Using an external hard drive to back up iPhoto

To make a backup copy of the images in iPhoto, I followed the suggested steps and dragged the iPhoto Library icon from the Pictures folder on my iMac to a WD external hard drive. I didn't change the file destination of new photos, which continued to store in the iPhoto library on the iMac, or change any other iPhoto settings or preferences - I simply made what I thought was a drag-and-drop backup copy of the iPhoto library. A few weeks later, I went to check the copy I'd made to the EHD, to insure it was intact. I opened the iPhoto library icon on the EHD, but the library that opened instead was actually the current library on the iMac the EHD was attached to - I know that, because the library that opened included all the images on the iMac, INCLUDING those saved to the iMac AFTER I made the copy. I then connected the EHD to a different computer, opened the library that supposedly was on the EHD, and the same thing happened: The library that opened was the one on the internal drive of the second computer. What's going on? Why does opening what I thought was the copy I'd made of the library actually open the library that's on the internal drive of the computer the EHD is connected to? Do I even have a copy on the EHD, despite there being an icon of one? Surely I'm doing something stupid.

iPhoto 7.1.3 is the version on both computers.

Thanks!

That is because no where are you instructed to double click on the library on the external drive. With your version that launches iPhoto which then opens the last used library

the instructions are cear

To move an iPhoto liobrary -

Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive

and after doing this to test you have to repeat to switch back to the internal drive

LN

iPhoto 7.1.3 is the version on both computers.

There's a glitch in iPhoto v7 (that's iPhoto08) which means when you double click on a library it opens the last library opened, not the Library you clicked on.

Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' is the sure way to do it.

Ah, perfect. I misunderstood how the Option key is used to open a copy as well as to set the storage location. Thanks so much.

You are welcome

LN

I am preparing to upgrade iPhoto and wanted to move my current library to an external hard drive first. Every time I try to move it to the external hard drive it stops. The error states:

The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “iPhoto Library” can’t be read or written.

(Error code -36)

How can I circumvent this and continue moving the entire library to my external drive? I am running iPhoto '09 version 8.1.2 (424).

Thanks!

Please start a new thread with the specifics of your system and question - threadjacking log convoluted threads is very confusing to you and to the volunteers who try to help here

Include the format of the external drive in your new threadLN