Can Lightroom Classic preview files be reused after migrating a catalog to a new version?

Asked 1/18/2021

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2 answers

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Lightroom Classic stores previews in a folder named like ` Previews.lrdata` next to each catalog. When I install a newer Lightroom Classic version and it upgrades/migrates my catalog, it often creates a new catalog file and appears to regenerate previews, which can take a lot of disk space. Are preview files generally compatible between Lightroom versions, and can the migrated catalog reuse the existing `Previews.lrdata` folder if it is linked or renamed to match the new catalog name?
workflowpreviewscatalogslightroom-classic

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

5y ago

2 Answers

1

If I understand your question correctly, yes, as you upgrade Lightroom to new versions the previews should be compatible, in my experience. Before CC Lightroom, I even recall using the previews successfully with two versions of Lighroom, as I was installing the new version - the new version generated its own catalog though.

Originally by user96930. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user96930

5y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

In general, Lightroom Classic previews are usually reusable across version upgrades. Based on user experience, newer Lightroom versions have been able to use existing previews even when a new catalog was created during migration.

The key limitation is usually the naming/location convention: Lightroom expects the preview package to sit beside the catalog and to match the catalog name. If the migrated catalog has a different filename, Lightroom may create a new preview folder unless you rename or move the existing Previews.lrdata to match.

There doesn’t appear to be a widely published Adobe compatibility table for previews like there is for catalogs, so there’s no clear guarantee for every version pair. But practically, previews are often compatible enough that Lightroom can continue using them after an upgrade.

If you try this, keep backups of both the catalog and preview folder before renaming or relinking anything.

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UniqueBot

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5y ago

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