Lightroom 2.3

[gahspidy]

Ok, here is a simple and probably dumb question, but I have not been able to find anything regarding it so here goes.

My Lightroom Catalogue folder contains many backup folders. Everytime lightroom backs up and checks the integrity of it's database it creates anew and latest up to date folder of the backups. This is starting to create a very large lightroom folder.
I would like to delete all but say the last three back up folders to rid the bulk here and redundancy. Do I need to keep all the back up folders or should not the last one cover everything up to date?

On a side note, upgrade 2.3 is working out really well so far. 2.2 had me getting freeze ups after a while of use and according to Adobe there were memory loss issues going on with the adjustment brush and some other things. 2.3 seems to have solved that.

[SmartWombat]

I've been deleting old backups in LR1, and 2 for ages with no ill effect.

[gahspidy]

Thanks Paul, I'll give it a go. Another question, if you upgrade to LR 2 from LR 1 do you then remove LR1 from your computer? Same with PS, I upgraded to CS4 a while back. Do I remove CS3 from the system?

[drg]

Gary,

You don't have to remove LR 1. Once the original 'upgrade' to version 2 is made the 1.4x version probably should be removed so it is not accidentally launched.

LR 2 'converts' your indexes so once all are complete, uninstall LR1.x unless there is something you want to 'compare' at a later date. Just take any shortcuts off the desktop. I've launced the wrong version on a system during the initial switch over and wondered what &*$# happened! The files don't play well together so you shouldn't switch back and forth.

With Photoshop CS3 and CS4, my first question is 'which' CS4 did you install? It doesn't make a lot of difference unless there is some set of actions or features that you want to compare and make sure are operating as intended. I've heard of plug-ins that didn't make the switch. Shouldn't be a problem but some features have been moved slightly and the construction of the 'macros' in actions may not work as originally intended.

I ran into an issue with an earlier (CS-CS2) with fonts that had been created that didn't transfer properly.

Test everything you use with regularity and if working, why take up the extra disk space. Or if you want to keep it, again remove shortcuts and just leave it alone. You should still have your original installation disks, just in case.

The other option would be to (again if you have sufficient disk space) to create a restore point, and then uninstall it. If anything stops working, restore the system and then start the diagnosis to find out what is not operating correctly.

[Medley]

OK yet another question. Being a Mac user, with Aperture2 loaded, I have only recently ventured seriously into LR, strictly for the purpose of trying to create an unbiased comparison of LR vs. Aperture. Are there any significant improvements in the tools of LR 2.3 that I should know about? So far, I've heard of functional differences (ie.. works better), but I've tried (by and large) to keep that out of the review, if only so that I could compare each on their strengths.

- Joe U.

[SmartWombat]

In the LR1.3 and 1.4 folders I'm left with lots of files that were not uninstalled.
I am not sure they are needed, but haven't deleted them just in case.

Upgrading to LR2 and then 2.3 left me an empty "Modules" folder in an otherwise empty "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2" folder.

[gahspidy]

Paul, drg. thanks. I think I'll remove the old back ups and the older programs.

[readingr]

Paul, drg. thanks. I think I'll remove the old back ups and the older programs.

Gary,

Before deleting them, rename them and then start the program to see if the program still works. If it does then delete them while the program is running and windows will stop you deleting them if they are in use.

Roger R.

[SmartWombat]

I just renamed the folders, l putting OLD_ at the front of the names.
LR 2.3 still works, so on my XP machine none of the old Microsoft Visual C runtime was needed.

[gahspidy]

Good idea, Roger.

[drg]

I wanted to add one more item.

Each new 'version' of Lightroom is an entirely separate installation. At this time anyway. Adobe points this out in several of their on line resources and there's no need to keep old 'versions' or converted files hanging around.

Theoretically you could go back and re-install an old version if you preferred, and this is what was the 'fix' for one 1.x version that had some unpleasantness associated with it (LR 1.4).