# Version upgrade process



## Gareth_R (Mar 2, 2012)

Can someone explain how to upgrade from v3 to v4 when it is released.
i.e. is it a case of the v4 install package upgrading the existing v3 OR do I 1st uninstall v3 and then install v4.
Thanks.


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## Denis de Gannes (Mar 2, 2012)

Gareth_R said:


> Can someone explain how to upgrade from v3 to v4 when it is released.
> i.e. is it a case of the v4 install package upgrading the existing v3 OR do I 1st uninstall v3 and then install v4.
> Thanks.


This is a link to the "read me notes for LR 3.6" The upgrade process from an earlier version to version 3 is explained.
You should not uninstall LR 3 and it will not be overwritten, LR 4 will be a complete new package. You will get updated readme file with specific instructions.

http://www.adobe.com/special/photoshop/Lightroom_36_ReadMe.pdf


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## clee01l (Mar 2, 2012)

Gareth, The install package that Adobe will deliver with LR4 will take care of everything. Here's how it has worked in the past and most likely will work this time around. 
 Installing LR4 will install as a separate application from LR3.  This will give you options of retaining V3.x if you like.  The LR4 catalog has a different structure from the LR3 catalog (which had a different structure from the LR2)  When you install your LR4 version, you will open your old LR3 structure catalog with LR4 and LR4 will offer to convert the old catalog and create a new LR4 catalog based upon the data in your LR3 catalog. In the end, you will have a new LR4 Catalog that matches the LR3 catalog in the same folder. 
After you are happy with the catalog conversion and the operation on LR4, you can uninstall LR3.   For most folks that may be a few months until the comfort sets in. There is always a rare chance that there might be some data corrupting bug in the new version that might bite. so you want to retain the LR3 install in case there is a need for a fall back. 

If you purchase an Upgrade version of LR4, you will need to supply the new S/N and the S/N of the prior version(s).


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## Brad Snyder (Mar 3, 2012)

Importantly, and although Cletus does say it, I'll re-emphasize, Lr4 will be working with an automatic *copy* of your Lr3 catalog. It won't touch your original.


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## Gareth_R (Mar 3, 2012)

Thank you all for the replies.
Best Wishes.
Gareth


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## Linwood Ferguson (Mar 6, 2012)

Brad Snyder said:


> Importantly, and although Cletus does say it, I'll re-emphasize, Lr4 will be working with an automatic *copy* of your Lr3 catalog. It won't touch your original.



Yes but... I use XMP's automatically written.  How will they work?   I assume there's only one copy of those.  As I edit in LR4, it will overwrite the sidecar, and then if I went back to LR3 for that same image, does it look to the catalog first, and then it in turn overwrites it again?   Or does it finding the mis-matched data (and perhaps incompatible data) do any harm, cause any problems?


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## clee01l (Mar 6, 2012)

I think LR4 & LR3 will parse the same XML file. LR3 will ignore any elements that it does not recognize.  This is how it has always worked for me with LR2 & LR3 and the XMP section of the DNGs. I would be surprised if LR4 is any different.


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## PhilGF (Mar 6, 2012)

I hope _everyone_ will be  *backing up* their catalogs  first, not only for upgrading but *ALWAYS* & on a regular basis. Lr creates back-ups but remember to save your catalog files to another hard drive/*external* and even *off site*.


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## Tony Gamble (Mar 7, 2012)

"When you install your LR4 version, you will open your old LR3 structure catalog with LR4"

My old LR3 folder called Lightroom 3 Catalogue previews, irdata contains a series of folders 1, 2, 3.....A B C

My Lightroom 4, when I ask it to open the LR3 catalogue, can find an appropriate file/folder to open.

Where am I going wrong, please?

Tony


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 7, 2012)

The folder 'Lightroom 3 Catalog Previews.lrdata' (that's a lower case 'L', not an upper-case 'i') does *not* contain the catalog. It is actually the folder which contains the *previews* which you see in the Library module. The actual catalog file, which will be called 'Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat' will be adjacent to that Previews folder.....the parent folder which contains the previews *folder* will also contain the catalog *file*.


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## clee01l (Mar 7, 2012)

Tony Gamble said:


> "When you install your LR4 version, you will open your old LR3 structure catalog with LR4"
> 
> My old LR3 folder called Lightroom 3 Catalogue previews, irdata contains a series of folders 1, 2, 3.....A B C
> 
> ...


In your Catalog folder, you have a catalog file named "{yourCatalogName}.lrcat" and a *folder* of previews named "{yourCatalogName} Previews.lr*data*".  When you convert your LR3 Catalog, LR4 will create a converted catalog named "{yourCatalogName}-2.lrcat"  in the same folder. The previews in "{yourCatalogName} Previews.lr*data*" will remain where they are but the folder name will be changed to "{yourCatalogName}-2 Previews.lr*data*". You will still have your old catalog file and a converted copy of that for LR4 to use.  Your existing previews cache will now be available to LR4 but should you need to reopen the LR3 catalog, LR3 will begin to recreate the Previews that it might need.


