Installing Different versions of Lightroom

I have Lightroom 4 and 5 and would like to install them onto 1 computer. Lightroom 5 is on C drive, I would like Lightroom 4 on my G drive external, same computer. At present I have the 2 different versions on 2 different laptops. I found on one computer I had to create a new directory on D drive called Programs, insufficient space on C drive. Any way of having 2 versions of Lightroom same computer?

galelegg wrote in post #18831006
I have Lightroom 4 and 5 and would like to install them onto 1 computer. Lightroom 5 is on C drive, I would like Lightroom 4 on my G drive same computer. At present I have the 2 different versions on 2 different laptops. I found on one computer I had to create a new directory on D drive called Programs, insufficient space on C drive. Any way of having 2 versions of Lightroom same computer?

I've got three different versions of Lightroom installed on an old Windows laptop; all on the C drive.

I tried to I install a different version of Lightroom onto computer but it wanted to replace older version with new. I may not have chosen a different directory.

galelegg wrote in post #18831059
I tried to I install a different version of Lightroom onto computer but it wanted to replace older version with new. I may not have chosen a different directory.

When the little window pops up that asks if you want to replace the older version, just click on NO.

Is there a specific reason why you want to keep LR4 installed? Just FYI LR 5 includes all the previous process engines.

Older images that were processed using an earlier version will display properly in LR5 and (unless you specifically choose to update them all) will continue to use the old process engine. You van even edit new images in the old process engine by selecting it in the calibration panel.

Thanks for reply. I currently have Lightroom 5 on my laptop. Laptop specs are at the outer edge of Lightroom 5, Windows 7, 32 bit and 4 GB of ram, at times very slow. I have used Lightroom 3 on another old laptop Windows xp, 32 bit, 1 GB of ram, faster than newer laptop to process photos. On my wife's laptop Lightroom 4, but if I use encroaching into dangerous territory.
Hoping Lightroom 4, in between, may be a better option. However when trying to install Lightroom 4 on my main use laptop it overrights Lightroom 5.
However Lightroom 4 will not read my CR2 files from Canon 70d. As a result I have to convert into TIF or PSD then process. Ideally I thought to have both Lightroom 4 and 5 together and just use as I preferred.

galelegg wrote in post #18834055
However when trying to install Lightroom 4 on my main use laptop it overrights Lightroom 5.
However Lightroom 4 will not read my CR2 files from Canon 70d. As a result I have to convert into TIF or PSD then process. Ideally I thought to have both Lightroom 4 and 5 together and just use as I preferred.

Install LR 4 and then reinstall LR5. New versions don't overwrite older ones.

The problem with this is that you will have to run two separate catalogs as the two versions aren't compatible.

An alternative to converting to TIFF or PSD would be to use Adobe's free DNG converter https://helpx.adobe.co​m …/adobe-dng-converter.html

Is the laptop upgradeable in any way? I have a old laptop that was given an extra lease of life by replacing the HD with an SSD.

Laptop is able to be upgraded to windows 7 64 bit by buying a new installation disk. This would be best with what I have but I really should buy a new computer as I have used the latest Lightroom 7 and it was great, only had to hit auto that worked 80% of the time. Lightroom 6 much the same as 5. Unfortunately my desktop computer power unit crashed, current laptop only stop gap but works great for everything else windows 7 much better than 10. I have also bought at same time Canon 70d, Canon 70-200mm f2.8L lens and I would like to buy Canon 6d mki. I can see a modern computer is also necessary to compliment this equipment, some also say you need a high quality monitor as well. Spending money seems never ending in photography.

Upgrading to 64 bit Win 7 would allow you to add more RAM and that plus an SSD might speed things up.... or not. If the graphics card is old/slow or the system has on-board graphics then that would probably still be a bottleneck. Probably better to get the desktop as that would stay current for longer.

Every time I upgraded Lightroom I left the previous version installed for a week or two just so I could easily return if needed. Then if satisfied with the upgrade, I would remove the previous version. In every case both versions were installed on the same drive - no problems.

My problem with the 2 different versions of Lightroom is that the second version I try to install wants to install the default catalogue on top of the previous catalogue. I am unsure if you can delete the default catalogue from the first installation.

galelegg wrote in post #18849076
My problem with the 2 different versions of Lightroom is that the second version I try to install wants to install the default catalogue on top of the previous catalogue.

1. Close LR5. Rename your existing LR5 catalog file to [existingname]-lr5.lrcat.
2. Uninstall LR5
3. Install LR4 - it will create a new catalog called catalog.lrcat. You will use this for any LR4 processing.
4. Install LR5 - it will offer to update/open your LR4 catalog - just select no/cancel then open your original LR5 catalog and use that for any LR5 processing.

You now have two versions and two catalogs. The catalogs are not compatible/interchange​able. Any edits done in LR4 will only exist in the LR4 catalog. All your existing LR5 edits (and any future ones) will only exist in your LR5 catalog.

You will need to keep track of which editor you are using for which images.

Thanks to all for suggestions. Since my first post on this topic I have developed a system of workflow in Lightroom 5 that seems to work on my old laptop. I will outline:
1. Download RAW files from SD card to C drive directory on the computer not external HDD as I originally did.
2. Open a small memory cleaning program called Memclean.
3. Leave photos as RAW for editing as the conversion time to TIF, DNG is just time wasting.
3. Do not bother with smart previews they do not speed up the editing process.
4. First editing proceeded is to simply crop photos in Develop do no further editing until cropping is complete. Cropping also magnifies image and you can tell if photo is in focus better. Press X to delete files and press caps lock to capital letters so that photos will move to next photo automatically.
5. Return to Library mode and delete all photos flagged X, control backspace. You will then be left with editing those photos you have already cropped.
6. Return to Develop. If you want to do lens adjustments, if you have same lens for all photos then carry this out by Sync all photos.
7. From this position it is up to your own prefernces on how you edit photos, batch or one by one. I vary it depending on the quality and quantity I have to do. I Developed over 700 in original JPG format photos last weekend, for most I tweaked around with Sync and did a mainly batch job.
8. After Develop return to Library mode clean the memory with Memclean. Export photos into JPG into a new directory on C drive, not same as RAW file directory. I exported 256 photos in one session. Unsure of time taken as completed operation just prior to bedtime. All done next morning not 1 file missed.
Hope I have not missed anything but very pleased with result. Thanks to all who made suggestions. Will stick with Lightroom 5 until I get a more updated computer. New computer will not be purchased for latest edition of Lightroom as both 4 and 5 seem to do the same.