Operation Manual

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Managing catalogs and folders
Last updated 11/30/2015
• Preference and other file locations | Lightroom 1.x
If you've moved your catalog and can't remember where it is, search for "lrcat" in the Explorer (Windows) or Finder
(Mac OS).
Can I store a catalog on a network?
No, you can't store catalogs on a network but you can store your photos on a network. Smart Previews let you edit your
photos in Lightroom even when you are disconnected from the network or when your computer is disconnected from
the drive that contains your photos.
How do I move a catalog?
You can move your catalog to a different location on your computer's hard drive, to an external disk, or to another
computer altogether. Simply use the Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS) to drag or copy the following files to the
new location:
• Catalog: [catalog name].lrcat
• Previews: [catalog name] Previews.lrdata
• Smart Previews (Lightroom 5 only): [catalog name] Smart Previews.lrdata
Notice that you're not moving any photos, nor are you moving the Lightroom application itself. If Lightroom can't find
the catalog or your photos after you move a catalog, see
Lightroom can't find my catalog. How do I find it? Or, My
catalog can't find my photos. How do I find them? To transfer a catalog between a Windows computer and a Mac, copy
your catalog, preview, and image files from the original computer onto a flash or other external drive. Then, attach that
drive to the second computer and copy the files to the desired location on the second computer.
For a video on how to move a catalog between two computers, watch Julieanne Kost's How to migrate Lightroom to
another computer video tutorial on Adobe TV.
How do I rename a catalog?
You can rename a catalog in the Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS). If you rename a catalog, make sure to also
rename its corresponding Previews and Smart Previews files.
1 Close Lightroom.
2 Navigate to your catalog and its preview files in the Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac OS). They should be in the
same folder.
3 Rename all three files, making sure to keep the word Previews in the preview cache files. For example:
Note: Smart Preview cache files are available for Lightroom 5, not earlier versions.
After you rename your catalog, you could have to help Lightroom find it. See Lightroom can't find my catalog. How do
I find it?
Old filename New filename
Lightroom 5 Catalog.lrcat My trip catalog.lrcat
Lightroom 5 Catalog Previews.lrdata My trip catalog Previews.lrdata
Lightroom 5 Catalog Smart Previews.lrdata My trip catalog Smart Previews.lrdata