Import Loading my photos onto LrC

[judes-heever]

Lightroom Version

Lightroom Classic 5.6 to LrC

Operating System

1. macOS 10.13 High Sierra

Simple question, I think. will I lose my metadata on my photos that I have stored on my External Hard Drive through Lightroom 5, when I download my photos onto a new computer into my LrC?
And is that the way I should get started?

 

[Paul_DS256]

Simple question, I think. will I lose my metadata on my photos

Simple answer; no. There are two aspects to this. If you're photos are already in LR5, the metadata is in the catalog and/or the photos or XMP side car files for RAW files. See the Quick Start Guide for info.

 

[Hal P Anderson]

It sounds like you were planning to re-import your photos. Do not do this. Simply install LR Classic and run it. When it comes up, it will ask to upgrade your catalogue. Allow it to do so. You'll find yourself with all your photos showing in LRC with whatever edits and metadata changes that you've applied.

 

[judes-heever]

Thank you Paul and Hal,
my dilemma is moving from one computer to another with my newly downloaded LrC. I have downloaded both books by Victoria, and read through them. Usually so self explanatory however this time, I found it difficult to actually get the answer I was looking for.
Currently I am importing my photo's from my hardrive. It appears to be keeping all my folders , and fetching the initial previews. Taking time but so far so good.
My old Lightroom 5.6 is still visible on my old computer in Lightroom. I did make an attempt to move the LrC with the other files but aborted the process. hopefully.
Am I correct in assuming that I am building a new Catalogue in LrC on my new computer?

 

[Paul_DS256]

Currently I am importing my photo's from my hardrive

DON"T DO THAT as Hal said. If you do, and you don't have XMP side car files, you lose all your edits. See this blog on Moving Computers.

 

[judes-heever]

Okay, thank you for the other info, very helpful. I shall study more.
The reason that I am seeing all my edited photos on the recent import from my hard drive could be that I have originally imported the photos with XMP side car files.
However. I do want to do this correctly from the get go, and I am assuming that what is happening with the new import, that I am creating another catalogue on my new computer ?? which is not ideal. Having Lightroom do the backing up is extra assurance with the history of my photos.

 

[Paul_DS256]

I am creating another catalogue on my new computer ?? which is not ideal.

You lose information that is only held in the catalogue such as history and collections

Having Lightroom do the backing up is extra assurance with the history of my photos.

Keep in mind LrC does not backup your photos, only the main part of the LrC structure. See this blog for more insights.

 

[Hal P Anderson]

Paul pointed this out, but you seem to have ignored it:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/
Don't re-import; follow the instructions in that blog post.

 

[judes-heever]

Okay, done my studying ... I seem to have ignored a lot of things :barefoot:. So I have now copied my Lr Catalog, together with Lightroom Settings, Backups, and any other files that were under that folder, onto the same hard drive as my photos. Checked it and it is all there.
So now the question is before I copy this over to my new computer and click connect, do I delete the new catalog that has been created on my new computer with the help of Adobe Lightroom Downloader?

 

[Paul_DS256]

So I have now copied my Lr Catalog, together with Lightroom Settings, Backups, and any other files that were under that folder, onto the same hard drive as my photos.

Just make sure the MACOS volumes that pointed to your photos on your old computer is the same on your new one. I believe this is correct but I'm a PC user.

do I delete the new catalog that has been created on my new computer with the help of Adobe Lightroom Downloader?

If this is an empty catalog the likely the answer is yes but you can leave it for now.

What you need to do is open LrC pointing to your old catalog you copied over so that it can covert it from LR5 to LrC 11. See this for info but you will need to point to or open your old catalog after launching LrC

 

[judes-heever]

If this is an empty catalog the likely the answer is yes but you can leave it for now.

So it is not empty as I started to download the photos from my hard drive onto my new computer into LrC. So when I open LrC it does not ask me about the catolog. It just goes directly to the newly formed catalog.
Can't seem to find another route. I do have everything backed up so would there is no risk deleting the catalog and photos that have already been imported and starting again? OR even removing LrC and installing?

 

[judes-heever]

okay, I have found a way to locate my original catalogue and it is busy upgrading.

 

[judes-heever]

Success, Everything exactly like it was. what a journey! Thank you for the directions