Is there anyway to extract photos from an old version of Lightroom from a broken iMAC?

[JCAT]

Hi there. Recently my iMac stopped working and apparently the problem is video card failure. I am unable to access any programs but when I visited the local Apple store they stated that I could still extract files from the hard drive, so now my iMac is a giant external hard drive. My problem is that not all my photos in Lightroom were backed up onto external hard drives. My question is, is there any possible way to extract photos from Lightroom via the hard drive on the iMac? If so where would I find the photos on the hard drive? Are the photos stored anywhere else if all I did was import the photos into Lightroom? The version of Lightroom is old and it was prior to Lightroom creative cloud. I am hoping my photos are still salvageable. If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it.

[JohanElzenga]

Photos are never imported 'in' Lightroom. Lightroom is a database, like an address book. It contains a reference to the photos, but the photos themselves are stored elsewhere. You decide where that is, so it's difficult for us to tell you that. Start by looking in the Pictures folder.

[DdeGannes]

When you import photos to the Lightroom Catalog the actual image file, nor a copy, is stored within Lightroom. The Catalog is just a data base that stores the info about where the files are located and the info about the other edits and things you have done within Lightroom.

If you used the add function when importing the files  will remain at their original location.

If you used copy or move function the files will be located on your computer HDD, internal or external, where you choose to place them..

[JCAT]

If I am able to still access the hard drive of my broken iMac, can I transfer the Lightroom catalog and all the photos within it to an external hard drive? Where would I find this? And if that is possible can I restore that onto Lightroom Classic CC?

[dj_paige]

The photos are not "within" the catalog. The photos are on one of your hard disks (internal, external or network). Use your operating system's search feature to search for them.

If you can recover the Lightroom catalog file from the old computer's hard drive (it's name ends with .LRCAT, so you can search for it), then copy it (not move it) to a newly created empty folder on a different disk and then double-click on it to see if it will open. If it opens (the photos may not show initially), then you can can re-connect the Lightroom catalog to the new locations of the photos by following these instructions: Adobe Lightroom - Find moved or missing files and folders

[Just Shoot Me]

There are NO Photos INSIDE LR.

Your Photos are stored someplace on your drive, wherever "YOU" placed them when either copying them from your cameras memory card using the OS X File Manager, Finder, or at the time of importing them into the LR  Database file, IE the catalog file, and Copying them from the memory card of you camera to your hard drive.

If you can still access the hard drive you can find the original  LR Catalog File, Search for .lrcat, and all your image/photo files by searching for either .JPG or .TheRAWFileExtension (cr2/nef/rw2/dng/raf/whatever the RAW file extensions are) your cameras use.

Then Copy all of them to your new computer.

Just copying the LR catalog file WILL NOT copy all your photos

[JohanElzenga]

JCAT  wrote

If I am able to still access the hard drive of my broken iMac, can I transfer the Lightroom catalog and all the photos within it to an external hard drive? Where would I find this? And if that is possible can I restore that onto Lightroom Classic CC?

Your photos aren't 'within' Lightroom, but they are probably in the Pictures folder of your iMac hard disk. You said in your initial post that the iMac is now a giant hard drive, so I assume that the store showed you how to start the iMac in 'target disk mode', and connect it to another computer. That way the hard disk of the iMac mounts as an external hard disk for the other computer.

If you look at the folders on the iMac disk, then you should see four folders: Applications, Library, System and Users. There may be more, but these four folders should definitely be there. Open the Users folder. Inside that folder is a subfolder with your name (the name you used to log in on the iMac). Open this folder and look for a 'Pictures' subfolder. That is probably where both the Lightroom catalog and your photos are. The Lightroom catalog folder is normally called 'Lightroom', the folder with your photos could be called anything.

[cmgap]

You may want to call a local computer repair store in your area that can remove your hard drive and put it in a case. Once it's in a case with a cable that can connect to another computer you should be able to mount the drive (or even start up from it) and access the files that you kept on that drive.

Once the drive is mounted use the recommendations mentioned here for searching and finding your source files. Likely they are in your Pictures folder if you've never specified another location.

[ManiacJoe]

As long as the old hard drive is still working, copying the files off it is simple.

See this article for what files are needed and where they might be stored:

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/