brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

If you've ever had to re-install Lightroom from scratch, and gone through the laborious/frustrating process of recreating your preferences, here's a tip.

In your normal backup regimen, include the folder C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom (Windows). After your LR install, copy the folder from your backup (restore) and you have all your preferences in place.

Reminder . . . since you likely make adjustments to your preferences somewhat regularly, be sure to back up this folder regularly.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Bruce - I had this same frustration a few years ago when changing my desktop hardware. I found that in your Preferences on the Presets tab, you can update your settings to store your presets into the same folder structure as the catalog file. This setting does not move your existing settings from the \AppData folder. Rather, any new creations or updates cause a new parameter file to be stored with the catalog. You can copy your existing settings into the catalog folder to consolidate the 'old' and 'new' settings.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I shall explore that functionality. I was unaware of it. There are many other pieces of data that I want secured in the "User" folder, so I backup the entire folder, which includes the LR preferences stuff. Your info is appreciated! Thank you!

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

This trick has worked seamlessly through four major updates and five distinct computers since LR4. Back then I set out to create a CM document with anotated screenshots of the countless settings and preference menus hidden deep in menus and behind right clicks. I think I finished it but without an index I have never used it. I still go on a scouting mission when I try to find "how did I do that". BTW all the presets and preferences files are text files and are viewable with a text editor. I use notepad++. You can figure out enough to sort out ambiguously named presets. I have only been brave(or foolhardy) enough to directly edit a few.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Good reminder on the text files. I've created develop presents for three different cameras used in my catalog, each broken out to individual 1/3-stop ISO settings from ISO-100 to ISO-5000. This might see like overkill, but the edit profiles for noise and sharpen differ significantly between the three cameras. The presets took a healthy investment of time to create and still more to occasionally fine-tune, but I'm now much more efficient and consistent with these tools in my toolbox. I used LR to create the files and then used a text editor to manage the contents.

The export presents, at least in my LR5 version, allow me to create new presets, but not update existing. This is annoying when I find a minor change to an existing export. Here I save the new file and then edit the files directly to rename the new file to replace the existing Export Preset. You just have to restart LR to have the software recognize the change.

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

I was surprised at the inconsistent design of the various presets. I suppose we aren’t supposed to be in there. I don’t think you can do any real irreversible damage. Might be a good idea to save a backup of the catalog before.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Moving my presets into the same folder with the catalog helps to make sure I know where they are and that they're being properly backed-up. The fact that the presets are text files allow for very refined customizations by experienced users, a design feature of many software packages.