Warning about storing a Photos library on external drive

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Warning about storing a Photos library on external drive

I have my Photos library on an external 2TB SSD because it's a big library and so storing it on the internal SSD on my Mac Studio takes up too much space, but I see that Apple warns that if you do that, it's not searchable and you can't back up your library to Time Machine. WHAT??? 😳

"WARNING: If a Photos library is located on an external drive, don’t use Time Machine to store a backup on that external drive. The permissions for your Photos library may conflict with those for the Time Machine backup."

I don't get it. It's vital that Photos is backed up to Time Machine as my library of photos is one of the most important things I have, so what am I supposed to do?

Mac Studio

Posted on Mar 2, 2023 10:28 PM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

195,241 points

Mar 2, 2023 10:57 PM in response to Cartoonguy

You may have misread the warning in Back up the library in Photos on Mac – Apple Support (UK). It says "If a Photos library is located on an external drive, don’t use Time Machine to store a backup on that external drive. " It does not say, that you cannot use Time Machine to backup the library.

Time Machine can back up your Photos Library, even if it is on an external volume. But you must not use a Time Machine volume to store your Photos Library there. Time Machine backups and Time Machine volumes are protected for privacy reasons, and these security restrictions will prevent Photos from accesssing the library properly, if you are keeping your Photos Library on a Time Machine volume. Use a separate external volume, where you are storing nothing but your Photos Library, with enough free storage to let the library grow. Prepare the external drive as described here: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

After you move the library to an external volume, designate this library as the System Photo Library, so your photos will again appear in the Media Browser. And keep the external volume with your Photos Library always plugged in, even if you are not working with Photos - the system photos Library needs to be accessible at all times, or Spotlight cannot index it.

In the Time Machine Settings check the exclude list. The volume with the Photos Library must not be added to the Time Machine exclude list.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

195,241 points

Mar 2, 2023 11:36 PM in response to Cartoonguy

You're welcome, good luck!

You are not the first to misread this warning. Ironically, an early version of the Photos User Guide frightened us by stating "Do not use Time Machine to backup your library", but it has been a mistake and corrected later.

Is keeping the Photos Library on a separa… - Apple Community

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Answer 3

Cartoonguy Author

Level 1

83 points

Mar 2, 2023 11:02 PM in response to léonie

Aaah, yes, I see what you mean. The warning is to not store your Photos library on the same drive you use for Time Machine. Okay, not doing that, of course. Thanks for clarifying. So I am good to go with my library on the external, but you advise that it must be plugged in always, which it is anyway. And yes, need to make sure the external drive is not excluded from Time Machine or it will not be backed up at all.

Thanks so much.

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Answer 4

Cartoonguy Author

Level 1

83 points

Mar 3, 2023 3:34 PM in response to léonie

Glad I'm not the first!! It could be clearer, I think. How about, "Photos library can be stored on external drives, but make sure Time Machine is backing up to a different drive." That way, it's telling you what is okay to do, but with a note, rather than a scary warning. Anyway, my 2¢. 🙃. Thanks again for your detailed answer. Much appreciated.

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Answer 5

Mar 4, 2023 8:45 AM in response to Cartoonguy

This is the restriction: The drive you use for a Photos Library can not have had Time Machine on it since it was formatted.

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Warning about storing a Photos library on external drive

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