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User profile for user: Non-techie_tech
Non-techie_tech Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Can you keep iPhoto on your iMac but have some images pull from an external hard drive?

Hello!


Is it possible to keep the instance of your iPhoto library on your iMac, but have some of the pictures stored only on an external hard drive?


My hope is that if the external hard drive isn't connected, iPhoto would only show the files that are actually on the iMac. But, if I connect the external hard drive, iPhoto would automatically recognize the photos on the external hard drive and populate them in my iPhoto library on my iMac.


Thank you!

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on May 31, 2020 3:17 PM

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User profile for user: Yer_Man
Yer_Man
User level: Level 10
162,320 points

Posted on May 31, 2020 3:34 PM

Couple of considerations here:


  1. iPhoto is dead. It ceased development and sale 5 years ago. There is absolutely zero point in investing any time and effort into a complex iPhoto library at this point. Move on to Photos, its successor, or whatever other Photo Manager you prefer
  2. No you can't really do this in iPhoto or Photos. They're just not that capable.
  3. You can have multiple libraries. But you can only open one Library at a time.
  4. While this may seem possible using a referenced library*, neither app has the tools to manage such a set-up competently.


A Managed Library, is the default setting, and Photos copies files into the Photos  Library when Importing. The files are then stored within the Library package


A Referenced Library is when Photos is NOT copying the files into the Photos Library when importing because you made a change at Photo -> Preferences -> General. (You unchecked the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.

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User profile for user: Yer_Man
Yer_Man
User level: Level 10
162,320 points

May 31, 2020 3:34 PM in response to Non-techie_tech

Couple of considerations here:


  1. iPhoto is dead. It ceased development and sale 5 years ago. There is absolutely zero point in investing any time and effort into a complex iPhoto library at this point. Move on to Photos, its successor, or whatever other Photo Manager you prefer
  2. No you can't really do this in iPhoto or Photos. They're just not that capable.
  3. You can have multiple libraries. But you can only open one Library at a time.
  4. While this may seem possible using a referenced library*, neither app has the tools to manage such a set-up competently.


A Managed Library, is the default setting, and Photos copies files into the Photos  Library when Importing. The files are then stored within the Library package


A Referenced Library is when Photos is NOT copying the files into the Photos Library when importing because you made a change at Photo -> Preferences -> General. (You unchecked the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.

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Can you keep iPhoto on your iMac but have some images pull from an external hard drive?

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