# LIghtroom 4 Beta - remove first?



## Pete_S (Mar 20, 2012)

With the dust now settling, and the existence of temporary workarounds for the "Edit In" issue, I am now prepared to install my received final upgrade version of LR4 (DVD) on my PC - to ultimately replace LR 3.6.  My concern at this point is  the conflicting information on the various LR forums about whether it is recommended or essential to first delete the LR4 beta (and attendant generated files) prior to installing the final version of LR4.  Comments on your experience(s), anyone?


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 20, 2012)

I uninstalled the beta first, because it seemed like a good idea....but I have absolutely no idea if it made a difference or not. All I will say is that I encountered none of the issues which others have encountered....but then again my catalog is fairly small, so I have no large sub-folders, I rarely (if ever) use a point curve, and I only use a single monitor. That's helped me avoid three of the 'issues'.

I also deleted my LR4 beta catalog, so when I started LR4 the first action was an upgrade of the final LR3 catalog, which went well. I have seen many posts on the U2U forums where the user has retained the LR4 beta catalog, so that became the new LR4 'master' and the LR3 catalog then had to be imported after being upgraded (as opposed to simply being upgraded).....and this seems to have been a problem in many instances. Even if I'd decided to keep my beta catalog I would have instinctively done the upgrade the other way, i.e. upgraded the LR3 catalog to LR4, then imported the beta catalog.

Since conversion, things were generally fine, though I did experience a bit of sluggishness when using the adjustment brush in develop....so I have since deleted my preview cache, purged my ACR cache, then rebuilt 1:1 previews for the entire library. Since then performance has been great.


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## hman (Mar 20, 2012)

Jim- can you please explain how you:

"deleted my preview cache, purged my ACR cache, then rebuilt  1:1 previews for the entire library. Since then performance has been  great."

Thanks,
Harvey


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 20, 2012)

Closed Lightroom, then in Explorer I deleted the previews sub-folder which is in the same folder as the catalog (if the catalog name is something like Lightroom 3 Catalog-2.lrcat, the previews folder will be Lightroom 3 Catalog-2 Previews.lrdata....so if you're doing this make you you don't inadvertently delete the catalog!!).

Then started LR4 (it will immediately create a new previews sub-folder automatically), then opened the Preferences (Edit>Preferences>File Handling Tab) and clicked on "Purge Cache" near the bottom which resets the ACR cache. Then in Library, click on All Photographs, ctrl-A to select them all, then Library>Previews>Render 1:1 Previews....then leave running (it'll take a looooooooong time depending on the size of your catalog).

No guarantees that will help, all I'm saying is that it seemed to help me.


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## hman (Mar 20, 2012)

No guarentee is understood. Are these actions that make sense to do regularly/frequently, sort of housecleaning?

Harvey


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 20, 2012)

I've not seen anybody suggest it needs to be done frequently, though I guess it wouldn't hurt to do it every now and then. The point is that the during the upgrade of the LR3 catalog to LR4 the previews are NOT rebuilt.....all that happens is that Lightroom 'steals' the LR3 previews folder and renames it so that it works with the new LR4 catalog. So how long has that preview file been used and constantly changing, and how efficient is Lightroom in ensuring that the previews folder is as lean as it needs to be, and not full of redundant data from deleted images? I don't know the answer to that, it just maybe makes sense to have a clear-out and rebuild, certainly during major upgrades like this. Same applies to the ACR Cache.

Just to be clear, though, this is the first time I've ever felt compelled to do it.


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 20, 2012)

I wouldn't recommend the clean out as general maintenance, but for major upgrades, at least trashing and rebuilding the previews is a good move.  It solved a lot of performance problems that people were seeing with the 1-2 upgrade, and the 2-3 upgrade, and I'm hearing reports of it helping now too.  I wouldn't rebuild 1:1 though, as I don't often zoom in Library module.  Standard sized previews do for my purposes, and may for yours too.


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## Pete_S (Mar 21, 2012)

Thank you Jim, for your prompt and comprehensive reply.

Based on your experience and the reports of others I conclude there is less likelihood of problems if the beta (and associated catalogue and preview files) are removed first before installing the final version of LR4.  Even though some have not found it necessary to do so, I can't see any harm in proceeding with a clean slate as far as LR4 is concerned.

Your additional information about deleting the preview and purging the ACR caches is also very useful - I was not aware that LR4 will make use of existing LR3 previews if available.   As to rebuilding new previews, I like Victoria's tip about creating standard size rather than 1:1 previews since my 1:1 work is almost always in the Develop module.

Thanks again - to you both.
---
Pete

P.S. to Victoria: I've downloaded your LR4 Missing FAQ Book - but trying to read the PDF on my Kindle is painful at best.  Is the Kindle version only days away?  .....Please??? :bluegrin:


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## hman (Mar 21, 2012)

Great info. Thanks, all!


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 23, 2012)

Pete_S said:


> P.S. to Victoria: I've downloaded your LR4 Missing FAQ Book - but trying to read the PDF on my Kindle is painful at best.  Is the Kindle version only days away?  .....Please??? :bluegrin:



Working on it!  The number of screenshots and links makes it a huge job.  Drop me an email and I'll send you a rough copy before it's available properly.


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## Jimmsp (Mar 23, 2012)

FYI - I am reading the latest pdf version on my Nook Color, and I'm quite happy with it. I can't move around as conveniently as on my pc with an Adobe reader, but I can get to the index quickly, and a new page right after that.

Jim


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## Victoria Bampton (Mar 23, 2012)

That's good to know Jim!


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## Pete_S (Mar 25, 2012)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Working on it!  The number of screenshots and links makes it a huge job.  Drop me an email and I'll send you a rough copy before it's available properly.



Great!  The e-mail is on its way.  Thanks, Victoria.


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## Marc (Mar 27, 2012)

TNG's suggestions certainly help my performance issues. Thanks Marc


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## jeorf (Mar 31, 2012)

TNJ/Jim - you stated that you removed your beta catalog before putting LR4 on - what did you do with it? I don't want to lose the work that I did on the beta version. Thanks!


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## clee01l (Mar 31, 2012)

jeorf said:


> TNJ/Jim - you stated that you removed your beta catalog before putting LR4 on - what did you do with it? I don't want to lose the work that I did on the beta version. Thanks!


If you want to Import the beta Catalog into your converted master catalog, you don't want or need to delete it.  Delete everything but the beta catalog, Install LR4, open your master LR3 catalog in LR4 to create a converted copy. With that nes master catalog open, choose the {Import From Catalog} function to import the beta catalog into the new LR4 Master.


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 31, 2012)

jeorf said:


> TNJ/Jim - you stated that you removed your beta catalog before putting LR4 on - what did you do with it? I don't want to lose the work that I did on the beta version. Thanks!



What did I do with it? Deleted it! I used the beta as a pure testing ground, and as such I had no need or desire to retain any of the work I did. However, it I *had* wanted to retain the catalog, I would have done as I said in my original post and as Cletus has just outlined, i.e. upgraded my LR3 catalog to LR4 *first*, and then imported the LR4beta catalog.


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