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## Larry Schiffenhaus (Mar 7, 2012)

I have run Lightroom,Lightroom 2, & Lightroom 3 on two desktop Windows XP computers since the inception of Lightroom. Upgrading was easy and never a problem. Now comes Lightroom 4. In order to use LR4, I have to either upgade to Windows 7, which is not easy because of all the programs I run, or buy two new computers. No wonder Adobe lowered their prices. Switching to LR4 would cost me a small fortune, not to mention the aggravation of making such a switch. No thanks, I shall stick with LR3 and P/S CS5 and save a lot of unecessary expense until my XP computers crash.


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## Tony Gamble (Mar 7, 2012)

TNG said:


> The folder 'Lightroom 3 Catalog Previews.lrdata' (that's a lower case 'L', not an upper-case 'i') does *not* contain the catalog. It is actually the folder which contains the *previews* which you see in the Library module. The actual catalog file, which will be called 'Lightroom 3 Catalog.lrcat' will be adjacent to that Previews folder.....the parent folder which contains the previews *folder* will also contain the catalog *file*.




Thanks Jim,

Found it.

Tony


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## grosloulou (Mar 8, 2012)

hallo,
are collections, web templates (theturninggate...), print template,... included in the catalog ?
and what about plugins like opendirectly, ... keycodes
just to know, can we imagine starting from scratch from images on hard disk and full import but keep print templates and web templates ?

best regards
marc


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## b_gossweiler (Mar 8, 2012)

Of what you're mentioning, only collections are stored in the catalog.

Beat


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## Tony Gamble (Mar 8, 2012)

It may be worth pointing to this thread now:-

http://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/showthread.php?14839-Version-upgrade-process&goto=newpost

Tony


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## Scowelly (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi,  First time out venturing into the forum...be gentle!  Not sure if this needs a thread as seems appropriate to ask here....I wondered if anyone has had a similar problem or thoughts on how to fix missing folders issue after upgrading from LR3 to LR4.  The upgrade process worked fine, but i then noticed 8 or 9 folders have not appeared in the folders list post upgrade.  I think the issue is to do with a mapped drive to the server; LR3 has two folder paths visible to get to the same physical location (I think this happened when I had to change the import location/path in January when starting a 2012 folder) and then with the upgrade this mapped drive/path has not been carried over and therefore I can't see the photo's in the upgraded LR4 catalogue ...but they are still available in LR3.  I could export and re-import/merge the catalogue, but not sure if this is the best idea. Off to read some books now to see if i can solve the problem...but any thoughts? Cheers S.


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi, welcome to the forum.

Could you post a screenshot of the Folders Panel as it appears in both LR3 and LR4....would help us understand and maybe recommend action to resolve. Thanks.


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## Scowelly (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi Jim,

I know I'm doing something daft here with mapped drives, but..where goes...
  does this help?

S


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 14, 2012)

Well, that doesn't look good....not only has the upgrade lost all of the "Steves Folder" mapped drive, but it's also lost the 2012 folder from the \\SCOWELLYSERVER\Steves Folder mapped drive, AND most of the photo counts for the other parent folders seem different as well.

Personally I'd be inclined to go back to the LR3 catalog and attempt to clear up the mapped drive issue, and then try the upgrade conversion again. There's a couple of folks around here who understand this "double mapped drive" issue better than me, I'll PM one to see if he can have a look.


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 14, 2012)

Had a 'chat' with my mate Beat, and he dug out this post that he did last year, and which describes the problem with the LR3 catalog, and how to try to clean it up.

IMPORTANT: Take a catalog backup (of the LR3 cat) before starting this. Beat agrees that you should try "clearing up" the LR3 catalog before trying the conversion  to LR4 again (reassigning "\\SCOWELLYSERVER\Steves Folder\Photography" to  Z:\Photography). 

Have a read through the document, and get back to us if you have any questions.....


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## Scowelly (Mar 15, 2012)

Jim Thanks - looks like one for the morning.  Will get back to you.
Cheers
S


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## Scowelly (Mar 15, 2012)

Jim,

Thanks for your input... turns out that using mapped drives is a bad idea through LR in my case.  As suggested I went back to LR3 and updated the file location using a network path and not the mapped path which removed the mapped drive folder ...eventually ...then backed up the catalogue.  Then re-imported it LR4 and after some thinking and consolidation, hey presto...a full LR4 catalogue.  You have got to love LR and the guys who develop it!!!!

Thanks again!
Regards
Steve


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## Jim Wilde (Mar 15, 2012)

Great news. Thanks for letting us know....thanks also to Beat for his very comprehensive instructions.


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## b_gossweiler (Mar 15, 2012)

Steve,



Scowelly said:


> ... turns out that using mapped drives is a bad idea through LR in my case.



Using a network share mapped to a drive is not a bad idea in LR per se. But it is important that you consistently use the same access mechanism (either via mapped drive or via UNC path) all the time, as LR (unfortunately) does not recognize the two notations as the same target.

Glad you got your problem sorted out though 

Beat


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