# Plugin Storage Location Question



## Mahombi (Jun 13, 2012)

The "LR3-The Missing FAQ" book recommends creating a dedicated Plugins folder to store Lightroom plugins. The pre-installed plugins (Nikon Tether, SmugMug, Facebook, etc,) are in the packaged folder within the Lightroom application file.

Should I assume that those plugins should not/cannot be moved to the new Plugins folder, along with the other plugins?


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## clee01l (Jun 13, 2012)

Yes, I think this is a good assumption.  For each iterative release of LR, these files will get recreated in this location (for OSX that is /Applications/Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.app/Contents/PlugIns or /Applications/Adobe Lightroom 3.app/Contents/PlugIns)  In addition to that reason, the install folder is read only so you will see the option to remove these installed plugins grayed out in Lightroom Plug-in Manager. 

If you store Preset with the catalog, creating a Plugin Folder inside "Lightroom Settings" is a good place to park your add on plugins. If you store the presets in the default global location, that would be a folder in /Users/[UserName]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom


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## Mahombi (Jun 13, 2012)

Thanks for that info Cletus. 

One other thing. My other plugins were placed in various locations automatically when I installed them. Do you think they are all safe to move to the new location, or would you recommend I contact the vendor of each, to find out?

Mahombi


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## clee01l (Jun 13, 2012)

Mahombi said:


> Thanks for that info Cletus.
> 
> One other thing. My other plugins were placed in various locations automatically when I installed them. Do you think they are all safe to move to the new location, or would you recommend I contact the vendor of each, to find out?
> 
> Mahombi


If vendors are installing plugins in specific locations, it is possible that when these get an upgrade the upgrade will also go to that specific location. Most often these are merely downloaded to your default download location which probably is not the best place for longterm storage of plugins.  I have moved all of my plugins (mostly Publish Service plugins) to a common folder as I described earlier.  This has not presented a problem. Are there specific plugins that you have in mind that were installed in someplace other than "/Users/[UserName]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom"


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## Mahombi (Jun 13, 2012)

Only Mogrify, which was originally placed in Applications.  Timothy Armes (the author) has already confirmed to me that that can be moved.

Thanks again for your help, Cletus.


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