Studying find out 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 no less than 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 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 major SSD (strong state drive) exhausting drive. This can be very quick however comparatively small at solely 500 GB. Because of this I can’t retailer my whole picture library (a complete of 5 TB) subsequent to my grasp catalog.
I’ve a standard 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 recordsdata 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 tackle the completely different components of the Lightroom setup individually.
Easy methods to Transfer Lightroom to a New Laptop
The method of migrating Lightroom to a brand new laptop could be damaged down into 8 steps, two of that are non-obligatory.
- 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- Step 3 – Transfer Lightroom Catalog from outdated laptop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 – Deliver Preview Recordsdata (non-obligatory step)
- Step 8 – Deliver Catalog Backups (non-obligatory 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, it’s essential 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 lets you set up Lightroom on two completely different computer systems (Mac and PC). When you’ve got already put in and activated Lightroom on two computer systems, it’s essential to go to the Inventive Cloud internet portal (Plans & Cost tab) and disconnect considered one of your installations.
TIP: Just remember to don’t disconnect the pc from which you might be 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 throughout the migration.
Step 2: Migrate Your Picture Library
Earlier than you begin transferring your picture library to a brand new laptop, be certain it’s effectively organized.
I’ve a devoted tutorial the place I define my Lightroom picture group and library construction that I exploit in my pictures. The concept behind
This organizational fashion makes it extremely easy to again up your pictures. It additionally makes it simple to maneuver your whole library from one location to a different.
You should have issue 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 picture library to a one-directory construction.
TIP: Be certain that 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 modifications.
As soon as your library is so as, use an exterior exhausting drive to repeat your whole library to your new laptop.
If you’re migrating your Lightroom set up to a laptop computer with inadequate exhausting drive area, use an exterior exhausting drive to retailer your whole picture library. Be certain that the exterior exhausting drive is high-speed and dependable. Yow will discover a few of my exhausting 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 laptop. The Lightroom Catalog is a database the place the applying shops details about the pictures and their group.
Associated: Easy methods to Export Lightroom Presets
It’s not at all times simple to find a catalog file as a result of, generally, it’s buried deep inside your laptop’s set up folders. Luckily, Lightroom gives us with a shortcut to an energetic catalog location.
Easy methods 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 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 beneath the Lightroom Settings listing.
The listing incorporates 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 data to your new set up, it will 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 exploit one catalog group and all my configuration recordsdata are situated subsequent to my catalog file.
You 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 may have accomplished the 4 earlier steps, you might be able to launch your imported Lightroom Catalog on a brand new laptop.
The prospect that the file construction in your new machine is an identical to your outdated one may be very slim. Because of this Lightroom received’t be capable of discover your pictures as a result of they’re saved in a distinct location.
Associated: My Prime 15 Lightroom Workflow Suggestions
If 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 search out them and that you could 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 must do is right-click on the prime 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 places.
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 exhausting drive is just not 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 could be accessed by Lightroom and Photoshop from a single location.
However for those who 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 could be saved in other places in your exhausting drive. Generally, particular person presets from the identical group (assortment) could be saved in varied places. It doesn’t have an effect on your workflow once you use preset-based enhancing however will trigger a headache when you could migrate your whole preset library to a different laptop.
Right here is my resolution.
Use the brand new Lightroom performance ‘Export Group’ to export all the preset group. Lightroom collects presets, even when they’re situated in varied places, 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 will probably be saved in a single location.
It’s an effective way to scrub up your preset group.
Step 7: Migrate Previews (Non-obligatory Step)
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 would possibly create a full-size JPEG model of your RAW file plus a smaller model for those who use Good Previews performance. The preview recordsdata are a vital 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 may 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 exploit the 30-day possibility. Because of this 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 effectively. Over a interval of months, the preview folder dimension grows uncontrolled and I’ve to manually delete the previews to get better worthwhile disk area.
The migration course of offers 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 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 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 vital as a result of the catalog recordsdata include years of collected data. In the event you lose it, will probably be a catastrophe.
See additionally: Easy methods to Batch Edit in Lightroom
In my case, the backup course of is ready to a weekly schedule. Nonetheless, you may 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 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 every part appears 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: Easy methods 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 recordsdata) work easily on each methods, so you may simply transfer them with none points.
Simply bear in mind, the Inventive Cloud app and Lightroom set up should not common. You want to set up them based mostly on whether or not your laptop is a Mac or PC. After that, you may 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 may transfer your current Lightroom catalog, pictures, and settings to the brand new laptop while not having a relentless 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 certain 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 photographs, utilizing the identical file names.
To protect your edits, switch your outdated Lightroom Catalog and the whole picture library, together with the unique picture recordsdata and any related XMP recordsdata, to the brand new laptop. This ensures that every one edits are maintained once you open Lightroom on the brand new laptop.
Easy methods to Transfer Lightroom to a New Laptop | Conclusion
Shifting the Lightroom Catalog to a brand new location is a severe enterprise and could be a disastrous expertise if finished improper. However for those who observe the outlined steps, the method will probably be painless and could be accomplished very quickly in any respect!