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casualshooter$82
Participant
April 11, 2025
Question

Organizing LR5 folder ahead of migration to current version

  • April 11, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 312 views

I am looking to organize my Lightroom 5 ahead of a migration to current version on new laptop. All my work over the last 5 years is under one FOLDER on LR. I'd like to place those files(projects) into CATALOGS organized by year. Any suggestions on best course of action? Thanks

3 replies

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
Community Expert
April 11, 2025

My thoughts-

1) Install Lightroom-CLASSIC v14.2

2) Open the Lr5 Catalog with Lightroom-Classic and allow it to be upgraded so as to work with LrC v14.2

3) Keep your folders exactly as they are now (alphabetical)

4) Use the Filter/Search function to find files by the 'Date' metadata.

 

You can use the tedious method of selecting photos by this 'Date' method and moving them to new 'dated' folders, but IMO not worth the effort.

 

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 .
    kentdesign
    Community Expert
    kentdesignCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 12, 2025

    I totally agree with Rob Cullen, let the new Lightroom classic update your original catalog.... HOWEVER! One thing I would do first, is make sure to have at least one complete back up copy of the catalog on a separate drive before you do anything.....and make sure your photo files themselves, the images, are stored on a separate drive.... just in case.

      AxelMatt
      Community Expert
      AxelMattCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 11, 2025

      As I understand you right, your images are organize in seperate subfolders under one folder in the file system.

      and you're using the old Lightroom 5 with one catalog. After the migration you'll have one catalog per year. Correct?

       

      If yes, I would one the migration first and then you can use the search function in the Library module in the view "All Photographs" to find all images for one specific year. Thes result you get export to an new catalog.

       

       

      My System: Intel i7-8700K - 64GB RAM - NVidia Geforce RTX 3060 - Windows 11 Pro 25H2 -- LR-Classic 15 - Photoshop 27 - Nik Collection 8 - PureRAW 5 - Topaz Photo
      nikunj.m
      Community Manager
      nikunj.mCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      April 11, 2025

      Hi, are the images currently organized into folders under that one folder you're referring to? If not, that's where you would need to start. You can check out how to organize the images here: https://adobe.ly/4ct8Ikj

      Once you have the folders you need, you can select them (single folder or multiple), right-click on them, and select Export as Catalog. You can also check out: https://adobe.ly/4cuQdMm

       

      Hope this helps! 
      Thanks,
      Nikunj

      C
      casualshooter$82Author
      Participant
      April 11, 2025

      Awesome thanks! They are already in folders in the main FOLDER. They are in alphebetical order - is there a way to get them into dates so I can move them all at once to dated catalog instead of having to sift throught one by one

      C
      casualshooter$82Author
      Participant
      April 11, 2025

      Also, my FOLDER section doesnt have a search bar above it

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