FACES transfer/move from ext hard drive to internal

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JAK1974 Author

Level 1

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FACES transfer/move from ext hard drive to internal

I have SO many pictures! I kept them on an external hard drive because I simply didn't have enough room on the hard drive. I personally organized them into proper folders This organization actually occurred long before I became a Mac user. Now that I have a 750G internal hard drive, I want to bring them back to the internal drive. BUT-- I want to bring all the work I did with the faces on them. Am I out of luck?? Puh-lease give me a better solution than starting over with literally 1000's of faces!

MacBook (13-inch Mid 2007), Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jul 23, 2012 6:05 PM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Jul 23, 2012 6:42 PM in response to JAK1974

Assuming a managedvlibrary, Drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity from the EHD to the pictures folder of the internal drive and depress the option key, launch iPhoto and select the new location

LN

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,260 points

Jul 23, 2012 11:33 PM in response to JAK1974

What version of iPhoto?

Are you running a Managed or a Referenced Library?

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

A Referenced Library is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. (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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Answer 3

JAK1974 Author

Level 1

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Jul 24, 2012 6:54 AM in response to Yer_Man

Iphoto 11 version 9.2.3

So, apparently I am indeed using the "referenced library" as the "Copy items to the iPhoto Library" box is un-checked.

So that leads me to wonder if I have to manually do this all over again --- or if I can connect to the external hard drive and export the entire library (with face tags) and re-import to the new hard drive. In effect, going "back" to a managed library?

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,260 points

Jul 24, 2012 8:18 AM in response to JAK1974

Do you have Aperture by any chance? If you have iPhoto 9.3 or later and Aperture 3.3 or later then you could open the Library with Aperture and use its Consolidate Masters command.

Next option: set iPhoto to Managed format and useiPhoto Library Manager's rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords nd faces back.

Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.

Other than that - how are you at hacking SQL databases?

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Answer 5

JAK1974 Author

Level 1

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Jul 24, 2012 9:43 AM in response to Yer_Man

I think I like the "Next Option" and will try that and post my results. Thanks so much for your time and interest in my delimma!

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Answer 6

JAK1974 Author

Level 1

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Jul 24, 2012 4:09 PM in response to Yer_Man

Ok, went into iPhoto and selected "Copy items to the iPhoto Library" but I don't find the iPhoto Library Manager? Am I in need of an updated version? I'm on iPhoto 11, version 9.2.3.

(I wish I could send a private message and just send my phone number!!)

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Answer 7

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Jul 24, 2012 4:36 PM in response to JAK1974

IPLM is here. http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/

LN

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