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Known Participant
May 6, 2020
Answered

How to use Time Machine with Lightroom

  • May 6, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 4958 views

Hello, I just bought a new MacBook Pro. Before switching, I saved my photostock using a Time Machine backup on a separate hard drive. I saved the Lightroom catalog too. Now, I am trying to import my photos inside Lightroom in the new Mac but Lightroom doesn't see any photo in the backup folder (on the external hard drive). Conversely, Photoshop can access all my photos in the same folder. So my question is: how do you restaure a photostock in Lightroom from a Time Machine backup? Thank you.

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Correct answer 99jon

You need to copy the catalog (.lrcat) to the new computer usually into the Pictures folder. The actual image/video files can be copied from your backup e.g. to Pictures or another external drive separate from the backup drive. You then need to re-link the folder structure with the catalog database.

See if my blog article and video is of help.

1 reply

99jon
99jonCorrect answer
Legend
May 6, 2020

You need to copy the catalog (.lrcat) to the new computer usually into the Pictures folder. The actual image/video files can be copied from your backup e.g. to Pictures or another external drive separate from the backup drive. You then need to re-link the folder structure with the catalog database.

See if my blog article and video is of help.

Dana MillAuthor
Known Participant
May 6, 2020

It worked perfectly. Thank you!