Sharing iPhoto library between a Mac and a PC

1. iPhoto has no cross-platform capabilities whatsoever.

2. Putting the iPhoto Library on a disk formatted for PC is a frequent cause of problems. Folks report issue with updating the Library, keywords, accessing the pics in other apps and so on.

3. Using iPhoto on a wireless connection is also not recommended. Connection dropouts are a fact of life on wireless (even very brief ones.) If one occurs while iPhoto is writing to the Library then the Library will be corrupted.

4. If you look inside the iPhoto Library Folder you can see how that Library is organised: there are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three core folders

ℹ Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.

(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.

(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.

Remember: iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.

Browsing through the Library folder with another app - for instance, whatever you use to view the pics on the Windows machine - can alter the structure of the Library. Another recipe for disaster.

What you can do:

1. Use an app that has a cross platform capability such as Microsoft’s Expression

2. Run a *Referenced Library*:

Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.

Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. To do this it will create an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder.

However, you need to be aware of a number of potential pitfalls using this system.

1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.

I don’t recommend it but this will allow you to share the Original files (though not the edited versions.)

Regards

TD

Hi,
I am trying to do similar,, so, just want to check that i read your reply correctly,,,
If i keep all my files on an external drive and then uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'
then i can access these from either my mac or pc ?
will there be problems if i delete or add files to the collection (on the external drive) ?
thanks for any help with this

If i keep all my files on an external drive and then uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'
then i can access these from either my mac or pc ?

Yes.

will there be problems if i delete or add files to the collection (on the external drive) ?

iPhoto is a database. It can only know about changes you make via the database. Therefore when you add files to the collection you must *then import them to iPhoto*. Conversely, when you delete files from the collection you must *first delete them from iPhoto* and then remove them from the collection.

However, let me stress: iPhoto has no cross-platform ability and I do not recommend it for running a Referenced Library (uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import' ). As I said above:

1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.

Plus: This will only allow you to share Original pics, not edited versions. My 2 cents: Use an app with cross platform ability or don’t use a database to organise your pics, jus use a system of folders and an image viewer. Limited I know, but it will work.

Regards

TD

Ok ,, Thanks, it starts to make a little sense now 🙂