Upload iPhoto library to new iMac

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Upload iPhoto library to new iMac

Hi

I have made a backup of my iPhoto library on an external hard drive following instructions on this forum.

I have purchased a new iMac in November last year and I am trying to restore my Photo Library, again following various instructions from the forum.

I have tried this 4 times now and nothing seems to work.

Including uploading my library to where the iPhoto library in 'Go, Home, Pictures' then opening the iPhoto application which will automatically upload all the photos except this doesn't happen. When I open iPhoto for the first time there does appear an iPhoto icon to which I cannot drag and drop my photos into, it simply opens the application.

I have also had to restore my iMac to factory settings 4 times also.

I cannot use the home wifi or cable to do this as the iMac either cannot find the laptop I wish to transfer from or just takes too long. Last time I tried took 2 days and nothing!

Thanks for help and navigation to solve this

iMac

Posted on Feb 26, 2015 1:35 PM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,260 points

Feb 26, 2015 2:10 PM in response to Ginjerprince

Sorry but you're not very clear.

What you need to do is restore your Library to the Pictures Folder, then Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'

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Answer 2

Ginjerprince Author

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Feb 26, 2015 2:29 PM in response to Yer_Man

Ok Sorry I thought I was being clear

My previous 'Library' was on a Macbook Pro that had a limited storage capacity for Photos compared to the new iMac.

Over the years I have been storing ALL my photos on an external Hard drive and I wish to upload these on to iPhoto on my new iMac so it isn't really an iPhoto 'Library' but my personal 'Library'

When I put all of my Photos into the Photo Library using Go (from the Finder bar at the top of the screen), Home then the Pictures Folder. Then I launch iPhoto for the first time my photos don't upload into iPhoto.

Should I still use your method? I am probably doing it all wrong? Can you advise the correct method?

Thanks

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Feb 26, 2015 3:22 PM in response to Ginjerprince

If you want to move an iPhoto library (I don't think so but again you are not really clear) then Connect the two Macs together (network, firewire target mode, etc) or use an external hard drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity from the old Mac to the pictures folder of the new Mac - launch iPhoto on the new mac and it will open the library and convert it as needed and you will be ready move forward.

If you have just photos not in an iPhoto library then simply import them into iPhoto (File menu ==> import to iphoto) using a default "managed" library (the iPhoto preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library is in its checked state)

LN

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,260 points

Feb 26, 2015 10:54 PM in response to Ginjerprince

So you had folders full of images, and now you want to add them to iPhoto?

They need to be imported to iPhoto (File -> Add to Library)

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Answer 5

Ginjerprince Author

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Feb 28, 2015 9:41 AM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks Guys you did help me

I managed to upload my photos to iPhoto.................However!!

They all have the same date and the date the photo was taken has not been kept!

Can someone run me through the correct procedure to backup my iPhoto library from my Macbook pro to an External Hard drive...........Then upload the same library to my iMac Keeping all the dates that the photos were actually taken

Thanks for your patience

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Answer 6

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Feb 28, 2015 10:03 AM in response to Ginjerprince

as I posted before -

Connect the two Macs together (network, firewire target mode, etc) or use an external hard drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity from the old Mac to the pictures folder of the new Mac

where are you seeing the "problem" date? In iPhoto? Using the finder (if this is where remember that the finder looks at file Metadata and show when the file was created and modified - not the photo within the file) - iPhoto looks at the photo metadata [EXIF & IPTC data] embedded in the JPEG and this dose noge as you move the files

LN

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Answer 7

Ginjerprince Author

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Mar 1, 2015 10:23 AM in response to LarryHN

Hi Larry,

Ok I must be doing this wrong as I still cannot get this to work without the file and all the photographs to have the same date when created and therefore all photos irrespective of the dates they were taken are all going into iPhoto as being taken on the same day.

Yes the problem date was in Finder but when imported to iPhoto still problems. When I drag and drop photos have todays date. When I copy and past the photos directly from iPhoto they have the correct dates and information but I cannot do this with all of my photos

You say in your first post drag the iPhoto library in its entirety to the external hard drive.

Can you please tell me the correct steps to do this properly....where do I find the correct iPhoto library as I am obviously incapable of doing this properly!

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Answer 8

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Mar 1, 2015 12:03 PM in response to Ginjerprince

You say in your first post drag the iPhoto library in its entirety to the external hard drive.

Can you please tell me the correct steps to do this properly....where do I find the correct iPhoto library as I am obviously incapable of doing this properly!

OS X Mavericks: Drag and drop

1 - mount the external drive - it must be formatted Mac OS extended (journaled)

2 - select the iphoto library (no one can tell yo how to find it since it can be anyplace - by default it is in the pictures folder under your user) and drag it to the external drive as a single drag and drop

3 - hold down the option Key and launch iPhoto - use the resulting select library window to select the new location - repeat to change back to the original location

And you will never see the correct photos date using the finder as it knows nothing about photo dates - it only knows about the file dates

Using the finder remember that the finder looks at file Metadata and show when the file was created and modified - not the photo within the file - iPhoto looks at the photo metadata [EXIF & IPTC data] embedded in the JPEG and this does not change as you move the files

LN

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Answer 9

Ginjerprince Author

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Mar 4, 2015 12:31 AM in response to LarryHN

Thanks folks all sorted now and working perfectly!

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