Today’s Question: I just noticed that the Lightroom Classic catalog and associated files say “v13-3”. When I check the version of Lightroom Classic on my computer it says version 15.2. What should I do?
Tim’s Quick Answer: I recommend renaming the Lightroom Classic catalog using the new built-in feature, using a more generic name that will avoid any future confusion.
More Detail: With a recent update to Lightroom Classic, when a catalog upgrade is necessary the catalog files will no longer be renamed. While I consider this to be a change for the better, it does create potential confusion about the catalog version compared to the version of Lightroom Classic.
Prior to the update, when the catalog files were upgraded the filename would be updated to reflect the current version number of Lightroom Classic. Now that upgrades don’t change the filenames for catalog files many photographers will have catalog files that reflect an older version of Lightroom Classic than they’re currently using.
To resolve this issue and avoid future confusion, I recommend renaming the catalog to a more generic name that doesn’t reflect a version number. To get started, go to the File menu in Lightroom Classic and choose “Rename Catalog”. In the Rename Catalog file that appears you can update the catalog name, such as to remove the reference to the version number and perhaps add your name or other identifying information.
I recommend leaving the “Rename parent folder” checkbox turned off unless you’re certain that you don’t have any photos stored within that folder structure. Otherwise, any folders and photos within that folder structure would then become missing in the context of your catalog.
Click the Rename button, and Lightroom Classic will restart, renaming the catalog files as part of the process.
