Pernille9330

Q: Optimize Mac Storage in Photos does not work

I have too many pictures on my macbook filling up all my space. 0 KB left


I always had too many pictures on macbook and left it on USB's, external drives and DropBox. But I wanted a more flexible, easy-to-acces and SAFE solution.


I read this about photos and thought; Brilliant!


If you turn on Optimize [device] Storage, iCloud Photo Library will automatically manage the size of your library on your device, so you can make the most of your device's storage and access more photos than ever. All of your original, full-resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud while device-size versions are kept on your device. You can download the original photos and videos over Wi-Fi or cellular when you need them.


So I upgraded to 200 GB iCloud Storage. Upgraded to newest Yosemite with Photos and checked "Optimize Mac-Storage" in iCloud - Photos.


It started. But after a short while it stopped - because my macbook storage has filled. Now with 0 KB storage.


And this hasn't freed up any space - more the opposite.


How do I make Photos start this proces - I want originals safely storage in ICloud - but not taking all of my space on the macbook. I tried to do everything explained on the info-sites but it doesn't work.


Pls help

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2013), iOS 8.4.1, iCloud

Posted on Sep 9, 2015 2:24 AM

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Q: Optimize Mac Storage in Photos does not work

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  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 9, 2015 2:43 AM in response to Pernille9330
    Level 10 (104,453 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 9, 2015 2:43 AM in response to Pernille9330

    I'm not sure what steps you have taken. Why is your drive filling up and from where, are you saying that your whole library was in the cloud to begin with and you are now downloading photos to your Mac.

  • by Pernille9330,

    Pernille9330 Pernille9330 Sep 9, 2015 2:54 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 9, 2015 2:54 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Hi

     

    The photos where on my macbook. But then I upgraded from iPhoto to Photos including iCloud/Photostream.

     

    There was not much space left before - but after the upgrade there was none.

     

    So I wanted to get all my images to iCloud and only keep low-res on my devices. And just want my pictures to be safe. To acces them in iCloud is fine. Old pictures I do not need to acces offline.

     

    I can't make this work with iCloud.

     

    Also thought of other solutions, but external harddisc doesn't seem secure enough (doesn't want to loose my loved pictures of wedding, vacations, my little girl etc). So I want a safe cloud-solution.

     

    I earlier used dropbox, but this only works with Apple if I keep the synced-folder on the macbook and then it doesn't free up space.

     

    Many user ought to have the same wish for cloud-based photo storage?

     

    Really hope to get help. I am totally stuck

     

    Thx.

  • by Winston Churchill,Helpful

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 9, 2015 4:34 AM in response to Pernille9330
    Level 10 (104,453 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 9, 2015 4:34 AM in response to Pernille9330

    Working backwards with this one, I now think your biggest issue is that you have no space left on your start up disk, you should keep at least 5-10% free (depending on size) otherwise you may start to corrupt your files. I believe freeing up space is your priority just now and putting your photos into the cloud can probably wait. Do you have some files you can transfer to an external drive, even if on a temporary basis.

     

    You do however also need to think about whether your photos are safe or not. The migration from iPhoto to Photos shouldn't have used up an awful lot of extra space, so clearly you didn't have a lot left to begin with, however what worries me is that if you ended up with zero space after migration I think it's extremely unlikely that it needed exactly the amount of space you had left and wonder if the library has migrated properly or whether your new photos library might not be damaged in some way.

     

    Do you have a reasonable amount of external storage available to you.

  • by Pernille9330,

    Pernille9330 Pernille9330 Sep 9, 2015 4:42 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 9, 2015 4:42 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Thx. I know this is a issue. I think I had only 5-10 % left, but the software system update took the most, so the pictures from iPad and Iphone arriving when turning icloud on perhaps took the rest.

     

    And yes I am a bit afraid too. Looked all over to find stuff to move, but I am a bit concerned about moving photos, because I can't see the folders - only the Photo Library as one thing in my documents. So I can't move some of them (I don't know how to see the folders each - just one common big chunk of Library ).

     

    I have something called others - which I can't figure our what is - have been through my entire mac to find out what it can't be, but can't find anything.

