Studying learn how to transfer Lightroom to a brand new laptop would possibly 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 pictures workflow.
Since I began utilizing Lightroom, I’ve migrated my Lightroom catalog at the least 4 instances. Right now, 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 laptop.
Let me clarify.
I hold my Lightroom set up with the grasp catalog, configuration information, and previews on my major SSD (strong state drive) exhausting drive. This can be very quick however comparatively small at solely 500 GB. Which means I can’t retailer my whole picture library (a complete of 5 TB) subsequent to my grasp catalog.
I’ve a traditional exhausting drive (8 TB) devoted to my picture library.
Lastly, I hold my Lightroom catalog backups on a separate exhausting drive the place I retailer all my archived information and the assets 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 handle the totally different components of the Lightroom setup individually.
Find out how to Transfer Lightroom to a New Laptop
The method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new laptop will be damaged down into 8 steps, two of that are optionally available.
- Step 1 – Install Lightroom
- Step 2 – Switch the Photograph 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- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from outdated laptop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 – Convey Preview Information (optionally available step)
- Step 8 – Convey Catalog Backups (optionally available step)
Whenever you handle every part individually, the entire course of turns into very logical and uncomplicated.
Step 1: Set up Lightroom
Earlier than putting in Lightroom, you have to set up the Inventive Cloud software in your new laptop.
Login to your Adobe Inventive Cloud account utilizing net 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 Basic by hitting the Set up button from the Inventive Cloud app.
As you in all probability know, Inventive Cloud means that you can 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 have to go to the Inventive Cloud net portal (Plans & Fee tab) and disconnect considered one of your installations.
TIP: Just remember to don’t disconnect the pc from which you’re presently 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 means of switching from PC to Mac). Once 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 picture library to a brand new laptop, make certain 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 pictures. The concept behind
This organizational model 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.
You should have problem managing your library in case your images are scattered throughout totally different drives and directories.
Earlier than beginning the migration, I strongly suggest you conform your picture library to a one-directory construction.
TIP: Ensure to prepare 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 won’t be able to trace these adjustments.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior exhausting drive to repeat your whole library to your new laptop.
In case you are migrating your Lightroom set up to a laptop computer with inadequate exhausting drive house, use an exterior exhausting drive to retailer your whole picture library. Ensure the exterior exhausting drive is high-speed and dependable. You’ll find a few of my exhausting 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 images and their group.
Associated: Find out how to Export Lightroom Presets
It isn’t 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 supplies us with a shortcut to an lively catalog location.
Find out how 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 can 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 suggest 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 information, 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 data to your new set up, it might probably take weeks and even months to recreate it. Importing the listing is a vital step of the migrating course of.
In my case, I take advantage of one catalog group and all my configuration information are positioned subsequent to my catalog file.
It’s essential 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 Photograph Library
When you may 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 outdated one may be very slim. Which means Lightroom received’t be capable of discover your images as a result of they’re saved in a distinct location.
Associated: My Prime 15 Lightroom Workflow Ideas
Whenever you see a query mark subsequent to a folder contained in the Lightroom Library module, which means that it has no concept the place to seek out them and that it’s essential 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 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: Migrating Lightroom Preset Library
After Adobe modified the format of Lightroom presets in 2018 from .lrtemplate to .xmp, the situation of develop preset information on a pc exhausting drive shouldn’t 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 sensible as a result of the presets will be accessed by Lightroom and Photoshop from a single location.
However in case you change the Lightroom settings and verify 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 elsewhere in your exhausting 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 while you use preset-based modifying however will trigger a headache when it’s essential to migrate your whole 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 positioned in numerous areas, and zip them into one single file.
Whenever you import them to Lightroom on a distinct laptop, all of the presets from the identical group will probably be saved in a single location.
It’s a good way to scrub up your preset group.
Step 7: Migrate Previews (Non-compulsory Step)
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 authentic picture. Relying in your preferences, Lightroom would possibly create a full-size JPEG model of your RAW file plus a smaller model in case 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 authentic preview information to a brand new laptop, however I by no means do.
In Lightroom Preferences, you’ll be able to specify how lengthy you wish to hold 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 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 better worthwhile 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 information.
When I’m completed with the migration, I can start recreating preview information as I want 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 sensible 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-compulsory Step)
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. If you happen to lose it, it is going to be a catastrophe.
See additionally: Find out how to Batch Edit in Lightroom
In my case, the backup course of is about to a weekly schedule. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to configure it to a distinct frequency.
By default, Lightroom shops catalog backup information 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 information to a brand new set up is advisable, it’s not 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 all the pieces seems to be 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 couple of variations of the catalog backup saved on my Backblaze cloud.
FAQ: Find out how to Transfer Lightroom to a New Laptop
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 information) work easily on each programs, so you’ll be able to simply transfer them with none points.
Simply keep in mind, the Inventive Cloud app and Lightroom set up will not be common. It’s worthwhile to set up them primarily based on whether or not your laptop is a Mac or PC. After that, you’ll be able to transfer your images, catalog, and settings with none issues
Is it attainable 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’ll be able to transfer your current Lightroom catalog, images, and settings to the brand new laptop while not having a continuing web connection.
How do I transfer my images to the brand new laptop with out dropping any edits?
To maneuver your images to a brand new laptop with out dropping any edits, make 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 information subsequent to particular person pictures, utilizing the identical file names.
To protect your edits, switch your outdated Lightroom Catalog and the whole picture library, together with the unique picture information and any related XMP information, to the brand new laptop. This ensures that every one edits are maintained while you open Lightroom on the brand new laptop.
Find out how to Transfer Lightroom to a New Laptop | Conclusion
Shifting the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a critical enterprise and generally is a disastrous expertise if performed mistaken. However in case you comply with the outlined steps, the method will probably be painless and will be accomplished very quickly in any respect!
