How to backup the entire iPhoto Library (only) directly to an extrenal hard drive ? ( Os10.6.8, iphoto 11 ver. 9.2.3 from a iMac Itel core 2 duo) -- thanks in advance.

Thank you Both.

This has answered my question and it makes sense.

I'm backing up over a VPN to another Mac with a Drobo 5D attached, so I can say it is correctly formatted.

Once again thank you for helping me understand.

So, if I'm reading this thread correctly, the only feasible way to backup iPhoto (and I assume therefore iMovie) incrementally to a file system that is not MacOS Extended (i.e. when backing up to a NAS) is to use TimeMachine. Presumably it is also then safe to backup the TM backup to a cloud service and still 1) do this incrementally and 2) not risk corruption.

I wish TM could be configured to 'include' files rather than 'exclude' - would make it far easier for this type of operation (and yes, I know it's designed to backup the entire device but I don't want to backup the OS and other system files, I just want my personal data to be safe).

I'm not entirely sure but Time Machine support for NAS devices is limited at best.

Then - do I understand you correctly? - you want to make proprietary incremental back-ups of an incremental back-up system built on different proprietary system to unsupported disk formats online?

I strongly suggest that you need to ask about these arrangements on the Time Machine forum at the Forum for whatever version of the OS you have.

To clarify:

I have a MacBook Pro running iPhoto and iMovie - my libraries for both are located on the MBP

I have a Synology NAS that I want to use as my local backup device

I have CrashPlan+ to backup my NAS to the cloud

So, I need a solution that will enable me to backup the libraries on the MBP to the NAS incrementally. my iPhoto library is over 100Gb and adding some photos last night resulted in the entire library being uploaded again (using ChronoSync). Reading this thread, I'm guessing this is because the target filesystem is not MacOS Extended and therefore CS cannot properly determine the changed files within the library to upload.

Will TM backup the libraries incrementally?

I am working on the assumption that if TM will work then Crashplan will also see the incremental changes and only upload these each time rather than the entire TM archive. I am also assuming that if the worst happened and I had to restore the TM archive from Crashplan I would have a consistent image from which to restore the MBP?

Cheers

Jon

P.S. re TM, yes agreed, it was more of a comment than a question as I appreciate it is what it is - thanks

The problem is that Crashplan will upload the TM increments in increments, and not necessarily the same increments, if you see what I mean? So a restore would be

I really suggest that you ask about this on a TM forum. It's well beyond my knowledge here.

I have a similar problem in that my macbook disc is full, and it is almost entirely my iPhoto library. Everything is already backed up on time machine. I am going to buy a new external hard disk to store the photos before I delete them from my macbook. My question is: should I copy the iPhoto library to the exHD and then run it from there in the future? Or would it be better to use the exHD as backup with an app like ChronoSync? If I use ChronoSync, will it be able to incrementally add new photos without deleting the old ones, or will it try to mirror the macbook library where all the old photos have been deleted? TIA.

Terrence Devlin has answered my question on the following thread (I asked the question separately before finding this thread):

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6465182

I Was also trying to copy through Ethernet. I think I will try connecting directly to the back of my time capsule. Please note I do NOT use the time capsule as a time capsule but as a server hard drive backup.

Yeah 2 days to back up 76 gigs was unacceptable. Probably a direct connect would speed that up.

BUt please note: copying 265 gigs of movies takre 2 hours through ethernet, while 76 gigs of iPhoto takes 2 days. WHY? Someone answer that

Probably because you are wrong - it probably does not take anything close to two days to copy the iphoto library - from what you posted you did not wait but looked at the Finder guess (which is worthless an never even close) and quit so you actually have no idea how long it would take

That be said a direct connection is better and fatster

LN

Watdh your wording. I am not wrong. I am relaying what the Finder said after 20 min of copying. That's not an error or my part

Ok what ever - have a nice say - really strange way to requet assistance from total strangers but if you are to smart to need help why are you asking here

LN

I Never said I was smart. I just said I am not wrong in my report of what the finder said and asked for clarification why iPhoto's gigs take longer to copy that other gigs, say MP3. You said I was wrong. That was rude. Have some manners.

The Finder frequently overestimates the length of time a copy will take. It's quite common to see it announce that something will take days to finish, but which actually takes places within a couple of hours.

How do you ensure the external hd is formatted for Mac OS extended (journaled)

Select the icon in the Finder and go File -> Get Info