Q: can I delete the iPhotos folder after successful migration without losing any pictures?
I have migrated my iPhotos images to Photos, and I note that I still have a folder called "iPhoto Library" in my "Pictures" folder. When I try to open it to look at its contents. I get a message that migration was successful and that folder can be opened in iPhoto if I wish to view it.
As the migration was successful, can I now delete this folder to free up space on my HDD?
macbook, Mac OS X (10.6.2), 4GB RAM
Posted on Oct 11, 2015 8:58 AM
Yes you can. However, you might want to wait a bit until you're absolutely sure all is well with the Photos library and it will do what you want. The two libraries do not take up the same amount of storage space on the hard drive because the use hard links. This describe it more:
Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support
The (hard) link between Photos and iPhoto
But If you're sure Photos will do the job for you you can delete the iPhoto Library. You will not recover the entire size of the library but only about 80% of it due to the hard link issue.
Another thing to think about is projects. Not all projects will migrate to Photos intact due to the differences in themes for books, calendars, etc. So if you have unfinished projects it would be best to complete them with iPhoto.
Posted on Oct 11, 2015 9:37 AM