Today’s Question: If I set my default catalog to the version 12 catalog in Preferences, what happens when there’s a future update and my catalog is upgraded to version 13? Do I need to remember to go change the default catalog again?
Tim’s Quick Answer: If the catalog is updated due to an upgrade for Lightroom Classic the default catalog in Preferences will update based on that upgrade.
More Detail: As noted in a previous Ask Tim Grey eNewsletter, I recommend setting your primary catalog in Lightroom Classic as the default, to help ensure you don’t accidentally work in the wrong catalog. This option is found on the General tab of the Preferences dialog in Lightroom Classic.
If you later upgrade to a new version of Lightroom Classic that requires a catalog upgrade, the setting will update automatically to reflect the updated catalog.
For example, let’s assume you had set the default catalog in Preferences to your primary catalog for Lightroom Classic version 11. If you upgrade to Lightroom Classic version 12 the catalog would be updated to the version 12 catalog format. The Default Catalog setting in Preferences would update automatically as part of this process so that the version 12 catalog is selected rather than the version 11 catalog.
