Backing up photos by album to external hard drive

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

To back up iPhoto copy the iPhoto Library Folder to an external disk. This gets everything: pictures, organisation, books, slideshows, albums whatever.

Regards

TD

Hi,

I read your reply to a question that could have been mine. At the moment I am copying the Library to the external hard drive. If I have added pictures in the coming weeks, how do I add those into the external hard drive without copying everything again. Also without having to locate the new pictures on my macbook, or at least do it in the easiest way.

ton

The easy way is to use a back up utility such as DejaVu or Chronosync to create and maintain your back up.

The first tome either of these apps back up they copy the entire library, but subsequent back ups are incremental, that is the back up copies the changes - additions, deletions etc - to the backed up library.

There are many, many other apps that will do this for you. Search on MacUpdate.

Regards

TD

Is it possible to move a album with its edits, etc to another computer without backing up the entire library?

Yes. You can use the paid version of iPhoto Library Manager to copy Events or Albums from Library 1 to Library 2 and preserve the titles, keywords. descriptions, modified files, etc.

If you want to backup slideshows, calendars, books then you'll want to use a backup application like Synk Standard to backup all changes from Library 1 to Library 2. That will preserve your library exactly.

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.≤br>
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

So if I purchase a back up utility such as dejaVu there is no need for backing up my iphoto or itunes library to an external hard drive?
Where is the info stored?

That's what dejaVu would be for. Making a backup of those two items and then making daily incremental backups. That's what I use Synk Standard for.

OT

Huh?

No. These utilities facilitate (and sometimes automate, if you set them up to do that) the backing up process. They create and maintain the back up on the external drive.

Regards

TD

I found this in a search as I have similar questions. I have been backing up to external hard drive by copying the iphoto library without ever opening the library. Now I want to split the library so I look in the folder and I see everything is labelled with roll numbers rather than the folder and albums I've sorted. For this to be of value to me I need to see this info rather than the roll number.

SO:
1. If the library keeps this info why can't I see it?
2. Is there a way I can back up and see this in the iphoto library?
3. If I want to split a the library how can I do that - I downloaded the free iphoto library manager but can't see how it works or how to use it to split albums.


Thanks

iPhoto is designed so that you do all your work in the iPhoto Window. There are no user serviceable parts inside the iPhoto Library Folder. Period.

1. If the library keeps this info why can't I see it?

Albums and Folders are tracked in the main db file of iPhoto. An album is reallly an instruction to the app: "Display these images together." There is no corresponding folder of images on the hard disk. This is why a single pic can be in 1, 10 or 100 albums with no wasted disk space.

2. Is there a way I can back up and see this in the iphoto library?

As stated in the thread above, back up the iPhoto Library Folder. But there is no way to see albums in the Finder.

3. If I want to split a the library how can I do that - I downloaded the free iphoto library manager but can't see how it works or how to use it to split albums.

To split a library:

1. Duplicate the Library. Now you have Library A and Library B.
2. From Library A delete the pics you don't want there. (Put them in the iPhoto trash and empty it. Hint: do this in batches of about a 100 at a time)
3. From Library B. Do the same.
4. Now you have split the library.

Using iPhoto Library Manager you can create a new library and use it to move pics/rolls/albums to the new library and then delete them from the old.

Regards

TD

Ok - thanks for this.

Do I duplicate the library using the iphoto library in the finder then or do I do it through iphoto somehow?

I want to move one to another mac to free up space so I should be able to put that library onto the ext hard drive then open it in the new computer and be confident all the albums and folders will be there (but not the slideshows right?)

Is it easy to switch between libraries?

Thanks so much again

Do I duplicate the library using the iphoto library in the finder then or do I do it through iphoto somehow?

You duplicate the iPhoto Library Folder in the Finder.

I want to move one to another mac to free up space so I should be able to put that library onto the ext hard drive then open it in the new computer and be confident all the albums and folders will be there (but not the slideshows right?)

The slideshows should be there also. You may have file permissions issues on the new machine so Download BatchMod from

http://macchampion.com/arbysoft/

And apply it to the iPhoto Library Folder using the settings found here:

http://homepage.mac.com/toad.hall/.Pictures/Forum/BatChmod.png

(Credit to Old Toad for this one).

Is it easy to switch between libraries?

Yes. Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'.

Regards

TD