Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Keep Old Version After Updating?  (Read 1197 times)

Chris Kern

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2034
    • Chris Kern's Eponymous Website
Keep Old Version After Updating?
« on: August 13, 2019, 11:50:33 am »

I'd like to evaluate what performance improvements might be provided in my environment by the addition of GPU-accelerated editing in the desktop version of Lightroom 8.4 ("Classic").  Is there some way to install a new rev of LR without overwriting the old one?  Environment is MacOS 10.14.6, in case that's relevant.

Chris Kern

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2034
    • Chris Kern's Eponymous Website
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2019, 05:43:27 pm »

Is there some way to install a new rev of LR without overwriting the old one?

Since I posted my query earlier today, I’ve figured out one somewhat awkward and laborious way to do a comparison: clone the boot drive; boot from the cloned drive; install the new rev on the cloned drive; finally, boot from the original drive to test the performance with the earlier rev and from the cloned drive to test the performance of the new one.

I’m not sure I’m quite that curious, though.

Alan Goldhammer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4344
    • A Goldhammer Photography
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2019, 06:02:18 pm »

I'd like to evaluate what performance improvements might be provided in my environment by the addition of GPU-accelerated editing in the desktop version of Lightroom 8.4 ("Classic").  Is there some way to install a new rev of LR without overwriting the old one?  Environment is MacOS 10.14.6, in case that's relevant.
I had the last version of old stand alone LR.  When I upgraded to the subscription version it was gone.  I'm on Windows and since the old version did not support Nikon Z cameras I made no efforts to keep it.  I like all the new features in the subscription version.  I've not looked into the GPU-acceleration as my GPU is still pretty modest in my workstation (2GB VRAM) so maybe I don't benefit much.  I might upgrade the card if I see that there are any bottlenecks.
Logged

Alan Goldhammer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4344
    • A Goldhammer Photography
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2019, 08:02:04 am »

I have a related question about old LR folders/files.  I was just looking at the directory where LR data files are stored (catalogs, previews, etc.) and it appears that every time a new LR version (not minor update) is installed, a new catalog and preview folder are created.  I have 4 catalogs that look like they go back to LR4 based on the date stamps.  Is it OK to get rid of these since the new subscription LR has it's own catalog?
Logged

john beardsworth

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4755
    • My photography site
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2019, 08:33:08 am »

"it appears that every time a new LR version (not minor update) is installed, a new catalog and preview folder are created."

Not quite. When you install a new version (not dot release), it detects the catalogue which the previous version would have opened. It then copies the existing catalogue and adds -2 to its name, leaving the previous version's catalogue untouched. So from now on you'd be working with Alan-2.lrcat, for example. With the previews folder(s), it simply takes over the existing ones, adding -2 to the name - eg Alan-2 Previews.lrdata. This name change ensures it remains associated with the new version catalogue.

You can get rid of the old versions. Back them up first, of course.
Logged

Alan Goldhammer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4344
    • A Goldhammer Photography
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2019, 10:02:49 am »

"it appears that every time a new LR version (not minor update) is installed, a new catalog and preview folder are created."

Not quite. When you install a new version (not dot release), it detects the catalogue which the previous version would have opened. It then copies the existing catalogue and adds -2 to its name, leaving the previous version's catalogue untouched. So from now on you'd be working with Alan-2.lrcat, for example. With the previews folder(s), it simply takes over the existing ones, adding -2 to the name - eg Alan-2 Previews.lrdata. This name change ensures it remains associated with the new version catalogue.

You can get rid of the old versions. Back them up first, of course.
Thanks.  I did observe the '-2' appendage.  because I never got rid of old catalogs, I'm on something like -2-2-2 right now.  I'm just trying to minimize disk clutter.  I have all the legacy LR catalogs backed up as well as the install file for LR6 in case I ever need it though it won't help with any files from my Z 6 as they are not supported.

Logged

john beardsworth

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4755
    • My photography site
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2019, 11:07:40 am »

-2-2-2 would indicate the same catalogue has been upgraded three times. You may have a -2-2 and a -2 lying around.

My preference is to rename the current catalogue and associated preview files in Finder/Explorer to something more meaningful to me. Master Catalogue LR8.lrcat, for example.
Logged

Chris Kern

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2034
    • Chris Kern's Eponymous Website
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2019, 11:30:07 am »

My preference is to rename the current catalogue and associated preview files

My practice is to keep the old catalog[ue] files but delete the corresponding previews, which take up a lot of space.

john beardsworth

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4755
    • My photography site
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2019, 11:43:27 am »

Each LR upgrade would reuse & rename the previous version's previews, so you wouldn't get a build up of these folders. In any case, they are big and I do occasionally delete the previews folder and let LR build them from scratch.
Logged

Alan Goldhammer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4344
    • A Goldhammer Photography
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2019, 12:32:05 pm »

Each LR upgrade would reuse & rename the previous version's previews, so you wouldn't get a build up of these folders. In any case, they are big and I do occasionally delete the previews folder and let LR build them from scratch.
I don't mind their size so much but I do not back up previews to my Amazon Web Service storage.  AWS charges by the byte so things that are not mission critical and can be easily rebuilt are not stored.  I'm also sure that a lot of previews that get built up over time are never revisited.
Logged

Alan Goldhammer

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4344
    • A Goldhammer Photography
Re: Keep Old Version After Updating?
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2019, 12:33:24 pm »

-2-2-2 would indicate the same catalogue has been upgraded three times. You may have a -2-2 and a -2 lying around.

My preference is to rename the current catalogue and associated preview files in Finder/Explorer to something more meaningful to me. Master Catalogue LR8.lrcat, for example.
Excellent idea!
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up