Backing Up Photos / icloud

Question

Backing Up Photos / icloud

Hi

I have an old imac (approx 10 years old) on which nearly all of my photos (over 26000! in 271 events) are stored (on iphoto v 8.1.2). The operating system on the imac is OS X v10.7.5). I have just bought a new imac with retina display. The two imacs are coupled up to the same home network.

I would like to achieve the following:

1) Run an arrangement which ensures that all of my photos are backed up on an ongoing basis and all can be viewed on the new imac;

2) Not clog up the new imac hard disc with all these photos.

I would welcome any simple suggestions (As you will guess from the question I am rather a luddite, so any responses that minimize technical language will be particularly appreciated).

Many thanks in anticipation.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Aug 30, 2015 12:47 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Allan Eckert

Level 9

79,512 points

Aug 30, 2015 12:52 PM in response to paulfromhaddenham

Your Mac will not be able to backup to iCloud. Only mobile devices can backup to iCloud.

I am going to suggest to the host to move your question to the correct forum.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Aug 30, 2015 2:51 PM in response to paulfromhaddenham

Here's how to do what you want:

1 - get an external HD, formatted OS X Extended (journaled) with ownership set to be ignored and copy the old iPhoto library from the old Mac to it.

2 - connect the drive to your new iMac.

3 - launch Photos with the Option key held down and select the library on the EHD to open. The library will me migrated to the new Photos application.

4 - lastly just run the library from the EHD.

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Answer 3

Aug 31, 2015 4:34 AM in response to Allan Eckert

Many thanks Allan

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Answer 4

Aug 31, 2015 4:46 AM in response to Old Toad

Many thanks OT. I have a couple of queries relating to your response (once again, no doubt very basic). Thanks for spending your time helping me. It is very much appreciated.

Paul

1 - get an external HD, formatted OS X Extended (journaled) with ownership set to be ignored [ any suggestions for a suitable drive? Is the "formatted OS X Extended (journaled) " an option that I choose when I set the drive up? Likewise "ownership ignored"? ] and copy the old iPhoto library from the old Mac to it [What is the easiest way to do this?]

2 - connect the drive to your new iMac.

3 - launch Photos with the Option key held down [What does this do?] and select the library on the EHD to open. The library will me migrated to the new Photos application. [Does this move the photos onto the new imac hard drive or does it effectively just "convert" the photos on the EHD from iphoto to photo and leave them on the EHD?]

4 - lastly just run the library from the EHD.[ How do I do this? Will this mean that when I connect my camera / iphone to the imac, the photos will then be saved on the EHD and not the imac? If so how do I then back up these photos (presumably if there is a problem with the ehd, I will lose them? Is there a role for icloud to play?]

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Aug 31, 2015 9:02 AM in response to paulfromhaddenham

1 - I use the OWC Mercury Elite Pro USB 3.0 / FireWire 800 / eSATA 500GB for OtherWorldComputing.com. I currently have 5 in service.

The easiest way to copy the library to the drive is to connect the drive to the old Mac and click and drag the iPhoto Library from the Pictures folder to the drive.

3 - launching iPhoto with the Option key held down opens the Open window and shows you all of the possible libraries you can choose to open:

When the iPhoto library is opened with Photos on the EHD a Photos library will be created on the EHD and will become the default Photos library. Both libraries use the same set of original files thru the use of hard links:

Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support

The (hard) link between Photos and iPhoto

Just make sure that Photos library is working correctly and has all of your photos and videos before deleting the iPhoto library from the EHD.

4 - Once you've opened the library on the EHD it will not be the default library that opens when you launch Photos. Nothing else to do.

NOTE: you should get a second EHD about 2.5 times the size of your new iMad and EHD to use as a backup drive with Time Machine. You really should have a backup strategy in place to prevent loss of data.

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Answer 6

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Aug 31, 2015 9:14 AM in response to paulfromhaddenham

1 - personal choice - I like OtherWorld Computing - they are Mac people and have what I consider good, reliable products at a fair price - but if you like something else better no problems, it is like a ford/chevy/Honda discussion - everyone has their favorite - no one is "best" for everyone

You can purchase drives formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) form OWC and others - and you can format any local drive using Disk Utility on your Mac so that is not a consideration - you can buy it or easy do it yrouself

Ignore ownership is a box you check in the info window when you look at the drive using the finder

To copy the library you simply drag it intact to the drive

3 - The option key gives you the select library window so you can select the library you want to Open (or migrate in the case) - migrating creates a new pHotos library wing hard links to the old library so both are usable - Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support

4 - simply use it - as long as your EHD is available when you launch Photos it will always use the last opened library

Backing up is the same as always (except that you need to verify that your backup program is backing up the EHD - Time Machine for example by default does not backup an EHD and you must open the TM preferences ==> Options and remove the EHD from the excluded list - Read the manual for your software for instructions on how to use it

iCloud again is a personal choice - it does not affect any of this - it is a totally separate decision

LN

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