Q: Multiple Fotos Library files
I am running 10.10.5 on my iMac and started using the Photos app 22nd september 2015
In the folder User ----> Pictures I now have 3 files
- Fotos Library.photoslibrary (date 15. april 2015 ) size 78GB
- Fotos Library 2 (date 22. september) size 86,8GB)
- iPhoto Library.photolibrary (date 26. september 2008) size 86,09 GB
Does anyone know
a) why Fotos have 2 files ?
b) why iPhoto Library.photolibrary (date 26. september 2008) size 86,09 GB is not deleted ?
//Carl
Posted on Sep 27, 2015 8:18 AM
You may have two Fotos Library.photoslibrary, if you opened and migrated an iPhoto Library to Fotos after Fotos already migrated your default library, shortly after you upgraded to macOS X 10.10.3. Since Fotos can handle multiple libraries it will not delete the first library it migrated.
b) why iPhoto Library.photolibrary (date 26. september 2008) size 86,09 GB is not deleted ?
Apple recommends to keep the iPhoto library after the migration until you are very sure, that you do not want to use iPhoto any longer or need to open the iPhoto Library again for trouble shooting. There may be problems with the migrated library that you will only notice later, missing photos, or projects that could not be migrated correctly. The duplication of libraries needs less space than it looks like. You will not gain much free storage by removing the original iPhoto library because the image files in the Photos library are linked by hard links to your Photos library. See: Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support
or: Six Colors: The (hard) link between Photos and iPhoto
The storage for the photos is used only once, even if all three libraries are looking large in the Finder.
Posted on Sep 27, 2015 1:43 PM