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Level 1

6 points

Can I delete iPhoto library after upgrade to Photos

I just updated my iPhoto library to Photos and was wondering if I need to keep the old iPhoto library around? Can I delete it or is Photos using it to reference the Masters? I'd like to free up the space on my HD if this is doable. Interestingly, after upgrading I only seemed to have "lost" about 7 GB on the HD even though the new Photos library tops out at 72 GB and the old iPhotos library is 63 GB. Always wonder how that magic occurs.

Thanks,

Dan

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), 12 GB RAM, 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5

Posted on Apr 10, 2015 9:29 AM

21 replies

WlLKO

Level 1

8 points

Aug 5, 2016 2:38 AM in response to DanDDS

Same here but my iPhoto is 150GB and my Photo Library is 96GB. Im reluctant to delete my iPhoto Library because I will lose over 50GB in photo data. Or is my 50GB stored in the cloud?

WlLKO

Level 1

8 points

Aug 5, 2016 2:45 AM in response to William Lloyd

Same here but my iPhoto is 150GB and my Photo Library is 96GB. Im reluctant to delete my iPhoto Library because I will lose over 50GB in photo data. Or is my 50GB stored in the cloud?

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Aug 5, 2016 8:23 AM in response to WlLKO

No one here can tell anything about what you have or have done

when you migrated to Photos the tow libraries were identical - some things do not migrate because they have no use in Photos like caches for example - with that size difference I certainly would make a good archive copy and then I would trash the iPhoto library as that will save at least 54GB of disk - actually a bit more

tex88

Level 1

13 points

Aug 25, 2016 1:58 PM in response to SLD

...split my libraries...

I recently found an app that claims to do this -- PowerPhotos (https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/), but I have not yet tried it myself.

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Aug 25, 2016 2:16 PM in response to tex88

tex88 wrote:

...split my libraries...

I recently found an app that claims to do this -- PowerPhotos (https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/), but I have not yet tried it myself.

PowerPhotos can do that safely

léonie

Level 10

195,053 points

Aug 25, 2016 3:09 PM in response to tex88

I recently found an app that claims to do this -- PowerPhotos (https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/), but I have not yet tried it myself.

Yes, PowerPhotos is safe to use. But it is lossy - when you move edited photos between libraries you cannot move them as a pair of the edited version and the original. You can only move the original and the edited version individually. If you want to keep both in the split library, you will have to live with duplicates.

To split a library I would always use the following method:

Tag all photos I want to move to a new library with a keyword and create two smart albums, one album with all photos that have the keyword and one smart album with all photos without the keyword.
Then duplicate the library.
Then delete all photos without the keyword from the copy of the library.
Then delete all photos with the keyword from the original library.

Now the library will be split and all edited versions will still be paired the original master image files in both libraries and the edited photos can be reverted to the originals in both libraries.

Can I delete iPhoto library after upgrade to Photos