Can't install Lightroom 5 on MacOS

[jlorio]

I've downloaded the install file that an Adobe rep linked for me a few days ago. When I run the .pkg file, the installation goes smoothly. But once install is done, it's like LR does not exist on my system. It's not in the Applications menu, and when I Spotlight search for Lightroom, the only thing that comes up is the install file.

I've done the install multiple times. When I run it now, it gives me a notification that LR is already installed, and says that it will update the current installation. But when it's done, there's nothing. It's very frustrating.

I'd love to uninstall it and start over, but my system literally does not let me see it. 

[dj_paige]

What version of the Mac OS? If Catalina or later, you cannot install LR 5 on Catalina or later.

[jlorio]

I'm on Monterey.

Is there a way to uninstall this? The installer tells me that it's installed, but I can't see any evidence of it. If the installer is to be believed, it's just dead weight taking up 1+ GB on my disk.

[GoldingD]

The installer for Lightroom 6 and earlier is a 32bit app. MACOS starting at Catalina will not allow 32 bit apps. You cannot install Lr 5 on Monterey.

In theory, you could rollback to a MACOS prior to Catalina, then install Lr 5, then re-upgrade the MACOS and Lr 5 might work. But that is risky, a lot of work, and Lr 5 may work poorly, and eventually not at all. It is a very old app, eventually Apple will refuse to let it run in some future MACOS update or upgrade.

In theory you could install an alternate boot OS, Not do sure of the process. Install Lr5, then boot normally. Same future issues.

Note, if you have the M1 chip, then never mind, you cannot roll that back to an older MACOS as they do not support that chip.

Many parts of Lr in v6 and older, no longer work as they depend upon services, etc, that are now defunct. Face detection, some mapping, and this may get worse.

The Adobe tech should have asked if you had the M1 chip, then told you the sad news, and ended the issue right there. If not M1, the Adobe Tech should have asked about the MACOS, then told you the sad news. 

Ineresting that the Adobe Tech gave you this much poor support, Standard response is to tell you, so sorry, we can no longer support that version any longer. And they often direct cystomers to this very community page. The most they might do, is help deactivating old activations for those trying to install on a new computer.