P: Updating to version 9 but my catalog from version 8.4 is incompatible

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Lightroom Classic - Updating to Lightroom Version 9 but my catalog from version 8.4 is incompatible and for some reason, it can't be updated. I can revert back to 8.4 temporarily so as not to lose my collection of work but it's not going to be a solution long term. Can you help give me some steps that might offer a solution to this issue I am encountering?

Any advice, solution or steps that I might be able to try would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

Joe

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Brenda, most people upgrade just fine. Here's information about the process: Why is Lightroom asking to upgrade my catalog and what does it do?

If you need to roll back, here's how: How do I roll back to an earlier Lightroom Classic release?

Cyndi, that might be a different issue. Post a separate thread with a screenshot and we'll help you figure it out.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

This should be resolved by the 9.1 update released earlier today. Please give it a try and let us know if you still see the issue after updating.  Thank you for your patience!

[Steve Gandy]

Ahhh, nice! That's the way this forum is supposed to work, huh?

[joelg60390653]

So i upgraded to 9.1  but still can't upgrade from 8.4 catalog.  What am i missing??  I wasn't able to upgrade to 9.0 either.  Still using 8.4.1  error points me to the lock file issue.  

[Guest]

Same here, I also couldn't upgrade coming from 8.4 going to 9.0, then going to 9.1 I get the exact same error pointing me to the lock file issue.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Joel and Nick, I've contacted you via email for more information. 

[Guest]

Thanks Rikk, just replied.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

It is not working for me too

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Same issue for me, I did manage to roll back to earlier version and open my catalogue, but still can't open it in 9.1

[jkwoodman]

Sorry to hear this is still happening with 9.1. Wasted many hours on it with 9, haven't felt ready to repeat the experience in a hurry. Seeing your comment is not encouraging. 

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Nick and Joel's issues were not related to the earlier bug. This bug has been fixed. If you are still experiencing the issue complete the following. 

Clean Classic Install Procedur

1. Close Lightroom
2. Restart the computer
3. Use the Adobe Creative Cloud App to uninstall Lightroom Classic
4. Restart the computer
5. Install Lightroom Classic via the Creative Cloud App without launching any other programs.
6. Restart the computer
7. Launch Lightroom
8. Wait 5 minutes

 

Then:

 

Preference Reset Procedure:

1. Close Lightroom.
2. Hold down [Alt/Opt]+[Shift] while restarting Lightroom
3. Overwrite the Preferences when prompted by the dialog
4. Close Lightroom
5. Restart Lightroom.

 

Then:

 

Go to Help>System Info... and verify the installed version is 9.1

Go to File>Open Catalog... and attempt to update your 8.4.1. catalog

[joelg60390653]

Thanks Rikk

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Still not working. Ive also bought new MacBook Pro installed everything and then followed the procedure above and it still won't open one catalog
Ive got 4 other catalogs and they all work fine and have been updated. 

[jkwoodman]

Finally - finally - working. Adobe, please do not do this again. I'm 75 years old, and I resent wasting days of what life is left to me on your botched upgrade. 

[kjw_photography]

I still cannot update to the newest LR. and I've tried the solution above in this thread, twice.

[GoldingD]

What is your OS what version what build?

[kjw_photography]

Windows 10 hone
version 1903
os build 18362.535

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

@bruce Kentish

There is likely something wrong with the catalog. If you would be willing to share it to a file sharing service, I can have the team take a look at it. 

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

@kirsty Wilson,

I am not clear on what you are saying. Does Lightroom not update or does your Lightroom catalog not upgrade from 7/8.x to 9.1?

[kjw_photography]

Hi Rikk, the catalag does not update from 8 to 9.1

LR updates fine, but I cannot access the catalogue as the error mentioned above does not allow it to be updated.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Thanks Rikk Flohr, happy to share and hope you can repair it. can you send me your email address please?

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Bruce and Kirsty,

One more thing you can try before we look at your catalogs:

1. Close Lightroom 
2. Locate the sync.lrdata file 
3. Rename this file to sync.backup
4. Launch Lightroom and attempt the catalog upgrade again. 

Let me know how it goes. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Thats great! it worked!! Thanks you!!

[kjw_photography]

Hi Rikk,

File name changed.

Updated LR

Then tried to upgrade the catalogue

error message - Lightroom encountered problems when trying to update the format of the catalog file and cannot use this catalog in this version of Lightroom.

See Adobe Technote
Show in Explorer
Choose a different catalog
Exit

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Kristy - Engineering has made the following ask:

"Can you ask to the user to check if there is a copy of sync.lrdata present in the same folder as the lr catalog? The file name will be in format <catalog-name>-sync.lrdata. If present ask user to delete it along with the actual sync.lrdata and try upgrading. If that also doesn't help than we should ask for the Catalog Upgrade logs."