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What's the best way to backup a LARGE iPhoto 9 library

So, as the title states I currently have 29,713 photos in my library, and I'm looking for the best solutions for backing up. In the past I have just dragged my libray over the EHD and moved on. I have read stories of upgrading iphoto and how some have lost photos or they just don't transfer over. I'm really looking to upgrade anytime soon but I'm wanting a solid plan that I can count on. Before we switched to digital I used to have all my film pic's copied to CD's for backup so I have those, but since then I just import my digital photos to iphoto and erase the camera disk. I realize I'm living on borrowed time since it's not IF my HDD with fail...it's When!


So my questions are....


1.) Do I just continue backing up the library as in the past?


2.) Is it wise to backup the "Originals" folder in my library?


3.) How would I go about doing #2 without screwing up my current library


4.) Do you guys trust online backups like Carbonite etc...


Thanks for your help!

Eric

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 17" MBP GHz Intel Duo Core, 4GB RAM

Posted on Jan 27, 2013 10:51 AM

Reply
91 replies

Jan 27, 2013 11:18 AM in response to Eric Cross

I'd recommend home sever (in the process of going through this now) AND definitely cloud offsite


Onsite NAS Server (Synology)

  • Can set this up as wifi accessible with wifi base station
  • Can access your files anywhere on any device

- Apple doesn't support NAS servers for iPhoto (*sigh*)—but you can put every other document, music, video on there to free up space on your CPU for iPhoto images

I have 6T partitioned this way...

- Volume 1 = 1T for Time Machine (of the 500gig retina)

- Volume 2 = 2T for server space

- Volume 3 (invisible) = a mirror of Volume 1&2


Offsite Cloud (I cannot stress enough how important this is)

I used Backblaze ($50/yr) prior to going with an NAS server

- Unfortunately Backblaze does not support NAS drives—but if you don't move to a NAS server situation I'd recommend this service.

- Founders are ex-Apple employees and great deal, especially if you have like 450gigs (which I did on a laptop).

- Works seemlessly in the background and using native Apple system preferences pane (super easy to move beetween continuously or user controled when you want)

- A LIFESAVER a couple of weeks back when my 17" laptop AND at-home backup drive (Maxtor) failed within 12 hours of each other on Christmas no less

myPCbackup and livedrive seem to be the cheapest for at home NAS cloud backup use

- I am just in the process of moving to a NAS and selecting a different cloud backup to support NAS but these two look to be trustworthy and fairly reasonable in price for 2-3T of space


Good luck!

Jan 27, 2013 1:59 PM in response to sukibean

Unfortunately this is not the answer to the OP's question for the reason you include in your answer - the iPhoto library can not be places on a NAS even for backup

Onsite NAS Server (Synology)

- Apple doesn't support NAS servers for iPhoto (*sigh*)

And Cloud backups are problematic for both the drive forma issue and te slow restore speed to restore a very large iPhoto library



The only way to back up an iPhoto library (large or small) is to a locally wired connection hard drive using good backup software - - plus an occasionally off site backup


LN

Jan 27, 2013 2:59 PM in response to sukibean

Don't put an iPhoto or Aperture Library on a NAS. You will have problems. Libraries will be corrupted.


iPhoto needs to have the Library sitting on disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Users with the Library sitting on disks otherwise formatted regularly report issues including, but not limited to, importing, saving edits and sharing the photos.


Regards



TD

Jan 27, 2013 3:15 PM in response to LarryHN

Onsite NAS Server (Synology)

Can set this up as wifi accessible with wifi base station—using Time Machine

- SIDE: An Apple Store employee recommended an NAS drive to us (Walnut Creek, CA) when we were looking at alternate drive solutions. He recommended this for backup using Time Machine and as a server for files (iTunes, Movies/TV, documents—and as a creative I have 700gigs worth of these on multiple drives—but that iPhoto main important library should remain on the laptop. And this is how we've config. ours).


Offsite Cloud (I cannot stress enough how important this is)

If you have a fire or flood—hard wired backups could go with your other hardware. I know SEVERAL Sandy friends in Jersey with this exact situation—and NO cloud backups of important docs, especially family photos/movies

- As I live in earthquake/fire season country (East Bay, CA) having some kind of cloud is important. What's worse not retrieving anything or at least having something to build from should you find yourself in a bad situation?

Backblaze def. worked for us when we lost both a 17" laptop AND Maxtor hardwired backup drive due to our 5yo wrestling with the dog (who knew I'd have to plan on this use case) on Christmas day.

- Yes, it took several days to package the content at Backblaze—about 24 hours for photo. And then another 12 or so to download.

- It's time consuming— but it worked. I could have opted for them to send me a drive (up to 3T)—but decided to deal with the time and see if it worked (rather than the cost) as I would need to replace my laptop/backup stystems (and these were unplanned expenses)

- I should mention we have 60mbps speed w/ wireless at about 40mbps using XFINITY




Jan 27, 2013 3:30 PM in response to Yer_Man

Perhaps that's true of most NAS drives—but the DS12 and DS213 by Synology markets "Mac OS X® users enjoy native Apple® Time Machine® integration".


Side: Synology can't mention brands or product titles w/ registration unless legally their claim is true. I would assume prior to making this claim Synology and Apple teams tested the product w/ use of TimeMachine (and iTunes, as this NAS also has a plug in that works with that, also mentioned in product marketing/legalease). Oherwise Apple's legal counsel wouldn't allow that language to be approved for publishing—and would force them to take down and/or sue.

Jan 27, 2013 3:33 PM in response to sukibean

@sukibean - you go ahead - but until you have implemented this andtested it for a reasonable period of tiem do not recommend it to others - iif you are wrong (and you probably are given teh large number of issues that have been reported with ever having the iPhoto library on a drive that is not formatted Mac OS extended (jhournaled) then your untested advice will cause people to lose data and possibly photos


Until someone actually test and proves that the iPhoto library can successfully be on a NAS the advice is to be safe, do not risk your photos and certainly do not risk other people's photos by given untested advice


Giving risky advice based on your Assumtption that it must be all right is not smart


LN

Jan 27, 2013 3:35 PM in response to sukibean

Perhaps that's true of most NAS drives—but the DS12 and DS213 by Synology markets "Mac OS X® users enjoy native Apple® Time Machine® integration".


I've seen that kind of claim made for FAT16 and FAT32 drives. All it means is that Time Machine will see it as a drive. Doesn’t mean that your Library won't be corrupted. The fact remains that the Library needs to be on a disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Jan 27, 2013 11:11 PM in response to sukibean

Sorry that you do not like it but your advice is incorrect and as the TOU for this forum state you should not recommend solutions that you have not tested - your recommendation coud causeusers to lose photos and unles personally have tested it and are positive that it is correct then you should not post here


As to yelling - None done or needed - but you need to heed the TOU


LN

Mar 18, 2014 12:49 AM in response to Rolfski

As long as the Disk Image is formatted correctly it a viable workaround - essentially you're not using the NAS to store the Library, but instead to store the disk with the Library. It's somewhat inconvenient and some folks have reported that alterations to the Library trigger complete back ups of the disk image, but I'm sure you'd notice that if it was happening.

Mar 18, 2014 12:58 AM in response to Yer_Man

That is a quick reply! :-) Correct, backup is a pain. The disk image is almost 300GB (because of all the video) and it always needs to backup the complete file. Reason why I have it in the disk image on the NAS is because I also want to be able to open iPhoto from a different Mac on the network.


Maybe I can open the disk image and then let ChronoSync copy the files to a different location? Would it then be an incremental backup? I'll give it a try right away.

What's the best way to backup a LARGE iPhoto 9 library

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