How do I move my photos library to an external drive?

Hi

Once you transfer your Photo library on an external disc, will it back up to your time capsule too?

thanks.

Good morning to all of you! I want to ask what happened in my case, I have an external hdd 1tera with MS-DOS format on which I moved the files PHOTOS LIBRARY.photoslibrary containing 12GB of important files for me.

I had to do an action very fast and sudden cause my iMac died unexpectedly... now I bought a new iMac and I wanted to return the file PHOTOS LIBRARY.photoslibrary on new Mac but going to open pictures with the command options (Alt) and going to select that file as a library to open the result is: NOTHING! no photos from here... how can I recover those 12GB inside photos and videos? 😟

p.s. Sorry for my poor english

in my case, for now, I'm not able to recover the files ... I have the 12gb file saved pictures but I will not open the file ...

It's an on inappropriately formatted disk that's why. Drag the Library to a disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then try open it from there.

Very well, so if I take an external hdd and I format with the format Mac and I copy the library in theory should reread later I try it!!! Thanks so much!

Why does my drive have to be in Mac OS X Journaled? Can I use ExFAT?

Did you copy it back to the Mac?

Paul_Adrian wrote:

First question:

When I open pictures folder, it shows both a "photos library" as well as my old "iPhotos library". I'm pretty sure photos incorporated all the data from the iphotos library into the photos library, but I'm not sure how it all works. Do I have to copy them both? Or, once I copy the photos library, can I just trash the iphotos one. (or is there a reason it was retained in the first place?)

Paul_Adrian

Did you ever find a solution the your first question? I am looking to do the same thing as you.

Paul D

If you are 110% sure you will not want or need iPhoto again then you can archive the iPhoto library and trash it and move only the Photos library - If you have space on your EHD I suggest moving both just in case you want or need the iPhoto library - but moving the the EHD does break the hard links so each will take up the full space reported

LN

Terence,

I tried this by following your instructions, and now I can't open my photos from my computer or my external drive. What did I do wrong, and can I fix it?

micah212 wrote:

Why does my drive have to be in Mac OS X Journaled? Can I use ExFAT?

Because no other format will work including ExFAT

LN

What format is the drive (select the drive in the finder and get info to see the format) and how is it connected?

LN

HI dawnmre73,

I had the same issue (albeit with a correctly formatted external HD that expired). Have you tried right clicking on the library in Finder and then Show Contents?

Although I didn't recover my library, I was able to find all of the original files and add them to a new library. Not ideal but better than losing the lot.

I have a Mac Book Pro and am a complete novice when it comes to Apple, last used an Apple 2e back in high school. (yes I know, that make me old)

I have a huge pile of Photos on my hard drive I would like to:

A) move to an external drive to free up working space.

B) be able to access them (the photos) from Photoshots elements.

It seems my laptop is by default saving everything to my Photos, things on the tool bar at the bottom of my screen. and when I try to import the photos to PS its greyed out. Help Please oh great minds. Thanks in advance.

1. Make a decision: Do you want to use Photos at all? If yes, there is one way forward, if no, then a different one.

2. You can't "import photographs" to PS. It's not a place, it's a tool. You may want to open and edit them with PS - his can be done no matter which option you choose.