     

    I have deleted somefiles I don't really need and now have around 5 GB. Elsewhere only solution is to move entire Photo library to external drive - but it says it is syncing and I do not dare to move this....?

     

    Hope you can help me. I am really concerned and it sounds as the solution is in ICloud/Photo - but right now I am just confused

     

    THANKS

  • by Winston Churchill,Solvedanswer

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 9, 2015 5:04 AM in response to Pernille9330
    Level 10 (104,453 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 9, 2015 5:04 AM in response to Pernille9330

    Do you have a large external drive, if so what size is it or more to the point how much space is left on it, also do you know how it is formatted.

     

    Do you still have your old iPhoto library, if so what size is it.

     

    Don't worry that you can't find individual folders or images, they are all inside the iPhoto and Photos packages, it should all be moved together if you are going to move it.

     

    For now, try turning off iCloud Photo library on the Mac. You may get a message when you do, if so make a note of the message and cancel the operation to turn of iCloud Photo Library. (I'm just trying to get a feel of things before suggesting anything at this stage)

  • by Pernille9330,

    Pernille9330 Pernille9330 Sep 9, 2015 5:45 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 9, 2015 5:45 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    HI WC.

     

    Thank you quick response and all your help.

     

    I Am trying to get hold of an external drive. I Think it is 500 GB and new. So it ought to work.

     

    I Actually before you answered deleted my old iPhoto library - It said it had migrated to Photos. So I how this migration is not corrupted . But I was desperate to free up space   so hope it will work and I think most of it is backed up on time machine and external already.

     

    SO fingers crossed

     

    The iPhoto library said to be around 61 GB, but only freed up 7 GB when I deleted it and emptied trash.

     

    And the new Photo library (organized just besides it) is 72 GB.

     

    I Also deleted everything else and ended up with 7,15 GB free space. And suddenly something is happening. In bottom of Photos is stopped saying "Klargoer" ( it is Danish so means something like making photos ready" and now started saying transferring photos. It doesn't say to where   but perhaps it was to full to transfer to iCloud and started doing it now. Hope so. It looks like a process taking a loooong time, so I really hope it is this.

     

    Still concerned if it then starts making space on MacBook by shifting images here from originals to low-res versions.

     

    Seems like it takes space to create space;)

     

    I will create screen dumps and upload here if there is progress;)

     

    if it works I will transfer my existing backed up photos to the cloud, and looks like only way to do this is importing them til MacBook photos and thereby letting them into the cloud.

     

    This feels a little counter intuitive, so please let me now if you discover any news or tip and tricks on this.

     

    I Will be back when iCloud responds on the new situation

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sep 9, 2015 6:07 AM in response to Pernille9330
    Level 10 (104,453 points)
    Apple TV
    Sep 9, 2015 6:07 AM in response to Pernille9330

    Yes I'd wait to see what happens in Photos now that things are happening again, does it say how many photos it is uploading/downloading at this stage.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Sep 9, 2015 6:31 AM in response to Pernille9330
    Level 10 (85,648 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 9, 2015 6:31 AM in response to Pernille9330

    A few general comments

     

    The iPhoto library said to be around 61 GB, but only freed up 7 GB when I deleted it and emptied trash.

     

    That is correct - as documented - Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support  - so deleting either library frees up very little space

    And the new Photo library (organized just besides it) is 72 GB.

     

    I Also deleted everything else and ended up with 7,15 GB free space. And suddenly something is happening. In bottom of Photos is stopped saying "Klargoer" ( it is Danish so means something like making photos ready" and now started saying transferring photos. It doesn't say to where   but perhaps it was to full to transfer to iCloud and started doing it now. Hope so. It looks like a process taking a loooong time, so I really hope it is this.

    If you now have 7.15 GB of free space and you just gained 7 GB by deleting the iPhoto library then you had no space before deleting it

     

    You must have a min of 10GB of free space just for normal operations - and when doing things like converting libraries and other large operations you need more - never let you free space go below 10GB and it is best to keep 10% free - you need to move your photos libraries to an external drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled)

     

    LN