I need to work in both lightroom versions - 10.4 and 11, is it possible?

[KairoZ]

Hello

I have to work with both catalog editions - old one (LR 10.4) and the new one (11) 

Is there a solution, to have two versions of Lightroom on my mac?

Thanks

[dj_paige]

I think the answer is YES, but I admit I have never tried it.

When you install any version of Lightroom Classic, you have an option somewhere that allows you to remove older versions of the software, or not. You would select the "not" option.

Please, for clarity from now on, let's refer to Lightroom Classic as Lightroom Classic; and let's not refer to Lightroom Classic as Lightroom. Everyone benefits from clarity.

[Tarun Saini · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

I would like to inform you that this option is not available now. You can only install one version of Lightroom Classic at a time.

Regards,

Tarun

[KairoZ]

Thank you

So I have to buy another macbook 😄

[johnrellis]

Here's a method that often works for me when testing my plugins:

1. Using the Creative Cloud app, install LR 10.4. (That will automatically uninstall LR 11.1 if you have it installed.)

2. Using Finder, copy the folder "Adobe Lightroom Classic" from the /Applications folder to somewhere other than /Applications or /User/you/Applications, and rename the copy to "Adobe Lightroom Classic.10.4".

3. Using the Creative Cloud app, reinstall LR 11.1.  

Now, when you start LR normally (i.e. from the /Applications folder or a shortcut icon in your Dock), you'll get LR 11.1.  To run 10.4, in Finder open the folder "Adobe Lightroom Classic.10.4" (wherever you put it) and double-click "Adobe Lightroom Classic.app" in that folder.

This method usually/often works for me, though I haven't always gotten it to work. But note that I'm just doing limited testing with the older versions, not spending hours and days working in it.  I suspect that there could be gotchas, since the two versions have lots of shared config files, such as the preferences file, and one version might not be completely happy with contents written by the other version (LR preferences is already a mess, without doing this version switcheroo).

My other method is more reliable: I have Parallels virtual machines with the particular versions of Mac OS and LR I want to run.  But LR is noticeably sluggish when run in a virtual machine.

[johnrellis]

Also, the reason for placing "Adobe Lightroom Classic.10.4" somewhere other than /Applications or ~/Applications is that Mac OS and/or Creative Cloud are monitoring what happens in those folders and being too clever by half.  I don't completely understand how Mac OS monitors installing, moving, and renaming application folders, so I can't give 100% confident advice on all this.