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Author Topic: Can Multiple PC Users use the same Adobe defaults on a single PC  (Read 984 times)

jpegman

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I'm trying to set up a working/playing laptop using Windows 8.1.1 and Lightroom 5.4.  The Laptop is an Toshiba Qosmio i7 32Gb screamer (SSD C:/drive and 1Tb mechanical D:/drive) etc but used for teaching and personal productivity.

The goal is to create 2 separate user accounts and one install of Lightroom 5.4/ PhotoshopCC on the same PC. The purpose is to create a lean and mean "absolute minimal" OS overhead on one user account for LR/Photoshop teaching, and a more general one for web surfing, MSO, emails with all the usual stuff running in the background, etc.

The "problem" is when LR is installed, by default, installs under the users account.  When Lightroom is opened in the second account, it does not see any of the presets, metadata, profiles, etc. from the original account, and basically opens as a new catalog factory default since there are no LR links to this account.

Has anyone tried to run multiple LR users on the same PC and been able to share common LR assets files between the two user accounts across logins?

Jpegman

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Schewe

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Re: Can Multiple PC Users use the same Adobe defaults on a single PC
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2014, 10:55:47 pm »

What you are trying to do is swim upstream against a current. Yes, you "can do it" the question is, how much work do you want to do to do so?

In terms of presets, you can have LR save the presets as part of the catalog instead of the user preferences. That option will give you access to the same presets and templates on both accounts. But, in order to have the same DNG profiles & lens profiles available in both means those same profiles will need to be stored in the each user prefs.

This Adobe tech note will tell you where LR is storing the various files: Lightroom Help / Preference and other file locations in Lightroom 5

You'll need to manually copy all of the files and folders from the one user account to the 2nd user account.

Are you really sure you want to do this? Every time to change something you'll need to recopy all the stuff over again. Seems like a lot of work for little gain...
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jpegman

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Re: Can Multiple PC Users use the same Adobe defaults on a single PC
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2014, 11:03:26 pm »

Thanks for the reply Jeff. I figured that was one way (painful as it is), but, wanted to see if anyone knew of a more general solution. 

Most PC programs (but not Adobe), during the install, allow the program installer to select for the current user only or for all users on the PC and was hoping something similar was available for LR or a tweak could be made which would allow the same.

Jpegman
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Schewe

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Re: Can Multiple PC Users use the same Adobe defaults on a single PC
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2014, 11:09:59 pm »

All Adobe apps (that I'm aware of) require the initial install to have full admin rights to install. From there, you can set up additional user accounts (with lower permissions) but you need to do some house keeping to do so...sorry, wish there was a magic bullet but I don't think there is. Maybe somebody with more Window experience can offer some additional input.  I'm dual platform but I'm fluent in Mac and only have conversational Windows :~)
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JRSmit

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Re: Can Multiple PC Users use the same Adobe defaults on a single PC
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2014, 12:18:40 pm »

You could try symbolic linking the relevant directories to the other account. It should work.
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