• Welcome to the Lightroom Queen Forums! We're a friendly bunch, so please feel free to register and join in the conversation. If you're not familiar with forums, you'll find step by step instructions on how to post your first thread under Help at the bottom of the page. You're also welcome to download our free Lightroom Quick Start eBooks and explore our other FAQ resources.
  • Dark mode now has a single preference for the whole site! It's a simple toggle switch in the bottom right-hand corner of any page. As it uses a cookie to store your preference, you may need to dismiss the cookie banner before you can see it. Any problems, please let us know!

brand new mac with OS 10.11.6 reinstall Lr 5.7 or do Lr 6?

Status
Not open for further replies.

johngpt

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
54
Location
albuquerque
Lightroom Experience
Intermediate
Lightroom Version
Classic
My beloved old macbook pro running OS 10.7.5 Lion has mother, er, motherboard issues.
I'm salvaging from it in target disc mode, plus I'm fairly insane with how OCD I am about backing up both my Lr catalog and my actual photo files, so absolutely no pixels or data have been lost.

I'm in the process of setting up a brand spankin' new MBP running OS 10.11.6 El Capitan.
Also I am in the process of recreating the same folders/directories with my photos that had been on my now defunct MBP so that whichever version of Lr I choose, the catalog will point to the photo files.

I'm anticipating the delivery tomorrow of Lr 6.
And now we're finally getting to the first of my questions.

Should I install Lr 5 from my old install disc and point it at the Lightroom 5 Catalog.lrcat file I can copy to the new MBP Pictures folder? I was thinking that, and also copying to that folder the Lightroom 5 Catalog Previews.lrdata file.
And while at it I was thinking I'd copy to the new Pictures Lightroom folder, the Lightroom Settings folder.

I've never tried migrating Lr to a different computer. The now defunct MBP started with Lr 4 and then I upgraded to Lr 5.7. I only have one catalog which organizes photo files across the computer's HD and several external hard drives.

But I should be getting Lr 6 tomorrow, and I'm wondering if I should just install that, and then point it toward the Catalog.lrcat and Catalog Previews.lrdata files?
Will Lr 6 make sense of the Lr 5 .lrcat and .lrdata files?
I do have some presets that I've created in the export menu. I've copied that with the whole Lightroom Settings folder, and I can place either that whole folder in ~/Pictures/Lightroom, or just my user presets there later after opening Lr 6.
And if this is the way to proceed, could someone tell me how I point the newly installed Lr version toward the catalog?

Of course I've been googling, and at one site I had read that after getting all the photo file hierarchies correct, to install the new version of Lr.
Then put all the .lrcat and .lrdata and all the other preference files in place.
Then right click on the .lrcat file to open Lr.

Does this sound correct?
I've not found any other info that actually speaks to the specifics of how this is done.

I have an old Martin Evening Lr 4 manual that speaks about upgrading from v3 to v4. In it he says to launch Lr 4, and then use File > Import from Catalog.
If that same process holds true for a fresh Lr 6 install, then after I get all the files in place, I would just launch Lr 6 and use File > Import from Catalog.

Does this method sound correct?

I'm hoping that someone more knowledgeable than I could give some advice.

Thanks,
John
 
If you use Apple Migration Assistent, you can make that new MBP a perfect clone of the old MacBook. Everything will be in the same place. Then upgrading to Lightroom 6 will become no different as upgrading to Lightroom 6 on an existing computer.
 
I endorse Johan's recommendation. Apple has developed the Migration Assistant App just for this scenario. You can either use Time Machine to back up the old computer to a EHD or connect both computers to the same network and use Migration Assistant for the transfer.
You have two choices to manage the transfer:
A: Use Migration Assistant with a TimeMachine Backup
OR
B: Use Migration Assistant with the the old computer on the same network​
Upon starting the new computer for the first time, the initialization process will give you these two choices along with a third option to create a new user on the new computer. I can not see a reason why anyone would choose the third option.
 
Last edited:
"Does this method sound correct?"
I don't think so.
For a better answer, link to- Still confused about how to upgrade your catalog for Lightroom 5? | The Lightroom Queen


"Import from another Catalog" will work but I believe you will lose some work done in the process.
Thank you, I had read Victoria's Lr Queen blog/posts about the installation procedure and that is from where I got most of the information above.


If you use Apple Migration Assistent, you can make that new MBP a perfect clone of the old MacBook. Everything will be in the same place. Then upgrading to Lightroom 6 will become no different as upgrading to Lightroom 6 on an existing computer.

I endorse Johan's recommendation. Apple has developed the Migration Assistant App just for this scenario. You can either use Time Machine to back up the old computer to a EHD or connect both computers to the same network and use Migration Assistant for the transfer. Upon starting the new computer for the first time, the initialization process will give you these two choices along with a third option to create a new user on the new computer. I can not see a reason why anyone would choose the third option.


