Getting Lightroom on another Computer - What to export and how?

[daniela]

Good Evening Guys!

I´m suffering from an problem and I need some help, please!
My current notebook had an breakdown and I have to exchange it.
The company where I ordered the new notebook will transfer some important files to the new NB.

Do you know, which files I´ve to get copied to get the Lightroom catalogue on my new computer?

My personal presets are stored, so only the Catalogue has to be transfered.
I read on the Adobe site, only the *.lrcat file has to be transfered, but is this true?
The whole folder seems about 250GB (mostly , the ...preview folder), the *.lrcat file is about 550MB. 250GB exceeds the size of the stick, the computer shop can send me.

Much thanks!
Daniela

 

[Kit.]

The backup archives for both v10 and v11 LR Classic databases only contain the .lrcat file.

That assumes that the original image files you are storing elsewhere (and will be moving too), of course.

Also, that assumes that you store your metadata in the LR catalog and not in a collection of XMP files.

 

[JohnC]

I might suggest you take a look at Lightroom queen,s website. I can find a link later if you need. There are a few things you want to make sure you get (presets, preferences, etc). Most of them are under user/roaming/Adobe/Lightroom as I recall but that is from memory.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The lightroom folder usually located in the root folder of a windows has pretty much everything you want. After installing lightroom on the new pc, I'd then overwrite the lightroom folder with the one from your old computer. The photos need to be copied into exactly the same folder structure and drive names or letters.

You may not need every thing in all of those folders but its easier to backup the entire folder than pick out just the items you need.

This is my lightroom folder on my PC.

 

[LDS]

Do you know, which files I´ve to get copied to get the Lightroom catalogue on my new computer?

You can find this useful: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/catalog-faq-lightroom.html

Basically "copy your catalog, .lrcat-data, preview, and image files from the original computer onto an external drive" - preview should be regenerated if not available, I hope- maybe you should ask Adobe Support.

.lrcat-data is new in LR Classic 11. Remember the image files are not stored in the catalogue, hope they were on a different disk.