Copying photos with same file name (but not dupes) to external drive

Question

Level 1

8 points

Copying photos with same file name (but not dupes) to external drive

I am trying to copy several images (but not my entire iPhoto library) to an external drive (specifically to use on a Windows machine). Several of the images have the same file name (IMG-XXXX) but are not actually duplicate photos. I get a warning to either "Stop" or "Replace" and, of course, I want to do neither--I just want to copy the files.

I understand, thanks to this forum, that I should not change the actual file names because it will corrupt my iPhoto library. How can I copy the files to the external drive, and is there a "safe" way to change names of files contained within my Pictures folder without corrupting my iPhoto library?

Many thanks!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jul 31, 2009 8:31 PM

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Answer 1

Niel

Level 10

741,911 points

Jul 31, 2009 11:48 PM in response to JMWander

Is there a "safe" way to rename files without corrupting my iPhoto library?

It's theoretically possible to do so by editing database files manually, but you should just use the method described above or the one Terence posted.

(46046)

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Answer 2

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Aug 1, 2009 10:14 AM in response to JMWander

How can I copy the files to the external drive, and is there a "safe" way to change names of files contained within my Pictures folder without corrupting my iPhoto library?

Alternatively select the photo and go to the file menu ==> export and one of the options there is to assign new names to the exported photos - the title, sequential names, etc

You can not change them within the iPhoto library

LN

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Answer 3

EddieRez

Level 1

0 points

Sep 2, 2009 5:59 PM in response to JMWander

Same Terrible Problem !

Different photos with "duplicate file names". My iphone is naming the pictues with random numering (not in sequence) when saving them to a folder, the result is
that if I say "YES" to replacing duplicate photos (same filenames), different pictures will be overwritten since they have the SAME file names.

The programmers of the iPhone should know better... I lost alot of pictures before I noticed the flaw.

Anybody know how to avoid this. The only fix is to save them to a different folder every time with the risk of pictures being overwritten if they are every moved.

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Answer 4

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 2, 2009 6:59 PM in response to EddieRez

Same easy answer

select the photo and go to the file menu ==> export and one of the options there is to assign new names to the exported photos - the title, sequential names, etc