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justJanet

Q: How can I export photos from my macbook to a pen drive or portable hard disk?

I'm trying to export and back up photos from my macbook to a portable hard disk or pen drive

and it won't let me.  I don't want to use time machine for it.

iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 9.0.2

Posted on Oct 2, 2015 1:08 PM

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Q: How can I export photos from my macbook to a pen drive or portable hard disk?

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  • by bren_nan,

    bren_nan bren_nan Oct 2, 2015 1:17 PM in response to justJanet
    Level 1 (117 points)
    Oct 2, 2015 1:17 PM in response to justJanet

    How are your photos stored on the MacBook? Are you using iPhoto or the OS X Photos app? Or are they just saved in a folder in Finder?

     

    This discussion forum has your answer if you happen to be storing your photos in iPhoto on your MacBook:

    How to backup the entire iPhoto Library (only) directly to an extrenal hard drive ? ( Os10.6.8, iphoto 11 ver. 9.2.3 fro…

     

    Terence Devlin provided this answer:

    • Make sure the disk is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    • Most Simple Back Up:
      • Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.

     

    Your iPhoto library can be found by opening Finder > Go (in menu bar) > Home > Pictures > iPhoto Library.

    Your Photos library can be found by opening Finder > Go (in menu bar) > Home > Pictures > Photos Library.

     

    FYI: The process would be exactly the same whether you're using iPhoto or Photos to store/manage your library

  • by justJanet,

    justJanet justJanet Oct 2, 2015 1:43 PM in response to bren_nan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 2, 2015 1:43 PM in response to bren_nan

    I now have my photos downloaded to  photos app. I'm running El Capitan on my computer.  When I use to have iphoto it was easy, I just selected the photos that I want to put on a portable hard disk and then click export, create a folder and hit export again , now it won't let me do that.  I'm using the a portable hard disk that has been used before with my mac.

  • by bren_nan,

    bren_nan bren_nan Oct 2, 2015 2:04 PM in response to justJanet
    Level 1 (117 points)
    Oct 2, 2015 2:04 PM in response to justJanet

    If you wish to do it that way, here are the steps:

     

    • Select the photos in the Photos app you wish to export (Using the Shift key to select groups)
    • Go to File > Export > Export Photos
    • Click the Photo Kind pop-up menu and choose the file type for the exported photos.
      • JPEG creates small-size files suitable for use with websites and other photo apps.
    • Click the File Name pop-up menu and choose how to name the exported files
    • Click the Subfolder Format pop-up menu and choose how to divide the exported files into folders
    • Click Export.
    • Choose where to save the exported photo files (in your case, your portable disk), then click Export.

     

    http://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.0/#/pht6e157c5f

     

    Again, if you are wanting to take your entire photo library and save a copy on your portable disk this option may be easier, and definitely quicker for you.

    • Your Photos library can be found by opening Finder > Go (in menu bar) > Home > Pictures > Photos Library.
    • Copy and paste the "Photos Library" file to your portable disk
  • by justJanet,Solvedanswer

    justJanet justJanet Oct 2, 2015 2:22 PM in response to bren_nan
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 2, 2015 2:22 PM in response to bren_nan

    Thanks  Bren_nan

    Fixed the problem!  Some how my Toshiba hard disk went to read only mode and I had to download mac drive from Tuxera and that fixed my drive.  I guess with the new operating system it didn't want to recognize the hard disk or it changed it some how.  Same thing was happing to my son with his portable hard disk.