting in the Inventive Cloud app, launch the desktop Inventive Cloud software and navigate to All Apps part.
Subsequent, deploy Lightroom Traditional by hitting the Set up button from the Inventive Cloud app.
As you most likely know, Inventive Cloud permits you to 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 will need to go to the Inventive Cloud internet portal (Plans & Fee tab) and disconnect certainly one of your installations.
TIP: Just remember to don’t disconnect the pc from which you’re presently performing the migration. You will want 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 through the migration.
Step 2: Migrate Your Photograph Library
Earlier than you begin transferring your photograph library to a brand new laptop, be sure that it’s nicely 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 fashion makes it extremely easy to again up your pictures. It additionally makes it straightforward to maneuver your complete library from one location to a different.
You should have problem managing your library in case your pictures are scattered throughout completely different drives and directories.
Earlier than beginning the migration, I strongly suggest you conform your photograph library to a one-directory construction.
TIP: Be sure to arrange your library from inside Lightroom utilizing the Folders Panel within the Library Module. In the event you use Explorer (Win) or Finder (Mac) to maneuver your picture recordsdata round, Lightroom won’t be able to trace these adjustments.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior arduous drive to repeat your complete library to your new laptop.
In case you are migrating your Lightroom set up to a laptop computer with inadequate arduous drive house, use an exterior arduous drive to retailer your complete photograph library. Be sure the exterior arduous drive is high-speed and dependable. You could find a few of my arduous drive suggestions right here: Greatest Exterior Arduous 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 pictures and their group.
Associated: Learn how to Export Lightroom Presets
It’s not at all times straightforward to find a catalog file as a result of, typically, it’s buried deep inside your laptop’s set up folders. Fortuitously, Lightroom offers us with a shortcut to an lively catalog location.
Learn how 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 may take you to the listing the place the Lightroom catalog resides.
The Lightroom catalog has an .lrcat extension.
You will want to repeat the catalog file to your new laptop.
I extremely suggest that you simply preserve 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 beneath the Lightroom Settings listing.
The listing comprises 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 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 positioned subsequent to my catalog file.
You could copy your complete 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 Photograph Library
When you will have accomplished the 4 earlier steps, you’re able to launch your imported Lightroom Catalog on a brand new laptop.
The prospect that the file construction in your new machine is equivalent to your previous one could be very slim. Which means Lightroom gained’t have the ability to discover your pictures 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, because of this it has no concept the place to search out them and that that you must re-link the lacking folders to level them to a brand new picture location.
The excellent news is that you simply shouldn’t have to do that for each folder. All you must do is right-click on the high of the guardian 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 arduous drive will not be at all times 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 when you change the Lightroom settings and test 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 might be saved somewhere else in your arduous drive. Typically, particular person presets from the identical group (assortment) might be saved in varied areas. It doesn’t have an effect on your workflow if you use preset-based enhancing however will trigger a headache when that you must migrate your complete preset library to a different laptop.
Right here is my answer.
Use the brand new Lightroom performance ‘Export Group’ to export your complete preset group. Lightroom collects presets, even when they’re positioned in varied 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 (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 authentic picture. Relying in your preferences, Lightroom may create a full-size JPEG model of your RAW file plus a smaller model when you 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 authentic preview recordsdata to a brand new laptop, however I by no means do.
In Lightroom Preferences, you possibly can specify how lengthy you need to preserve full-size previews earlier than they’re discarded. Due to the restricted disk house on my major SSD drive, I take advantage of the 30-day choice. Which means if I don’t use a specific 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 recuperate priceless disk house.
The migration course of offers me a chance 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 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 your complete catalog folder with all its content material to a brand new laptop.
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 crucial as a result of the catalog recordsdata include years of collected info. In the event you lose it, it is going to be a catastrophe.
See additionally: Learn how to Batch Edit in Lightroom
In my case, the backup course of is ready to a weekly schedule. Nonetheless, 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 really useful 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 really useful, it’s not crucial.
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 little 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 a number of variations of the catalog backup saved on my Backblaze cloud.
FAQ: Learn how 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 keep in mind, the Inventive Cloud app and Lightroom set up will not be common. You should set up them based mostly on whether or not your laptop is a Mac or PC. After that, you possibly can transfer your pictures, 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 Inventive Cloud and Lightroom purposes from the Adobe web site. Nonetheless, as soon as put in, you possibly can transfer your present Lightroom catalog, pictures, and settings to the brand new laptop without having a continuing web connection.
How do I transfer my pictures to the brand new laptop with out dropping any edits?
To maneuver your pictures to a brand new laptop with out dropping any edits, be sure that to grasp 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 pictures, utilizing the identical file names.
To protect your edits, switch your previous 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.
Learn how to Transfer Lightroom to a New Pc | Conclusion
Transferring the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a critical endeavor and is usually a disastrous expertise if executed flawed. However when you observe the outlined steps, the method shall be painless and might be accomplished very quickly in any respect!