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Transferring to a new desk top computer

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jomak1

New Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2020
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6
Lightroom Version Number
Lightroom Classic. Version 11.3.1
Operating System
  1. Windows 10
Could someone please point me in the right direction for guidance on migrating Lightroom onto a new computer.
I will be leaving my current computer in London and buying a new one on my return to NZ.
I need guidance on coping over my 250,000 photo files to put them on my new computer.

Thank you.
 
Thank you very much
How do you plan to transport all the files from your old computer to your new one?

Keep in mind that "moving Lightroom" does not move the actual photo image files.
 
Leave them were they are and take the disk(s) with you.
1. the disks need to be enclosed in an anti-static bag
2. It is often very difficult to remove a disk from a laptop.

Better to buy a portable external hard drive and transfer all the relevant files to the external drive in London, then transfer them to the new computer in NZ.
 
Thanks.
I’m going down the track of your #2 suggestion.
It’s taking forever to download my photos onto an external hard drive.
When I import them to my NZ computer will all my previous LR developments/keywords etc import with them?
 
I will jump in here and answer-
"Import them"- NO, NO, NO! No importing!
The LrC developments/keywords, etc ARE ALL IN THE CATALOG.
You (in simple terms) need BOTH your photo files and the Catalog on your new system. You simply 'open' your catalog in the new system.
If folder paths have changed (by the move to the new system) you may have to re-link the images (by Find missing Folders/images) but NO importing for images.
 
Thanks.
I’m going down the track of your #2 suggestion.
It’s taking forever to download my photos onto an external hard drive.
When I import them to my NZ computer will all my previous LR developments/keywords etc import with them?
Victoria has a free ebook on moving Lightroom to a new computer. Keep in mind that Lightroom files do not include the actual photo files.

With 250 thousand photos, with USB transfer rates, the copy time could well be over 24 hours. By any chance are your photo files (not the Lightroom files) stored on an external drive? If so, just take that external drive with you.
 
Victoria has a free ebook on moving Lightroom to a new computer. Keep in mind that Lightroom files do not include the actual photo files.

With 250 thousand photos, with USB transfer rates, the copy time could well be over 24 hours. By any chance are your photo files (not the Lightroom files) stored on an external drive? If so, just take that external drive with you.
Thanks. I’m coping them from my PC to an external hard drive.
 
I will jump in here and answer-
"Import them"- NO, NO, NO! No importing!
The LrC developments/keywords, etc ARE ALL IN THE CATALOG.
You (in simple terms) need BOTH your photo files and the Catalog on your new system. You simply 'open' your catalog in the new system.
If folder paths have changed (by the move to the new system) you may have to re-link the images (by Find missing Folders/images) but NO importing for images.
Thanks.
Do I have to do anything with the catalogue from my old PC or do I simply choose the catalogue from the drop down menu on my new computer in NZ?
 
Do I have to do anything with the catalogue from my old PC or do I simply choose the catalogue from the drop down menu on my new computer in NZ?
All the answers are given in the free eBook as suggested by Paul in Post#2 link above.
Yes, you do have do something with the catalog on the old pc- You must back it up and copy it to the new system, along with all the photo files.
You can then 'open' the catalog on the new system by a [Double-Click] on the Catalog.LRCAT file. (in the same way you might 'open' a word document in MS-Word- by a [Double-Click] on the .DOCX file).

The drop-down menu can open a catalog, but on the new system, the catalog preferences may not recognize your old catalog in its 'new' location, and subsequently create another (empty) catalog, which can be confusing. So the [Double-Click] is IMO the more reliable method.

But I repeat- If folder paths have changed (by the move to the new system) you may have to re-link the images (by Find missing Folders/images) but NO importing for images.
 
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