How do I back up pictures from a MacBook (current) onto an external drive?

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Level 1

4 points

How do I back up pictures from a MacBook (current) onto an external drive?

I just read through the iPhotos vs Photos debate, it seems the two sides are vigorously arguing over old versus new... I'm not a Apple guy so I have nothing to add to that debate <g>.

So photos and screenshots are no longer image files (as in the past) but are now initial entries in a Photo Processing System (present), and can only safely be managed within the Photos with 5 or 6 steps to make them visible (exportable) image files once again (being processed as a collection).

Apparently I must ask Photos to export all the "pics" into a temp directory to I can sort them and identify those that have be added since my last backup (to a USB drive). Delete those already backed up, and then add the new/updated ones to my backup.

This assumes the exported image files has proper dates as opposed to the current date of export...

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.1

Posted on Jan 15, 2025 10:26 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Keith Barkley

Level 7

21,674 points

Jan 15, 2025 12:21 PM in response to mniemann

Photos and iPhoto work the same as far as this goes.

To back up your originals select all you want to backup, then use the File->export unmodified photos.

To get the edited versions: select all you want to backup, then use the File->export modified photos.

To get the unmodified and edited and all the photos sugar like faces, you need to copy your whole library. You can drag it to an external disk.

I use Time Machine *and* drag my library to a separate external disk for a belt and suspenders approach.

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Answer 2

muguy

Level 10

91,766 points

Jan 15, 2025 10:38 AM in response to mniemann

No idea what you mean. You have a Time Machine (or similar) backup, correct? If not, enable your. external drive to backup using Time Machine. Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support Your photo library, and Mac contents, will backup automatically.

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Answer 3

muguy

Level 10

91,766 points

Jan 15, 2025 12:18 PM in response to mniemann

Your Time Machine backup can be restored to any Mac. In a pinch, you can navigate to the individual files in the backup although it’s not recommended. You should not store any other files on a Time Machine backup disk; it should be dedicated only to Time Machine.

you could always still move individual files if you wish. Not sure what wrench is thrown by photos? It still keeps a database of photos and related data similar to the old iPhoto software that it replaced years ago. You can still find photos by date taken or added, etc.

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Answer 4

mniemann Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 15, 2025 11:57 AM in response to muguy

If Time Machine backups are usable/readable by other computers that may be an option. My reading is that it is another proprietary technology... "Use your Time Machine backup disk only for Time Machine backups, not for storage of other files."

Extracting updated files from Desktop, Downloads, Document... and until recently Photos was all I needed. The behavior of the new Photos app has thrown a wrench into the mix.

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