Migration from LR Classic to CC

[peterkruse]

I have just bought Lightroom CC and should migrate my catalogue from LR Classic, but since I have migrated the same catalogue some month ago (trying a free trial version of CC), it won't accept this catalogue file. What to do?

Thanks for your help, I am pretty frustrated!

[JP Hess]

If you are still using Lightroom Classic 9 then it will be necessary for you to install LrC 10 long enough to allow it to upgrade your catalog. Then, after the catalog has been upgraded Lightroom CC will be able to use back catalog as it's migrating source.

[peterkruse]

Hi Jim,

I using LR Classic 6.14, so I don't know what you're talking about. In my opinion, I have the newest version of LR Classic.

[JP Hess · Accepted solution]

Lightroom 6.14 is NOT Lightroom Classic. It is the last standalone version of Lightroom that was released. Lightroom Classic has been distributed as subscription now for several years and is currently distributing at version 10.0. You can install the trial version long enough to upgrade your catalog and make it compatible with Lightroom CC. Then it will be possible to migrate your images.

Are you sure that you want Lightroom CC as opposed to Lightroom Classic? Lightroom CC stores images in the cloud, and for the initial subscription you are limited to one terabyte of space. You can purchase additional cloud space for an additional subscription fee. Lightroom Classic functions more like the Lightroom you have been using. It utilizes a local catalog and store images on your local hard drive. Just pointing out differences just in case you are unaware.

[peterkruse]

Thanks, I didn't know. Where can I find the trial version? And what to do when I have installed it?

[GoldingD]

Ok, this statement

 have just bought Lightroom CC 

causes confusion.

Adobe no longer markets Lightroom anything, via thay name.

so, an inquiry

Have you subscribed to an Adobe Plan? If so what one? Some examples

• Lightroom Plan, just Lightroom (the cloud version)
• Photography Plan (PS, LR, LrC, etc)

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/plans.html

[JP Hess]

I agree. What have you "bought"? The only thing you can purchase from Adobe anymore is a subscription. After you subscribe, then you install the Creative Cloud Application Manager, which is an application which enables you to install the applications you have subscribed to. Have you gone that far? Where are you in that process?

[peterkruse]

I have bought the Creative Cloud Plan for Lightroom with 1 TB cloud store for 9.99$ a month. After installing Adobe Creative Cloud on my computer, I started the migration proces moving a catalog file fra LR Classic. However this was the stand alone version, as I have just learned.

[peterkruse]

In the Creativ Cloud app I can see that it's possible to uninstall my present LR Classic. So, my question is if I should get the newest version on the net (vers. 10), uninstall my present stand alone version and then install the new?

[JP Hess · Accepted solution]

In the application manager there are two different Lightroom programs. The one you have subscribed to is simply called Lightroom. You should be able to install and try Lightroom Classic. You need to install Lightroom Classic long enough to allow the program to upgrade the catalog you have been using. The first time you run Lightroom Classic it will find your old catalog and prompt you to upgrade it. All you have to do is follow the prompts and the upgrade will happen automatically. After the upgrade completes then you can start Lightroom and allowed the migration process to complete, and you can uninstall Lightroom Classic.

[peterkruse]

But do I have to uninstall the present stand alone version first?

[JP Hess]

No. 

[peterkruse]

Now I have installed the LrC vers. 10.0 and it has created a new catalog file (Lightroom Catalog-v10-2.lrcat). It contains all my photos and everything looks fine in the "new" LR Classic. However, when I open Lightromm app and try to migrate, I get the message that this catalog already has been moved to LR. But I only see those few pictures, that I imported several month ago in my trial of Creative Cloud! What to do?

[JP Hess]

I have taken you as far as I can take you. I have not migrated a catalog to Lightroom CC and don't intend to because Lightroom Classic is my preferred working environment.You need to go to the forum for Lightroom CC (which is really referred to as simply Lightroom) and  ask your question there. Here is the link:

Forum for Lightroom 

[Jao vdL]

What do you want to do. Do you want to use the cloud Lightroom OR do you want to use the local storage version called Lightroom Classic. They are different things. The cloud version creates a catalog in the cloud and uploads all your images and is further much less full featured than Classic (e.g. it can't print, create virtual copies, do publish services, etc.). The Classic version keeps all your images on your hard drive and has all the features you are used to in 6.14 plus many more. The cloud version (Adobe calls it extremely confusingly Lightroom Desktop) misses lots of features but allows you to store images in the cloud and access them anywhere. That's a neat feature but it is very limited if you are used to 6.14 or Classic. So if Classic is what you wanted, just ignore the whole cloud version. If you wanted the cloud version, you want to reset the entire cloud library (this is done from the web interface at https://lightroom.adobe.com) and start over to get the images you are missing to migrate from your Classic library.

[JP Hess]

That is why I cannot help you any more. My use of Lightroom desktop is extremely limited because I prefer the feature set in Lightroom Classic. I prefer having a local catalog and managing my images locally on my computer and my local hard drives. I enjoy printing my own images occasionally, and Lightroom desktop just doesn't have all the features I have become accustomed to having available. If you really want to go to Lightroom, and are planning to have your images in the cloud and get used to an entirely different interface then that is the transition that is ahead of you to switch to Lightroom desktop (which some users refer to as Lightroom CC).