I need help with export photos to an external hard drive (so not the library, but just photos)

The format "ExFAT" explains why some files will fail to export.

Do not write to the top level of the file hierarchy on this drive but to a subfolder.

On your Mac use a smart album to select batches of photos systematically, so you do not export any photo twice.

• File > New Smart Album
• Set the smart rule to "Date captured > is in the range > "

Now select all photos in this album together with ⌘A and use File > Export > Export .. Photos to save the photos to a folder in your home folder, than drag this folder to your external volume.

To export at the full size use this export preset:

How are you exporting? With "File > Export > Export .. Photos" or are you trying to export the unmodified originals with "File > Export > Export unmodified originals"?

There might be several reasons for not being able to export all photos. Is there an error message, when you export? If yes, what is the message?

Photos may be unable to export a photo,

• if you have selected more than one photo with the same filename. In that case it will help to export in smaller batches, to avoid the same filename in the same export session.
• or if one of the original files is missing or cannot be processed. In that case you have to identify the offending item and try to restore the a proper version of this item. Look at the error messages.
• Or, if you are exporting to a volume with a filesystem format, that does not support the filenames of your files. In that case it helps to export smaller batches of your photos to the internal drive, for example the Pictures folder, then copy the exported folders to your external drive.

I am curious what the best way to export full size images to an ex-Fat formatted drive. I have over 10,000 photos in iPhoto as well as photos in separate photos since iPhoto started crashing. The MacBook is very old and I don't have another one so I'm just trying to get my photos on the drive so I can upload to the cloud from a PC. I don't mind exporting in batches, but don't even know how to go about doing it to ensure it is the full file. None of my photos on my MacBook are on the cloud.

giovannafromnl wrote:

Okay, so first i have to drag de photos to a folder in my home folder... I will try that!! Hope it works. Thank you!

Not drag - use the command "File > export ", or you will not have any control over the quality of the exported photos.