LR 5.7 move to new computer

i bought LR 4 a few years back (new software from Adobe) and installed it on my computer...

since that time, its upgraded to 5.7 through email/pop-up notifications...

im about due for a new computer (hoping against hope i can avoid going to Windows 10 (currently ROCKING the Win7!) and am curious if ill get notifications to update LR4 to 5.7 once i reinstall. assuming of course i can reinstall on a new system...

i know LR6 is out. should i just purchase the latest and greatest version? 5.7 works really well for me so id rather not buy again...

speaking of buying, is LR6 one of those subscription software programs where im going to have to pay every month to keep using? i thought i read something about that from Adobe...

I had Lightroom 6 standalone until I upgraded to Windows 10. A Windows 10 update destroyed it for a while. I finally caved and got the 9.99/month photographer's bundle. The next update to Windows fixed the Lightroom problem.

Yeah, you can upgrade from 5 to 6 standalone or subscription, your choice.

When moving to the new computer you don't have to start from LR4. If you upgraded and are now running 5.7 you have a valid licence. You just download and install if you didn't keep your last install file.

LR 6 is available standalone or via subscription. I wasn't really interested in the subscription version at the start but I went for it and I appreciate the bundle for the going price. The subscription version also has a few goodies that the standalone doesn't. If 5.7 is doing everything you want and don't feel the need for the upgrade then just stick with 5.7. You could also run a trial of both the LR 6 standalone and CC versions if you want to see the difference.

The only (legal) way you could have gone from LR4 to LR5 is by paying for an upgrade number ($80) and doing a new install of LR5 using that number. There was no unpaid passage from 4 to 5, although subsequent updates from 5.0 through to 5.7.1 would have been free. Hopefully you kept a record of that LR5 registration number and the original LR4 number. You will need to provide both when you do the install.
If you decide to upgrade to LR6 (currently 6.3), another $80, you will need either one of those earlier numbers to qualify for the upgrade price.

If your lightroom 5.x is registered with adobe, you don't need to have any keys or disks- they are stored with adobe. Log into your account and you can download the current version, and your key will be provided to you.

Qlayer2 wrote in post #17829529
If your lightroom 5.x is registered with adobe, you don't need to have any keys or disks- they are stored with adobe. Log into your account and you can download the current version, and your key will be provided to you.

"If"
For LRs 1 to 5 registering it with Adobe was a voluntary (not required or automatic) action. You would be surprised how many people either did not understand this or didn't bother.

now that you mention it, i believe Newegg had a free upgrade to LR5 from LR4...

seems to me i had to have my receipt from Newegg for entering some code in order to get LR5. i dont know if i still have that paperwork anymore...

You can use a free program like Belarc Advisor to find the serial number of you current install of Lightroom http://www.belarc.com/​free_download.html.

That will allow you to reinstall LR5.7 on your new system. However you will likely also need the LR4 serial number.