
- #Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc full#
- #Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc software#
- #Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc Offline#
- #Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc windows#
Storage-Presets: Stays on your main computer. Storage-Photos: Stays on your main computer, synced to the cloud. Storage-Catalog: Stays on your main computer, synced to the cloud.
#Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc full#
Edits are more limited than the full Lightroom program, for example, you can’t add keywords, apply your own custom Develop presets or use the Adjustment Brush, to name a few. #Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc Offline#
Requires a good internet connection, both for the initial upload and while viewing the photos, as there’s no way to cache them for offline use. Works well if multiple people need access to the photos, even at the same time. There’s nothing to worry about when you get back to your main computer as the changes automatically sync. Your photos can be accessed from any web browser, even if Lightroom’s not installed. Very easy to set up – just select the collections to sync. (Details are correct at the time of writing but change frequently!)įor whom: You usually work on a single machine, but occasionally you need to access your photos or add new photos from another machine. Summary: Using a web browser on your secondary machine, you can view your photos, flag & star them, add titles and captions, manage collections, search for photos using image-analysis, do a wide range of Develop edits, as well as uploading photos. I’ll use the same layout I’ve used in the book, in case you want to carry on reading about the other options. In this post, we’ll consider the two simplest options – Lightroom Web and Self-Contained Catalog – but the other options are described in detail on pages 492-507 of my main FAQ book. Next week, we’ll also look at using Store Presets with This Catalog to access your presets on both computers. (Putting the photos on a network drive is fine though). These can easily corrupt your catalog beyond repair, simply by the connection dropping at the wrong moment, so I’d strongly recommend avoiding these workarounds. #Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc windows#
There are some “solutions” posted on the web for putting your catalog on a network drive using a subst command on Windows or mounting a disc image stored on a network drive on a Mac. Even writing metadata to the files (XMP) misses some important data. Don’t just copy the photos to the other computer and import them again, as you’ll be missed all of the work you’ve done. Split and Merge-use one computer as a base (usually the desktop) and export chunks of work out as a smaller catalog for use on the secondary computer (usually the laptop), then merge it back into the primary catalog on your return.
Import from a Temporary Catalog-create a new catalog for the photos on the secondary computer and merge them back into the primary machine when you return.The final two options involve splitting and merging catalogs, so they can be a little more complicated:
#Can i use the same external hard drive for both mac and pc software#
Dropbox)-copy your catalog back and forth, using synchronization software such as Dropbox to keep both copies updated (but be careful to let them fully sync before switching).
Semi-Portable-place your catalog and previews on an external drive and plug it into whichever machine you’re going to use at the time, but some/all of the photos remain on the main computer or on network accessible storage. Self-Contained-place your catalog and photos on an external hard drive, and plug it into whichever machine you’re going to use at the time. The next three options give you access to your entire catalog on each machine, with or without the image files: Lightroom Web-sync your photos from your ‘main’ computer to the cloud, then access them using a web browser on other computers (or mobile devices). The first, and simplest option, gives you partial access to your catalog if you’re a CC subscriber: Lightroom can be activated on two computers at a time, but accessing your catalog from both machines isn’t quite so simple as Lightroom isn’t designed for multi-user or network use. I’ve broken it down into six main options, each with their own variations. Many photographers today are working between multiple computers, for example, a laptop and a desktop.