Johan, Cletus, thank you. I've been advised not to use Migration Assistant in this case due to the corrupted motherboard issues. If the old MBP were operational, I'd use it. I've been advised that booting the old MBP in target mode, and essentially using it as an external HD from which to extract the files is what I should be doing to avoid files that might be corrupted by the Migration Assistant method. The old MBP can't boot up, even in safe mode, so Migration Assistant can't be accessed from it. My reading at Apple says I can use the new MBP migration assistant and my Time Machine back up of the old MBP. My last Time Machine back up isn't too old to be of use. Apple's instructions involve using Wifi, using ethernet adapters, or USB-C adapters.

I hope I'm not being too obtuse. The youtube videos I've watched about using migration asst all have had the old computer booted up and launching its migration asst from the utilities folder. I have an even older MBP that is still operational, running OS 10.4.11. I have read that it might be possible to boot the dysfunctional MBP through that even older MBP via target mode by holding certain keys at start up, then choosing the dysfunctional MBP as the drive from which to boot the even older MBP. But again, because of the motherboard issue, I was advised not to go that route.

Thank you all for your replies. I'll be checking back later, but right now, work calls.
 
Your question really has nothing to do with LR, other than wanting to update to the latest LR. Don't confuse migrating to a new computer, with updating an app (like LR) - they really don't have anything to do with each other.

First, boot your old MBP in target disk mode, and make sure you can see it from your new MBP. Then, clone the old MBP to another disk, probably connected with USB to your new MBP. It is well worth the money to buy Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper - these are indispensable utilities for anyone with multiple disks and a Mac.

Now, you can set aside the old MBP - you have all you can get out of it, a clone of it's hard drive and a Time Machine backup. Never hurts to have 2 backups when you migrate to a new machine - that will satisfy your OCD. You could even boot off the USB clone disk on your new MBP if you ever needed to...

Simply use Migration Assistant, and migrate from the clone or from the TM backup. I would try the clone first - there have been rumors of problems with restoring from TM, although I've never had any problems. Your new MBP should look identical to the old MBP, with the new Mac OS. You might want to keep both the clone and TM backup around for a while, in case of problems.

After you are happy with the new MBP, then update LR.
 
Johan, Cletus, thank you. I've been advised not to use Migration Assistant in this case due to the corrupted motherboard issues. If the old MBP were operational, I'd use it. I've been advised that booting the old MBP in target mode, and essentially using it as an external HD from which to extract the files is what I should be doing to avoid files that might be corrupted by the Migration Assistant method. The old MBP can't boot up, even in safe mode, so Migration Assistant can't be accessed from it.

You don't access Migration Assistent from the old machine, you access it from the new machine. If your old machine can boot in target mode, you can use MA on the new machine to migrate the files from the disk of the old computer to the new one.
 
...The youtube videos I've watched about using migration asst all have had the old computer booted up and launching its migration asst from the utilities folder. I have an even older MBP that is still operational, running OS 10.4.11. I have read that it might be possible to boot the dysfunctional MBP through that even older MBP via target mode by holding certain keys at start up, then choosing the dysfunctional MBP as the drive from which to boot the even older MBP. But again, because of the motherboard issue, I was advised not to go that route...
I'd start with the latest TimeMachine backup. Just point the initialization process on the new computer to this. Another option is to pull the working HDD from the old computer and put it into an EHD enclosure. MA will let you set up the new computer using the data on the disk in the EHD. If you don't have a spare disk enclosure, you probably should get one since the old disk is good and can be salvaged from the computer with the bad MB.

The YouTube video demonstrates the typical scenario. It does not cover all scenarios.
 
I'd start with the latest TimeMachine backup. Just point the initialization process on the new computer to this. Another option is to pull the working HDD from the old computer and put it into an EHD enclosure. MA will let you set up the new computer using the data on the disk in the EHD. If you don't have a spare disk enclosure, you probably should get one since the old disk is good and can be salvaged from the computer with the bad MB.

The YouTube video demonstrates the typical scenario. It does not cover all scenarios.

The OP said he can still boot the old computer in target mode, so there is no need to remove the HD and put it in an enclosure. In target mode the computer functions as an external hard disk.
 
The OP said he can still boot the old computer in target mode, so there is no need to remove the HD and put it in an enclosure. In target mode the computer functions as an external hard disk.
I only mention this as another option. If the MB is failing I would personally be leery of using the failing MB machine as a reliable source of data.
 
Thank you all very much for the input.

