Lightroom help: I just got a new PC and loaded lightroom on it. My old LR catalog was messed up anyway so I created a new one. I imported some of my photos from this year. I noticed in...

jmstx Loc: Arlington TX

I just got a new PC and loaded lightroom on it. My old LR catalog was messed up anyway so I created a new one. I imported some of my photos from this year. I noticed in the preview at the bottom of LR the photos look correct, however when i open one full screen all the edits I made previously are now gone. is there a file i need to copy over from my old pc.

tsilva Loc: Arizona

Yes, your lr catalog. If you are using your camera raw files and you were creating xmp files you need to copy over the xmp files to your picture folder.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

tsilva wrote:

Yes, your lr catalog. If you are using your camera raw files and you were creating xmp files you need to copy over the xmp files to your picture folder.

Or, if the catalog is "messed up" and you have not written the edits to xmp, you can check the "write changes to xmp" in catalog settings. This will create xmp files. Then move the files and their corresponding xmp files to the new computer.

However, this will only work if you have raw and dng files.

I would suggest straightening out your LR catalog from within Lightroom, and then moving the lrcat, previews and all of your image files to the new computer. You can export it or if you are moving the whole thing, just copy the master folder with the pictures and the Lightroom files.

When you open Lightroom, open that catalog. When the catalog is open, then you point to the folder that contains all of your images. Everything should work normally after than.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

Lightroom works non-destructively by encoding all of your edits in the catalogue. When you left your old catalogue behind and created a new one you left your edits behind also.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "messed up" catalogue. If you have a large number of pictures you may be better off trying to fix your old catalogue before trying to move them to a new computer.

This topic would be better posted to the Post Processing section as there are many people there who could walk you through whatever process you decide to use.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

jmstx wrote:

I just got a new PC and loaded lightroom on it. My old LR catalog was messed up anyway so I created a new one. I imported some of my photos from this year. I noticed in the preview at the bottom of LR the photos look correct, however when i open one full screen all the edits I made previously are now gone. is there a file i need to copy over from my old pc.

That's the double edge sword of non destructive editing. If you lose the catalog you have lost all your editing work.

And what does "messed up" mean? If the catalog is corrupted then hopefully you have some catalog backups to fall back on. If the catalog is disorganized then that can be fixed with some time and effort.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

jmstx wrote:

I just got a new PC and loaded lightroom on it. My old LR catalog was messed up anyway so I created a new one. I imported some of my photos from this year. I noticed in the preview at the bottom of LR the photos look correct, however when i open one full screen all the edits I made previously are now gone. is there a file i need to copy over from my old pc.

How many photos were in your old catalog, and what do you mean it was messed up? Did you spill something on it?

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Not if you were smart and told LR to write changes to an .XMP file.

JD750 wrote:

That's the double edge sword of non destructive editing. If you lose the catalog you have lost all your editing work.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

big-guy wrote:

Not if you were smart and told LR to write changes to an .XMP file.

It always helps to back up the Catalog back up and it's associated files to a second drive --- just in case.

With digital files redundancy is peace of mind.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

big-guy wrote:

Not if you were smart and told LR to write changes to an .XMP file.

And that's exemplary of the double edged sword of modern technology. I'm not sure it has anything to do with smart, but you most definitely need to fully understand the consequences of each and every option available to you. I think it's difficult sometimes to anticipate what your future needs are when setting up programs. A bit like writing code, but instead of actually writing it, you're using it.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Not sure what you mean by your post.

By not using the xmp file you leave all changes inside the catalog file so if it goes bad, so do your changes. Sort of like putting all your eggs in one basket. (or catalog as the case may be)

By utilizing the xmp files, which store any and all changes, they sidecar the original files and are then readable by any capable program, including a newer version of LR and your changes are always up to date. All your eggs are separated and stored with the original files. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and would therefore be considered a smart way of operating.

steve_stoneblossom wrote:

And that's exemplary of the double edged sword of modern technology. I'm not sure it has anything to do with smart, but you most definitely need to fully understand the consequences of each and every option available to you. I think it's difficult sometimes to anticipate what your future needs are when setting up programs. A bit like writing code, but instead of actually writing it, you're using it.

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

big-guy wrote:

Not sure what you mean by your post. br br By not... (show quote)

What I meant was that if or when I was given the option of using or not using the xmp files, or choosing how to use them, I'm not sure I would have known the consequences of the choice(s) I made.

Frankly, I do not recall being asked to choose at all.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Understood, the default is to have all changes held inside the catalog but there is a setting that allows you to incorporate the xmp files option.

There are many that don't look at any form of customization with programs and consequently, don't find what they aren't looking for. Then we have others that delve into the settings to see what's there, what's changeable, and if they can make some changes and set it up in a manner that works better for them.

The consequences I defined previously. Hope this clears things up a bit.

steve_stoneblossom wrote:

What I meant was that if or when I was given the option of using or not using the xmp files, or choosing how to use them, I'm not sure I would have known the consequences of the choice(s) I made.

Frankly, I do not recall being asked to choose at all.

jmstx Loc: Arlington TX

I just want to thank everyone for your input.
Looks like I have some learning to do. Again thank you all for getting g me pointed in the right directon

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

big-guy wrote:

Understood, the default is to have all changes hel... (show quote)

I have learned- sometimes the hard way- the importance of a good foundation. Unfortunately many of these decisions we make when we're just learning a new tool can be difficult to reverse or amend.

So again the double-edge analogy. We get these great, new powerful tools, and unless we take the time to understand fully how they work and all the options available, we either make poor decisions or never realize there was even a decision to make.

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

As a rule of thumb when I get a new (not an update) piece of software I almost always test it out using a small test model or in the case of LR, a catalog. If need be, I create copies of my originals and proceed with abandon. Once I am somewhat familiar and can understand what it is and is not doing, what I can and cannot make it do, I proceed with a working model. Should I feel the need to go out of bounds or beyond the norm, I revert back to the small test model and experiment. Before adopting this method, I too ran into many headaches and occasion nightmares. Since, I am a very happy camper with only the odd set back. Better to take a little extra time learning on the front end than take an eternity fixing on the back end.

steve_stoneblossom wrote:

I have learned- sometimes the hard way- the importance of a good foundation. Unfortunately many of these decisions we make when we're just learning a new tool can be difficult to reverse or amend.

So again the double-edge analogy. We get these great, new powerful tools, and unless we take the time to understand fully how they work and all the options available, we either make poor decisions or never realize there was even a decision to make.