How to Move iPhoto files to an External Hard Drive?

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How to Move iPhoto files to an External Hard Drive?

Currently I have one an external hard drive that backs up with Time Machine. And, I just bought an OWC Mercury Elite-Al Pro 500 GB external hard drive, I am planning to use this one to store files on so that I can free up space on my hard drive. I have way too many pictures, so I want to move the majority of them to the external hard drive, while still keeping some on my computer. I have no idea how to do and would appreciate a step-by-step guide, so that I don't mess it up! Also, I have a bunch of older pictures on CDs that I would like to copy on to my computer and then move to the external hard drive. How should I go about this...Should I do this first? Thanks!

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Mar 31, 2010 3:43 PM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

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Mar 31, 2010 4:19 PM in response to jamaes22

Quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external hard drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto and fully test the library and then delete the iPhoto library for the internal drive - for moving photos between the EHD and a smaller, new library on the internal drive use iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/

you can switch libraries by option launching or by using IPLM - just remember that iPhoto always opens the last used library

I would import the old photos after getting the libraries set up the way you want

And remember to be sure the Time Machine is backing up your new EHD too

LN

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Answer 2

jamaes22 Author

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Mar 31, 2010 4:30 PM in response to LarryHN

Thanks for the reply! I am not very computer savvy so I am still a bit confused... what do you mean by fully test the library? What is option launching and IPLM? Also, why would I want time machine to back up my new EHD? I was under the impression that the point of getting a second one was so that one would be used for Time Machine and one would be used to store data.

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Answer 3

LarryHN

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106,110 points

Mar 31, 2010 4:44 PM in response to jamaes22

Thanks for the reply! I am not very computer savvy so I am still a bit confused... what do you mean by fully test the library?

Use it and verify that it works and all of your photos are there -- test it

What is option launching

Depress the option key and launch iPhoto

and IPLM?

iPhoto Library Manager

Also, why would I want time machine to back up my new EHD?

Because that is where your iPhoto library is going to be located - it must be backed up just like the rest of your important data

I was under the impression that the point of getting a second one was so that one would be used for Time Machine and one would be used to store data.

Correct - and it is important that you back up the data stored on the external hard drive as well as the data stored on the internal drive - that is why you backup - to protect your data

LN

Message was edited by: LarryHN

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Answer 4

jamaes22 Author

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Mar 31, 2010 5:56 PM in response to LarryHN

Thanks for the information...I am still a bit confused on how to do all of this...

First, do I need to format the external hard drive or do anything besides plug it in and connect it to my computer?

I understand how to drag the library to the external hard...I guess my confusion stems from what happens after...I want my new pictures (that I upload from my camera to iPhoto) to go on my internal hard drive...how can I accomplish this?

So Time Machine can be used to back up the information that is on the external hard drive? I thought it only backed up information on your internal hard drive?

As far as IPLM...I assume that I can read to figure out what it's all about...?

Thanks for the patience!

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Answer 5

LarryHN

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Mar 31, 2010 8:33 PM in response to jamaes22

First, do I need to format the external hard drive or do anything besides plug it in and connect it to my computer?

It needs to be a Mac OS X extended (journaled) formatted drive - I believe taht your drive is correctly formatted - but you need to verify that

I understand how to drag the library to the external hard...

OK

I guess my confusion stems from what happens after...I want my new pictures (that I upload from my camera to iPhoto) to go on my internal hard drive...how can I accomplish this?

As stated a couple of times - depress the option key and use the select library option to select the library - or use IPLM (That in case you missed it is iPhoto Library Manager) to switch libraries - and as stated remember that iPhoto always opens the last used library so if you want to import photos to the internal drive be sure that it is the one selected.

So Time Machine can be used to back up the information that is on the external hard drive? I thought it only backed up information on your internal hard drive?

It will back up your eternal drive

As far as IPLM...I assume that I can read to figure out what it's all about...?

Yes - they have a great help section and an online users manual

LN

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Answer 6

jamaes22 Author

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Apr 2, 2010 8:18 AM in response to LarryHN

In doing some reading on IPLM I have come up with a question...

Is there a difference between the way you described how to move my photos to the external HD (i.e. Quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external hard drive) and IPLM's suggestion that you "if you have an existing library that you would like to store on your external drive, use the "Duplicate Library" command in the File menu. You will be given a choice of where to duplicate the library to, at which point you can choose the external hard drive that you'd like to copy the library to."
Does it matter which I do?

Thanks for all your advice.

