# Migrating to LR CC, a Synology NAS and a Mac at the same time!



## MMarz (Feb 22, 2022)

What was I thinking?  

Long time user of LR Classic on a Windows machine.  My main catalog dates back to around 2010 or so and has been functioning flawlessly in LR 4.0, on a desktop running Win10.   I have less than 4 tb of data.

Recently moved to a new iMac and can't continue with LR Classic.. wish I could.  If I can, Let's stop right here and please enlighten me.  Since I don't think it is possible to continue with Classic, I'd like replicate my old setup as closely as possible.

LR Catalog and application were on the main local drive and most recent two years of images were stored locally on a second dedicated internal data drive for performance reasons.
All images were stored on a Drobo Raid 5 including backups of the most recent two years.  Everything gets pushed to cloud storage via yet another subscription with Backblaze.
The Drobo is on its' last leg and was attached to and available only to the local machine.   By comparison, the Synology DS418 is a NAS so I should have access regardless of where I am, once all is setup. 

While I have both ipad and iphone I don't anticipate doing any editing on either.  Once edits are completed, I will export smaller image to Synology's Photo app (nearly identical to Google Photos, but without Google in the mix).

The plan is to subscribe (ugh... I hate that) to the LR / PS package with 20g Adobe Cloud storage.  Should I be able to replicate the setup above?  LR catalog and most recent two years of images on the local drive.  All images on the NAS.  Why do I need Adobe's cloud storage if all images, edits and catalog are either local or on the NAS?  I am undecided whether I will continue with BackBlaze or if I can do the last backup in some other manner.

Appreciate thoughts and suggestions


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## Hal P Anderson (Feb 22, 2022)

If you get the Photography plan (the one with Lightroom Classic (LRC) and Photoshop), you won't need the 20 GB of cloud storage if you don't want to use it. LRC will work just like the Lightroom that you have been using all along.  

To do the actual move, see here:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/

After you move your catalogue, when you open it for the first time in LRC, the app will convert it to a new format and then you'll be good to go.


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## clee01l (Feb 22, 2022)

The biggest headache that you will have moving from Windows to a Mac is that the Catalog file will c contain a drive letter in the AbsolutePath field.  Once you correct that path to your files, then the Lightroom Classic should be just as it was on Windows.  Almost 15 years ago I replaces my Windows computer with an iMac.  Everything went smoothly because I use the App Migration Assistant to move all of my critical data files.


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## Jim Wilde (Feb 23, 2022)

MMarz said:


> Recently moved to a new iMac and can't continue with LR Classic.. wish I could.  If I can, Let's stop right here and please enlighten me.


Why do you think that you can't continue with Classic on the new iMac?


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## MMarz (Feb 23, 2022)

Thank you all...  
I used the migration assistant for most of the transfer to the Mac, but then went manually to refine the setup given the new/different hardware.

I had called Adobe to discuss options and was told the only option was the cloud version.  Spent some time digging around the options and now I do see I can opt for Classic.  This is great.  I don't need to do edits while mobile.  

@clee01l ...  The drive path letter seems like an easy fix.  Same as redirecting to a move folder, no?


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## clee01l (Feb 23, 2022)

The drive letter is an easy fix if yo do NT have many top level folders to find. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MMarz (Feb 23, 2022)

Depends..  My file hierarchy is

Drive X
    >My Pictures
        >>2001
        >>2002
        >>2003
                etc

If I can change the drive letter for My Pictures the rest to follow


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