Q: Moving Photos library from external drive to 128GB MacBook
How do you move a 200GB+ Photos library, currently on an external drive, to a 128GB MacBook Pro (with the use of the Optimize Mac Storage option in iCloud Photo Library)?
Sounds crazy, but clearly Apple designed the Photos app and iCloud Photo Library with just this issue in mind: That is, people with big photo libraries and not much storage on their MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. In my case, I had my 200GB+ library on an external drive, and when I upgraded to Photos my new library (which I've now designated at the System Photo Library) was created on the external drive.
What I want is to have my new Photos library on my 128GB MacBook Pro and use the OPTIMIZE MAC STORAGE option in iCloud Photo Library.
Does anyone know how I can safely move my photo library, which is 200GB+, onto my 128GB MacBook Pro with that OPTIMIZE MAC STORAGE option? Again, it's clear Apple has designed that option for people just like me -- and many others -- who have big photo libraries AND have a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro that can't accommodate all the photos/videos. That's great for people who are just building a photo library, but what about all of us Mac users who have already been cobbling together solutions with iPhoto on external drives and now want our Photos library off of those external drives?
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012), iOS 8.3
Posted on Apr 12, 2015 5:41 AM