Skip to main content
Participant
June 11, 2025
Question

Migrate Lightroom 5 catalogs to Ligtroom Classic

  • June 11, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 161 views

Finally upgraded to Lightroom Classic (desktop, annual plan). Stuggling with importing my existing catalogs from Lightroom 5 into Lightroom Classic. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

4 replies

AxelMatt
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 12, 2025

Several user report a problem that the recent version has sometimes problems to update catalog from Lightroom 6 an earlier.  Although is claimed to have fixed this issue, but it seems it doesn't really fixed.

 

For the workaround follow the steps below:

 

My System: Intel i7-8700K - 64GB RAM - NVidia Geforce RTX 3060 - Windows 11 Pro 25H2 -- LR-Classic 15 - Photoshop 27 - Nik Collection 8 - PureRAW 6 - Topaz Photo AI
Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 12, 2025

There is no need to do any type of "importing" (Neither Importing a Catalog, nor importing photos).

If Lightroom-Classic has not automatically recognised your Lr5 catalog (and asked you to upgrade the catalog), then-

1) Close Lightroom-Classic

2) Find your Lr5 catalog with Windows FIle Explorer

3) [Double-Click]  the catalog  .LRCAT file to 'open' it

4) When it asks, Allow Lightroom-Classic to do the catalog upgrade making your catalog compatible with Lr-Classic.

 

Hint: Give the upgraded catalog a new name and set Preferences to always open this upgraded catalog.

 

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
dj_paige
Legend
June 11, 2025

Stuggling with importing my existing catalogs from Lightroom 5 into Lightroom Classic.

 

In what way? Please be specific and detailed. If there is an error message, please quote the complete exact unedited word-for-word error message.

Community Manager
June 11, 2025

Hi @drinkmoresake! 👋 Great to hear you’ve upgraded to the latest version of Lightroom Classic—exciting stuff!

When you launch the app for the first time, it should prompt you to open your catalog. Could you share a bit more about where you're getting stuck? Have you had a chance to follow the steps outlined here to upgrade your catalog? https://adobe.ly/4kCDR81

Happy to help you through it! 
Thanks!
Alek

*(If you mention me with an @, like @Aleke, I’ll get a notification and can respond faster.)*