Arik S.

Q: Photos app - There is not enough disk space to migrate your library

I have Macbook pro late 2014 with retina display.

I have just updated to OS x 10.10.3.

When I try to enter the Photo app, I get the message ×´There is not enough disk space to migrate your library. It is estimated that you need at least 33GB of additional free space.×´

I have a 256 GB SSD hard drive, Mostly occupied by images and videos that where in iPhoto app.

 

How can I delete images and/or videos to make room on my hard drive in order to use the Photos app and save it to iCloud.

 

Thank's,

 

Arik

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on Apr 10, 2015 2:39 AM

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Q: Photos app - There is not enough disk space to migrate your library

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  • by Holdz,

    Holdz Holdz Oct 12, 2015 12:11 PM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Oct 12, 2015 12:11 PM in response to Terence Devlin

    What a shockingly poor software design - why couldn't Apple have worked out a way to reduce the iPhoto library as pictures are imported!!

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Oct 12, 2015 12:14 PM in response to Holdz
    Level 10 (84,585 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Oct 12, 2015 12:14 PM in response to Holdz

    You will have to ask Apple that - no one but volunteer users here

     

    tell Apple your concerns - http://www.apple.com/feedback/photos.html

     

    LN

  • by Holdz,

    Holdz Holdz Oct 12, 2015 12:20 PM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Oct 12, 2015 12:20 PM in response to LarryHN

    Cheers Larry , I was more venting my frustration than looking for an answer.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Oct 12, 2015 12:26 PM in response to Holdz
    Level 10 (84,585 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Oct 12, 2015 12:26 PM in response to Holdz

    this forum is to assist people in solving problems - it is not a RANT board and RANTs muck it up and confuse people

     

    LN

  • by andy0962,

    andy0962 andy0962 Oct 29, 2015 10:47 AM in response to Arik S.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 10:47 AM in response to Arik S.

    I have had the same problem. I found one work around was to just find the IPhoto Library on my external drive and double click it in order to open Photos. This worked. Opening from the photos icon still gives the not enough disk space after I close and try to open with the icon. Perhaps the icon has a path that is directing the application to migrate.

  • by wormangel,

    wormangel wormangel Oct 29, 2015 10:52 AM in response to andy0962
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 10:52 AM in response to andy0962

    Great to hear, will try that!

     

    You mean I should try to double-click the library icon right? Instead of opening Photos first.

  • by andy0962,

    andy0962 andy0962 Oct 29, 2015 3:07 PM in response to Arik S.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 3:07 PM in response to Arik S.

    Yes. By clicking the library itself, I was able to open Photos without a migration or disk space error.

  • by squeege51,

    squeege51 squeege51 Oct 29, 2015 4:09 PM in response to andy0962
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2015 4:09 PM in response to andy0962

    I am having the same trouble. Upgraded to El Capitan, on Mac Book Pro. Was using iPhoto, now trying to migrate my iPhoto Library to Photos, but get this same message. Tried double-clicking on the library, from the back-up, but that only opened iPhoto - should I delete the iPhoto app from the MBP? Maybe then it will open in Photos? Did try to open holding down he "Alt" key as suggested, got the iPhoto library (listed twice for some reason), and still only opened iPhoto. Please help, this is so frustrating, making me wish I didn't update .......

  • by CarolinaHiker,

    CarolinaHiker CarolinaHiker Nov 2, 2015 11:25 AM in response to squeege51
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2015 11:25 AM in response to squeege51

    I'm having a very similar problem.  I need 93G of space to continue the migration, having stopped at 8%.  However, my iPhotos folder seems to have disappeared, even tho the bulk of my hard drive is still taken up by photos/videos. 

     

    I, too, wish that there had been some "before installing el Capitan....." steps highlighted in bold letters before hitting start. 

  • by Ryan Samoheyl,

    Ryan Samoheyl Ryan Samoheyl Jan 4, 2016 6:12 AM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 2 (193 points)
    Apple Watch
    Jan 4, 2016 6:12 AM in response to Terence Devlin

    I followed these steps and got my massive library updated.  I then attempted to move my library from the external back to my main hard drive, but I'm getting an error saying there isn't enough space, even though I have 408 GB on my main hard drive and the photos library is 362 GB.  Any ideas?

  • by Snirpnafets,

    Snirpnafets Snirpnafets May 9, 2016 2:43 AM in response to Ryan Samoheyl
    Level 1 (4 points)
    May 9, 2016 2:43 AM in response to Ryan Samoheyl

    I have had exactly the same issue. Just bought a new macbook pro 15" (mac os 10.11.4, 2.8 GHz) and wanted to import my iPhoto library from my old macbook  which is running on Yosemite. I've started the old computer in external hard-drive mode and connected it to my new computer through the FW800 (to Thunderbolt) to directly import the library. When trying to import the library through opening Photos (on the new computer) while holding down the option key, it starts the process but then at 8% it says there is not enough disk space and 5GB extra space is needed. This is not possible: my iPhoto library is 35GB big, and I have 600 GB disk space left on my new macbook.

    How can I solve this?

    Thanks in advance for your help!

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin May 9, 2016 4:46 AM in response to Snirpnafets
    Level 10 (139,532 points)
    iLife
    May 9, 2016 4:46 AM in response to Snirpnafets

    1. Don't import anything.

     

    2.Move the Library to the new ,machine and then just open it with Photos.

  • by Snirpnafets,

    Snirpnafets Snirpnafets May 9, 2016 1:06 PM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 1 (4 points)
    May 9, 2016 1:06 PM in response to Terence Devlin

    Thanks a lot, Terence!

    It worked!

    One more question though: after importing this library into Photos, can I delete the iPhoto Library again from my computer? In other words: did Photos make physical copies of the images that I had in iPhoto library, or does it only create internal links to the images tht are in the iPhoto library folder.

    Looking at the size of the Photos Library folder I guess it makes physical copies, but I just wanted to double check...

     

    So, what i did:

    1. copy the entire iPhoto Library into the Images folder of my new computer

    2. dragged it onto the Photos app icon, after which Photos started importing the images

     

    Thanks a lot for the help!

    Best!

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin May 9, 2016 10:42 PM in response to Snirpnafets
    Level 10 (139,532 points)
    iLife
    May 9, 2016 10:42 PM in response to Snirpnafets

    Yes you can delete the iPhoto Library if you no longer have any use for it. Some folks hold on to it for a wee while until they are sure.

     

    The relationship between the two libraries is a bit complex as it uses Unix Hard Links. What this means is that both apps claim to use, for instance, 25 gigs of space, but it's the same 25 gigs. So deleting your iPhoto Library will get some space back, but not the whole lot you're expecting.

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