# How to transfer old catalog into LR classic



## goproguy (Apr 30, 2018)

Hi, I just got an old hard drive out of storage and want to use some images for a project.  I opened up Lightroom and see that I need to update my old catalog, but I'm worried it will corrupt my files. 
My question is how to back them up, and how to update the catalog. 

I don't know if my Lightroom version is up to date, so any help there is appreciated. 
Thanks


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## Johan Elzenga (Apr 30, 2018)

Making backups is always a good thing, but upgrading a catalog will never corrupt you files. Your files aren't inside the catalog, so they are not involved in any way. You update the catalog simply by opening it in a newer version of Lightroom. BTW, the updated catalog will be a copy, so the old catalog will remain too.


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## goproguy (Apr 30, 2018)

Oh, cool!
The last time I opened these photos in LR, it was LR 4.4... if it still works, I have the permanent copy of 4.4, will I be able to revert back to that easily? Or will the new catalog still work with the older version?
(I may be getting things confused because I took a media class and the instructor said specifically that updated files are not backwards compatible with older versions of Adobe programs. I may be thinking of Photoshop or premiere, but I just want to be sure)


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## Johan Elzenga (Apr 30, 2018)

No, upgraded catalogs will not work in an older version. But you can always use the old catalog in the old version of Lightroom again. The only thing you would lose is any work you did in the new version.


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## goproguy (Apr 30, 2018)

Ok, thanks.


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## Dan Marchant (Apr 30, 2018)

Just to be clear your old catalog won't actually be changed/updated. The new version of lightroom will read the old catalog and then create a new updated version. So you will have both and can return to the old one if necessary (using the older version of LR).


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## goproguy (Apr 30, 2018)

Oh, ok. How will I get back to the old one? Will it just open up when I open the old program?


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## Dan Marchant (Apr 30, 2018)

Yes, opening the old version of LR will open the old catalog. 

As mentioned above, any edits done in the new catalog (and images imported into the new catalog) will not exist in the old catalog.


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## goproguy (Apr 30, 2018)

Thanks for the clarification.


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