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Answer 7

LarryHN

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106,110 points

Apr 2, 2010 9:13 AM in response to jamaes22

No - except the drag method I first mentioned allows you to do it without IPLM

IPLM is extremely useful in managing multiple libraries and if you have it you certainly can use it to duplicate your library

LN

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Answer 8

jamaes22 Author

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Apr 2, 2010 4:11 PM in response to jamaes22

I have a follow-up question:

I copied my iphoto library to my EHD by dragging it to the EHD. I then renamed the library on my internal HD "iPhoto Library.old." Then, I option launched iPhoto chose the library on the EHD, everything seemed to be there. I quit iPhoto, then option launched it again, this time choosing the library on my internal HD, everything seemed normal there too.
Is there any reason not to or why I can't just also keep the library on the internal HD (iPhoto Library.old), deleting all but my most recent pictures (so that only about 6 months worth of photos would be kept on my internal HD iPhoto library) while the rest would be on the EHD?
Would I be able to easily move photos onto the EHD as time goes on?
Thanks!

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Answer 9

Yer_Man

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Apr 2, 2010 11:36 PM in response to jamaes22

Is there any reason not to or why I can't just also keep the library on the internal HD (iPhoto Library.old), deleting all but my most recent pictures (so that only about 6 months worth of photos would be kept on my internal HD iPhoto library) while the rest would be on the EHD?

No, there is no reason not to.

Would I be able to easily move photos onto the EHD as time goes on?

Use iPhoto Library Manager to move albums, pics, events, plus all associated metadata, versions and so on, between libraries.

Note: Don't confuse having your Library on an external disk with a back up. It's not. A Back Up is a whole other copy on another disk.

Regards

TD

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Answer 10

jamaes22 Author

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Apr 3, 2010 8:32 AM in response to Yer_Man

I may be confused about having my library on an external disk and a back up... my goal in moving my library is to free up space on my internal hard drive by storing about 8000 of my 9500 pictures on an external hard drive...but of course I want my pictures backed up as well...As far as a back up, currently I have a separate external hard drive that I use Time Machine with...If I regularly back up using Time Machine before I move additionally pictures to the external HD won't all my pictures have been backed up?

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Answer 11

LarryHN

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Apr 3, 2010 9:05 AM in response to jamaes22

Note: Don't confuse having your Library on an external disk with a back up. It's not. A Back Up is a whole other copy on another disk.

If you are using your iPhoto library on an external drive then that is your library - you still need to backup it up - time machine, a clone, etc - to have a backup

LN

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Answer 12

jamaes22 Author

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Apr 3, 2010 1:32 PM in response to LarryHN

I will be using my external HD to store about 8000 pictures. I will keep about 1500 on my internal HD and upload new photos to the internal HD (moving more to the external HD as my photos become more numerous). I backed up with time machine to my other external HD before copying my iPhoto library to the new EHD. My understanding is that as of now all of my photos are backed up on the time machine EHD (is my understanding of how Time Machine works off?), therefore as long as I am sure to back up to my other EHD using Time Machine before I copy new photos over from my internal HD to my other EHD I should be fine?

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Answer 13

Yer_Man

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Apr 3, 2010 1:47 PM in response to jamaes22

You need to be extremely careful working with Time Machine.

TM is an back up tool, not an archiving one.

So, back up a file on your Mac with TM. No problem.

Then remove that file from your Mac and it will +also be removed from TM+. Not immediately, but inevitably.

An Archiving application will not remove files that have been removed from the Mac unless you tell them to.

Regards

TD

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Answer 14

jamaes22 Author

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Apr 3, 2010 2:12 PM in response to Yer_Man

This seems very strange to me, isn't the point of using a back up tool like Time Machine, to have everything backed up in case you lose information on your internal HD? Otherwise what good is it doing me? How would I go about using/getting an archiving tool? Should I be using an archiving tool and not time machine? Thanks for all the help!!

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Answer 15

Yer_Man

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Apr 3, 2010 3:13 PM in response to jamaes22

The point of Time machine is that it lets you roll back to a given date. So, as long as you have disk space for it, it will keep back ups. However, as it uses up the disk space it removes older back ups to make room for current back ups. Theoretically, it could hold everything for ever if you have a big enough disk. However, in practical terms it means there's a limit to how long it holds a file.

Note that as long as the file remains on your HD it will never be deleted from TM. However, the ability to roll back is not open ended.

You just use any back up utility that does not sync the deletions with the Back Up, that's all.

Regards

TD

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