Can I re-container an unpacked Photos Library? Backed up using Chronosync Express for incremental backup, but container is unpacked into folder format.

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Can I re-container an unpacked Photos Library? Backed up using Chronosync Express for incremental backup, but container is unpacked into folder format.

I purchased ChronoSync Express to back up my Photos library, which is stored on a 2TB external HDD in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) along with my Time Machine backup. I have a 4TB external HDD in ExFAT that I use as photo backup (also with photos on my PC). I used to drag and drop my entire Photos library (~500gb) but it takes a long time and it feels very inefficient to delete the old one and drop my entire library every time.

I finally caved and purchased ChronoSync Express which allows me to back up incrementally, but it unpacks the folder so it shows up as a regular folder rather than the Photos container now.

In the future, if I have to recover from this folder, how would I go about converting that entire folder into a Photos app container? Everything inside is the exact same as the package contents of my Photos container.

Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)

Posted on May 30, 2024 3:02 PM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

203,455 points

May 30, 2024 11:19 PM in response to RCHSun

To use the backup as a library, if need be, you will have to copy it to a drive that is formatted MacOS Extended or APFS, not ExFAT. And the filename extension of the containing folder needs to be .photoslibrary . Then the Finder should show it again as a Photos Library.

Photos can only work with a library on a drive that meets these requirements: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 2

May 31, 2024 9:38 AM in response to RCHSun

RCHSun wrote: I purchased ChronoSync Express to back up my Photos library, which is stored on a 2TB external HDD in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) along with my Time Machine backup.

Do you have separate partitions (or volumes) for Time Machine and for your Photos Library? You can't have other files on a Time Machine volume. See this

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

I have changed the suffix on a Photos Library package back and forth, and it worked. But you have no guarantee that "Everything inside is the exact same" after it has been copied by something that changes its name. I would feel uncomfortable with that.

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Can I re-container an unpacked Photos Library? Backed up using Chronosync Express for incremental backup, but container is unpacked into folder format.

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