Can I move a catalog to an external drive?

[Mark_Focus]

I'm wondering if what I want to do is doable....

When I first got LR, I installed it and started a catalog on my desk top (the images are on an external drive).

I also have LR on my Laptop.

I realized, though that if I import and do some work on the laptop, I can't transfer the LR information to the desktop (or can I?).

I'm thinking what I need to do is copy the LR catalog to the external drive and plug it into whichever computer I use..

Any ideas?

[DdeGannes · Accepted solution]

Yes this is certainly possible. The best way to achieve this is as follows. With the external drive connected to the Desktop where your Lightroom catalog is located do the following.

1. On your Desktop Computer HDD Lightroom by default would have created a folder called "Lightroom" at the following location Mac HD > Users> your user name > Pictures > Lightroom, on a Windows it should be located in C: >users> your user name> My Pictures> Lightroom. This Lightroom sub folder will contain your Catalog File /s: Backup Files, Lightroom Data files containing Previews for the imported image files. Copy this folder and its contents and place it on your external drive, the folder may be quite large so be patient to ensure the copy process is completed. There may be more than one Catalog file in the Folder so ensure you know the name of the latest Catalog that you have been using.

See the screen capture. The Catalog files are the ones with the .lrcat( LRCAT) extension. In my Lightroom folder there are two .lrcat files one is from LR 5 and the other LR CC 2015 / LR 6.

One important note before disconnecting the external drive from one computer to the next you must ensure that Lightroom is shut down.

2. When the above has been completed and with Lightroom closed go to the Lightroom sub folder on your external drive and locate the Catalog file that you have been using and double click on it, this should boot Lightroom and open the current Catalog file.

3. The external Drive can be alternatively attached to the Laptop provided you have the same version of Lightroom installed there.

4. When everything is working properly you may delete the Lightroom folder from your Desktop internal drive.

5. Make sure you put in place a proper system for backing up your Catalog File, Catalog file backups, and your image files to another internal or external drive.