iPhoto back up to external HD question

I went into the photo section and backed up all of the photos by coping them to the EHD. My question is that I deleted the photos I no longer wanted in iphoto because they are now on the EHD.

The key to answering is how did you "back up all of the photos" - did you drag the iPhoto library to the EHD or exactly how did you copy all of the photos?

If I were to back up again the same way, wouldn't I lose the photos that I deleted because it would copy over the iphoto library?

That depends on the answer to the questions above

Maybe it would create a iphoto2 library??

If you copied the library by dragging it then you would need to use a new name for each new copy

Is there someway to easily take the events and make them into folders so that you can just move stuff around freely??

select the photos in an event and export them to a folder with the same name - file menu ==> export

LN

I dragged the iPhoto library to the EHD.

If you copied the library by dragging it then you would need to use a new name for each new copy

Now how will I create those folders?

When you export you get a standard save window which includes the create new folder button - or use the finder to create them prior to exporting

LN

Prior to iPhoto '09 double clicking on the iPhoto library does not open that library - it opens iPhoto which then opens the last library used - to switch libraries launch iPhoto while depressing the option (alt) key and use the select library option - the selected library will stay selected until you do this again so be sure to switch back to your primary library after checking your library on the EHD


You also can use iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - to switch libraries on the fly - and do much more

LN

You are welcome - selecting the library can be confusing - especially when you are in a giant panic 🙂


And note that a backup is important - right now you do not have a backup since you have deleted the photos on your main drive - you have only a single copy of many photos located on the external drive - any failure there would cause you to lose those photos that exist only there


LN