I'm not sure I want to use Migration Assistant. I began the process earlier this evening and then canceled.
The new MBP has half the hard drive space of the now defunct MBP.
And I haven't seen a way to pick and choose what comes over during the Migration Assistant process.
All my googling suggests Migration Assistant is all or nothing.
And I don't think I really want the new MBP to be a copy of the old one even if it had enough space. Aside from any corrupted files that might come over during that Migration Assistant process.

I'd really just like to know the best way to get Lr 6 to utilize the catalog file and other files from the other computer if I get all my photo files in the correct hierarchy locations.
I would love for the new Lr 6 to be able to recreate the smart collections I had created in Lr 5 on the old MBP, but really, all I truly need is for Lr 6 to find all the photo files in all the folders that exist on the computer and comprehend the previous Lr edits.

The Lr 6 I've purchased is the full monty, not an upgrade. It has arrived, but I'm waiting for some input about accomplishing that without carbon copying my old MBP.

Thanks again!
 
If you insist on doing it the hard way, then this article will help with the LR part How do I move Lightroom to a new computer? | The Lightroom Queen.
You wasted your money buying the full version the only difference is the price and the license for a subscription vs a perpetual license. No matter what you "bought", you are going to eventually need to download and install the app from this link Download. Don't waste time in stalling the version that you received. If it is not LR6.7, it is out of date and you need to download and install from the link Download. It does not matter whether you have a subscription, a perpetual license or a trial, the link will install the same copy of code. The Upgrade and the full license is still the same code at the link above.
 
Thank you all very much for the input.

I'm not sure I want to use Migration Assistant. I began the process earlier this evening and then canceled.
The new MBP has half the hard drive space of the now defunct MBP.
And I haven't seen a way to pick and choose what comes over during the Migration Assistant process.
All my googling suggests Migration Assistant is all or nothing.
And I don't think I really want the new MBP to be a copy of the old one even if it had enough space. Aside from any corrupted files that might come over during that Migration Assistant process.

I'd really just like to know the best way to get Lr 6 to utilize the catalog file and other files from the other computer if I get all my photo files in the correct hierarchy locations.
I would love for the new Lr 6 to be able to recreate the smart collections I had created in Lr 5 on the old MBP, but really, all I truly need is for Lr 6 to find all the photo files in all the folders that exist on the computer and comprehend the previous Lr edits.

The Lr 6 I've purchased is the full monty, not an upgrade. It has arrived, but I'm waiting for some input about accomplishing that without carbon copying my old MBP.

Thanks again!

You are making this too difficult. If you don't use Migration Assistant, you are going to lose all kinds of stuff - email, logins, other users, network settings, all kinds of things you probably don't want to worry about. Might as well just start over, re-install all your apps from scratch and manually guess what to import from TM or a clone.

Clone your old MBP, so you have 2 backups of the old MBP, put it in the recycling bin and forget about it.

You can choose what the Migration Assistant brings over. I just tried it, with the clone I routinely make as a backup (I did not try my TM backup, but I'm pretty sure it's the same). After you start Migration Assistant, and select the clone, you're given a checklist with options of what to bring over. Again, you probably want everything Migration Assistant suggests, and can hack away on your new MBP, update LR, etc after the migration. You can also restart the Migration Assistant.

Re-read my previous post. If you have corrupted files, you can worry about it AFTER you migrate.
 
Thank you all very much for your advice.
Cletus, it was Victoria's Lr Queen blog that had given me the information with which I had started this post. And I kept going back and re-reading it. So thank you for posting the link to it.
Setting up Lr 6 was actually very simple. There were only a few files and folders that I needed to copy into the correct spots. Then holding the option key when launching Lr 6 allowed me to choose the old Lr 5 catalog. Lr 6 updated that information into itself.
There were folders of photos that I needed re-find from within Lr 6, as this new MBP has only half the storage capacity as the old computer. So there were quite a few photo folders that were now located on external hard drives.
Lr 6 opened with all my presets, all my collections, and accurately tracked what Lr 5 had uploaded to online sharing sites. I only needed to re-authenticate to be able to upload to those sites.

The only thing about which I needed confirmation was the actual launching process. I had asked whether double clicking on the old .lrcat file would suffice. As I continued to re-read Victoria's blog, I realized that there was a second part to that statement, an alternative, which said to hold the option key as Lr 6 was launched and that would also do the trick. Which was also the method that Martin Evening had recommended.

So it all turned out well.

I understand that Migration Assistant was created for this process. I would have liked to use it, but it seemed a sledge hammer rather than the scalpel for which I was looking. I was afraid that in my ignorance about how to choose options, I would over load the capacity of this new MBP's storage. I had considered deleting most everything from the old MBP's hard drive so that I would not have that worry, but since I had already done all the leg work for the method espoused by Victoria, I went with her method.

Again, thank you all.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top