Lightroom 5 to creative cloud

[markm9446588]

Im currently running LR 5 on my MAC and am considering upgrading to CC.

1) Will CC seamlessly install on top of LR5, with out any changes to existing catalog and or pictures?

2) If I decide later to cancel my subscription, will I be able to re-insatll LR 5 or purchase a perpetual license for LR 6 w/o losing any photos or work performed while in CC

Thanks

[dj_paige]

1. Lightroom CC is a separate program, once you install it, you have both LR 5 and LR CC on your computer, both work fine as they don't know about the other program. Your LR 5 catalog is never changed by LR CC.
2. No need to re-install LR 5, but yes of course you can do so, as long as you have the LR 5 serial number. You could purchase LR 6 and use that as well. Your catalog from LR CC will not transfer to LR 5, but it will transfer to LR 6.

[markm9446588]

Thank you dj Paige. Wrt to 1), I assume once I load LRCC I can continue working from/on the same catalog I was using with LR5? Thanks again

Mark

Sent from my iPhone

[Just Shoot Me]

When you install LR CC and open it for the first time it will ask you if you want to convert your older catalog to one that works with LR CC. Select Yes. LR CC will make a Copy of your catalog and convert that copy to one that works with LR CC. Leaving your original LR 5 catalog in tact.

[markm9446588]

Just shoot me, that's awesome. Thanks!!

Sent from my iPhone

[Just Shoot Me]

markm9446588 wrote:

2) If I decide later to cancel my subscription, will I be able to re-insatll LR 5 or purchase a perpetual license for LR 6 w/o losing any photos or work performed while in CC

Thanks

Yes you can purchase LR 6 stand alone but you will need to use a different, second, Adobe ID to Sign In and enter the serial number.

Once an Adobe ID is used for a subscription plan that ID is always tied to that subscription. So if you cancel the subscription and you try to Sign In with it LR, and any other Adobe app that is included with that subscription, will lose functionality or stop functioning.

As far as Adobe is concerned that ID does not have a valid subscription anymore.

[cmgap]

2) If I decide later to cancel my subscription, will I be able to re-insatll LR 5 or purchase a perpetual license for LR 6 w/o losing any photos or work performed while in CC

Be sure that you are writing all of your changes to the XMP files:

[dj_paige]

Be sure that you are writing all of your changes to the XMP files:

Some items are never written to XMP, so transferring information to another Lightroom this way is always going to be incomplete.

[markm9446588]

Dj Paige and cmgap, thank you. So what are xmp files and what exactly do I need to be sure im writing all my changes in this format? Thanks

Mark

Sent from my iPhone

[Just Shoot Me]

XMP Sidecar files are files that LR can store your edits in along with saving them to the catalog file.

If that option isn't check them the edits get stored in the catalog only. No other program, except ACR, can read the LR edits store in them. Even though there are other RAW editors that use XMP files for the same thing. They are specific to the program you are using.

Not all things are placed in the XMP files. Like Collections, color labels or star ratings. They are stored only in the catalog file.

I used them.

[markm9446588]

Got it. Thanks!!

Sent from my iPhone

[cmgap]

Great!

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

markm9446588 wrote:

Dj Paige and cmgap, thank you. So what are xmp files and what exactly do I need to be sure im writing all my changes in this format?

Just so you understand the options available to you, there's no need to create xmp files and write your changes to them. Lightroom works perfectly well without xmp files. Why would you need to use xmp files? These are useful to transfer your edits to other Adobe applications or other people's Lightroom installations; and as an emergency partial backup -- but you should make backups of yoruo catalog file rather than rely on xmp as partial backup.