avemal Loc: BALTIMORE

Been using Lightroom 5 for 5 years. Had to purchase a new computer & wanted to put this program back on. I did once before years ago with no problem. This time what a nightmare . Spent hours with Adobe on and off for 3 days. Finally I gave up. They just could not get it done. Is there any good editing programs besides Lightroom or Photoshop? As far as I am concern the lights are out with Lightroom.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

It's unbelievable when that happens, isn't it? There is so much protection - for Adobe. I have PS CS6 and LR6, and that's the last money I will spend on Adobe products. Adobe has achieved the golden Bandwagon Effect, and people who want to process automatically look toward Adobe. There are alternatives, even for free. If I had it to do over, I would have used non-Adobe products. They would have been fine for my purposes.

Free -
http://www.download3.co/ic/picasa/index.php?kw=%2Bpicasa
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/the-best-photoshop-alternatives-that-are-totally-free-5974500
http://lightzoneproject.org/

Not free -
Affinity
http://www.shutterbug.com/content/affinity-photo-software-review-has-photoshop-met-its-match#d1c5lY5EQ03QoLjh.97
http://www.diyphotography.net/affinity-photo-can-give-adobe-run-money/
Others
http://digital-photography-school.com/a-beginners-guide-to-choosing-the-right-post-production-software/
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/03/23/best-photo-editing-software-photoshop-cc-and-7-photoshop-alternatives-tested/1/
http://www.redmondpie.com/best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives-for-windows-and-mac-list/

LXK0930 Loc: Souh Jersey

There are many good cheap USB card readers. Suggest that you verify that the one you try is compatible with the latest cards. For example, old readers may not work with SDHC or newer cards.

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

Card readers don't do any good if the computer won't load Lightroom.

gthopkins Loc: Stratford, CT

Thanks. When it's time for license renewal, I will be reconsidering value vs frustration and cost. There could be some changes.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I don't know, I still think $10 a month is dirt cheap for processing and handling compared to what I use to pay for film, outside processing and chemicals and equipment to do my own processing in film days, not to mention storage of film and photo's .

avemal Loc: BALTIMORE

Their customer service sucks. Real hard to get to speak to someone because you cannot. Getting to chat with a representative only took me over a hour then the frustration started. Finished with Lightroom .

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

The best, and expected, experiences with technology come about when we attempt to stay current. It moves forward with or without us. That's just the way it is.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

For most people LR does too much in the way of cataloguing images. It also creates a need to do everything within that programme.

Try Gimp - it works as well as PS for most tasks once you have got your head around the different names for the tools. There are many other 'stand alone' programmes that will do individual tasks, should you need them.

Quite a lot of software will allow you to catalogue your images 'daily' on a calendar or you can create your own file system using named places or star ratings. It just needs some thought.

I have fallen out with the idea that my computer needs information about where I am and what I spend my money on. So no more microsoft and google apps. Sadly it appears that having screwed us using the Windows OS microsoft is intent on moving into the Android OS. So no doubt there will be a whole raft of licence agreements beginning. Google already has done so....it is incredibly hard to remove it.

We can only hope that the hardware of computers radically changes so that there may be a slim chance of re-inventing who 'owns' technology.

have fun - there is life after Adobe

canon Lee

Creative Cloud or CCphotoshop/ Lightroom is available for $10.00 per month from Adobe. Its an app you download to your hard drive.

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

Too bad, you might want to just upgrade your software to CC. I have been using it since Version 4 and have stayed current. No issues, through 3 different computers/upgrades. I use it daily.

cthahn

Get a new version.

nancyab Loc: Enfield, CT, USA

I've used a number of versions through the years of PaintShop Pro, and I've always been very happy with it. Had PhotoShop, but prefer PaintShop Pro, not to mention it's always been much less expensive.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Do you still have your old hard drive, if so, use it as an auxiliary drive....you may do this as a USB external or better yet as an internal. Then you can go into the search for the Product/serial # in the registry of the old drive. There are ways to do this... internal is easiest, only requires a few low cost cables [SATA & power, some are combo].

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-find-your-adobe-acrobat-serial-number-2625090

Here is a list of 22 free key finders. I will allow my free Microsoft ReadAloud to read this to me in my choice of voice. The 22 are here:
https://www.lifewire.com/free-product-key-finder-programs-2625119

Jerry, it is your duty as UHH keeper of the links to archive these.

BTW, Affinity is a great program and Tub and a half of UTube Tutorials.

PS: Windows key and R takes you to run. Type in Regedit and HiKey Software Adobe should give you the S# ..... Registry is Land of the Brave and/or foolish

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

So all your old LR work will just go to hell? Never go back and to and old photo and add one more change? let all that LR education go to waste? Bite the bullet and get the CC version, took maybe 5 minutes to go from 5 to 6 cc. You are only hurting yourself!