Adobe CC killed my Lightroom Classic

[Jonas Rüter]

Hi,

I was working in Lightroom Classic 6 yesterday - worked fine on my system (Mac OS Big Sur).

Today i redeemed a 1-month-free plan for Creative Cloud that i got along with my Logitech Keyboard. I only installed Illustrator there - and of course the Creative Cloud app.

I intentionally didn't install a newer version of Lightroom to keep on using version 6 old during and after the free month. 

Now my LR6 crashes on startup - and i'm concerned this might stay after deleting CC again. Re-Installing LR6 is not an option either as on big sur there is no 64-bit installer.

Is it really the case that Adobe intentionally kills old - bought - software? i still have a Timemachine backup and could go back to this - meaning i cannot use the Creative Cloud for the free month. 

[kentdesign]

I am not sure HOW you were able to work with LR 6 and Big Sur. If you really want to get the most out of Lightroom, you should consider the LR and PS bundle. It is fantastic and price wise a better deal than the old paid version of LR. PLus the new features are just amazing, including the lastest one, just coming out, that allows you to enlarge images even JPGs, to huge sizes without loss!

One of my favorite gurus gave this answer: Maybe that will help you.

"

• If you’re running Lightroom 6 or an even earlier version, you should never update to Big Sur (or Catalina). Read my Catalina article for why."

Here is the link to the article:

 https://laurashoe.com/2019/08/13/mac-users-of-lightroom-6-and-earlier-versions-dont-install-mac-os-c...

[Jonas Rüter]

I was able to work with it just as described in the article: I installed it way before Catalina, updated to 6.14 and then upgraded my system to Catalina and Big Sur. 

How can a monthly subscription be a better deal (moneywise) than a software i bought before. I already paid for it a few years ago and now i use it for free. So that's cheaper any way. And about the new features: the only thing i really miss is the de-haze-function. For what i do LR6 is enough. 

My Backup-Plan is to downgrade to Mojave, install LR6.14 and go back to Big Sur from that. The thing is:

I'm really really upset about this behavior of adobe. I know they don't support LR6 anymore which is fine - i bought it a few years ago and i don't expect they give me any more updates. 

But also i expect them to not intentionally break my working copy of LR. Imagine this as hardware:

You buy a radio of let's say Sony. A few years later you try out a TV of Sony and plug it in. As soon as you plugged in your new TV, it sends a electric shock to your radio and it breaks. Then you complain and the answer you get is: "hey, don't worry, our TV is way better than your old radio. It doesn't only have sound, it also has a picture!" 

But maybe i'd still like to use my radio though - and as i just tried out the TV and it didn't fit my needs or i consider the extra-value it brings as too expensive for my needs i will give it back. So now i have neither nor.

[kentdesign]

Those of us who answer in this forum do not work for Adobe. We are experienced users who try to help others.

And like hardware, once a software title has been updated so many times and after a number of years, it is "no longer supported."

It does not mean that Adobe went back and did something to LR6 so that it no longer works.

It is probably something in the newer system that is conflicting with the normal operation you originally had.

I personally always wait at least 6 months after a new system comes out before I consider installing it, and sometimes, I wait longer. I also make sure I check every essential piece of software I have to see if it will still work.

[Jonas Rüter]

Sorry if my post made you feel like i judge any user of this forum - this reaction was rather to the official support i tried to get on facebook. I appreciate any help and input 🙂 

Well - in my specific case i'm pretty sure the reason why it stopped working was installing the test version of Illustrator CC. It did work the day before - like LITTERALY the day before - and i didn't install or uninstall any other software or updates. The only thing i changed in my system was the installation of Illustrator and the Creative Cloud app. So maybe you understand my anger towards Adobe and the comparison with hardware. Because yes - i cannot imagine it's a coincidence. 

Actually: when i set up the system new anyway i can just give it a shot and worst case i do everyting twice. At least i'd know later that what stopped LR6 from working is the installation of Creative Cloud. 

About your other suggestion from the other post:

I actually do have an external SSD with Windows as a bootcamp-partition. Windows still installs 32 Bit apps and all my pictures are on a NAS anyway. But still that's not a satisfying solution - it worked just ONE day before, perfectly fine, in the same OS i use all day. (Ok - the "Map" doesn't work, but hey, never used it anyway and i think it's about an outdated map-service - so it will not work in windows either.)

But thanks for the suggestion, i'll keep it in mind if one day LR6 is not running anymore at all or i need to change my computer and can't downgrade for an installation.

[kentdesign]

I do have one workable suggestion for you.

Get an external SSD - about 1 TB. THey are very affordable these days. 

Install the operating system that did work with LR6 - Catalina or Mojave on it and make it a bootable drive.

THen start up your computer using that external as the boot drive, and install your LR6 on that bootable drive.

You can also keep your catalog on that drive along with all the other files normally in the LR folder ( previews, presets etc.)

THen when you want to work on photos with LR, start up your computer with that external drive and work on them comfortably in LR6. 

Slightly different workflow, but it will keep your LR6 humming happily!