# Moving Presets from one computer to another



## aroncoop (Feb 1, 2012)

Is there an easy way to move presets from a desktop to a laptop in LR3.6?  Does it matter if one system is Mac and one is Windows?


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## RikkFlohr (Feb 1, 2012)

Presets are the same for both Mac and PC. The easiest way to transfer them - particularly if there are many  is to copy them from their folder on the source machine to a folder on the destination machine. Depending upon your OS they are found in different folders. 

Mac stores theirs in [user name]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Windows stores them a couple of different places depending on your OS. 
XP Systems: Documents and Settings/[user name]/Application Data/Adobe/Lightroom
Vista/7: Users/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Lightroom/

Copy the preset(s) into the appropriate folder and they will be live the next time you start Lightroom.

If you only want to move a single preset it is often easiest to export it by [Ctrl] clicking it and choosing Export. The resulting file is transportable and can be installed by [Ctrl] clicking (Right Click on Windows) and selecting Import and navigating to the file you created earlier.


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## clee01l (Feb 1, 2012)

Here's a link from Adobe that locates all the critical LR files: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/843/cpsid_84313.html
One of the things that I found useful and that works well for most people that reallonly need one master catalog is to check the store settings with catalog option in preferences If you also store your master images in a folder inside the folder containing your master catalog, you get one neat package of catalog, images, settings, and previews that is highly portable and  easily transferable from one computer to another. 
I just got my first iMac on Monday. I didn't use Apple's Migration Assistant to transfer from Windows but it probably would have managed the process efficiently. Instead, I installed LR3 on my iMac and copied my Lightroom Folder from Windows Pictures to my OSX Pictures folder.


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## Brad Snyder (Feb 1, 2012)

And the usual caveat. On Windows, those folders are 'hidden' by Microsoft default. If you're having trouble seeing them, try

Control Panel > Folder Options > View tab > Show hidden files/folders


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## b_gossweiler (Feb 1, 2012)

Brad Snyder said:


> And the usual caveat. On Windows, those folders are 'hidden' by Microsoft default. If you're having trouble seeing them, try
> 
> Control Panel > Folder Options > View tab > Show hidden files/folders



... or just type "%appdata%\adobe\lightroom" (without the double-quotes) into the search box of the start menu.

Beat


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