Importing presets from a previous version/pc upgrade

So, I noticed a difference between copying to say the importedsettings folder and using import in presets. In the first I can get sub-folders with the contained presets in them (one level deep only) in the other the presets just get copied with no parent folder, Now in the presets tab, they do show up in apparent folders, so this is just a preference issue. Oh, and my User Presets not showing up in settings, thats because I imported them and they appear in the ImportedSettings folder (without a sub-folder).

So try simply copying the presets sub-folders to ImportedSettings and see if that works, otherwise, yes, import one group at a time.

Yes, I am a pest.

So currently going thru fixing my LR preset file structure. Was wondering why mu user presets shown in LR did not match what was in that roaming settings file, also currently wondering why some old ones were not showing up.

So, step one was to go into the presets pull down during develop and deleted the various third party preset groups, and my User Presets group. Restarted LR, and yes they were gone. Plugged a backup Hard drive in, Imported my presets under User Presets, they are back and only the few I wanted.

Now here is a thing, when I go to the for-mentioned settings folder, User Presets are not included, apparently the User Presets get placed somewhere else.

Moving on, now to import my X-Trans presets (third party), In this case I simply copied the folder on the backup to the settings folder. Yep A-OK, not in User Presets. Where I wanted it.

Next up, a third party preset folder, this time via import method. Yes they imported, not in User Presets. Hmm, but not in the settings folder.  Ahhhhhh, in ImportedSettings folder.

Go and look at this link, perhaps a better way to see wher your presets that do show up are currently kept:

3 Steps to Transfer Your Lightroom Presets to a New Computer – Pretty Presets for Lightroom

So, at least one of my statements is wrong, that being about copying (with new name) of LR presets folder and LR still using the renamed one. Apparently not true. What is currently apparent, is that thru my various updates, more than one location exists that LR may or may not be using. Currently hunting that issue out. The folder they should have been includes a User Prests sub folder, I have one preset in it, but in LR my User presets show more than one.

Currently hunting drives for the extras. Hmm, may have included within a catalog????

Ah ha, kinda half solved it.

I imported a bunch from my black and white collection.  Right clicked on one - selected Move - Then it comes up with all the groups. I was then able to create a new catagory. Does mean I need to create and move them singularly as I cant see this folder being replicated on the hard drive ( thought could be cheeky and just move them in explorer ), think its just a face fronting catalog rather than actually moving/creating folders on the pc which is a shame but still a start, good time for a clear out I think lol

Back to my first long winded posting, in step (3) you can drill down to another place you will find your presets /Lightroom/Develop Presets/. Others might exist as well, apparently the process of updating LR did not nesacarily clean up folder structures from previous copies. muddles things up.

Oh, and my statements above refer to where third party and user presets are stored, not where the Adobe LR provided (native) presets are stored.

OK first off, I think I remember Adobe changing the file structure as to where presets are kept. Mind you, this may have been more on the PS side as opposed to the LR side.

(1) In LR, bring up Preferences.

(2) Go to the Presets tab. Click on the button "Show Lightroom Develop Presets". You will see a folder "Settings". Open that folder. This is where your  develop presets are kept.

You probably want to move your presets to this location

(3) Go back to the Presets tab and click on the button "Show all other Lightroom Presets" for other presets.This is a more complex file structure, lots of sub folders various items get placed in.

Side note: When in the Develop module, and when you go to select a preset, and you do not see it, that is because Adobe, apparently, decided to alter the default view (or I have an issue with my install). To remedy, notice the + sign in the Preset tab, click on it, Select Manage Presets, And check on those you want visible.

As to presets sub-folders, I have no solution. In the Settings folder you may have various sub-folders, each one represents a preset collection, And many possible presets can be in each, another sub-folder cannot (LR will ignore them). So, yes you can have many presets in the sub-folder "User Presets", but you cannot have say a sub-folder under "Users Presets". Hmm, I have probably muddled this up, an example, say you have presets obtained from Bobs Magical Presets, you have  several sets from Bob, You have Bobs Landscape, Bobs Portrait, Bobs Super Dooper, on and on. Now this clutters up your preset folder with Bob after Bob after Bob, You want to create a folder Bobs, with all those preset collections under it, nope, will not work.

Second Side note, should you perhaps create a copy of the settings, complete with renaming it, and as such wind up with a folder "Settings" and say "SettinsX" perhaps to clear out presets you no longer use, but do not want to delete, LR may in fact still know about that folder. Just a additional wrinkle to confuse things.