How to back up Photo Library?

Question

How to back up Photo Library?

I'm in the process of backing up my photo library on my Mac to free up disk space. I started the process and now realize that I maybe have taken incorrect steps. Here is where I have done:

1. Went through 100gb of photos on the library deleting unwanted photos and trimming videos.

2. Uploaded the library to iCloud Library Storage and selected the option to optimize disk space on my Mac

Now, I want to make sure that I have a copy of the library on an external hard drive (in addition to the iCloud storage). If I do this now, will I only have thumbnail versions of the library? Do I have to download all the full resolution files from Icloud to make a copy of the complete Photo Library?

While iCloud storage is greatly convenient I'm concerned that if all the picture are deleted on any device then all pictures are automatically deleted on all devices and iCloud. Seems to be that the whole library is still vulnerable to accidental loss. So I need a back up of the full resolution photos and videos.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1), null

Posted on Nov 4, 2015 10:09 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

léonie

Level 10

194,743 points

Nov 4, 2015 12:13 PM in response to Jenniferwillow

Now, I want to make sure that I have a copy of the library on an external hard drive (in addition to the iCloud storage). If I do this now, will I only have thumbnail versions of the library?

Yes,, the copy of the library will give you a backup of all your albums and the library structure, but it will not contain the original image files.

Do I have to download all the full resolution files from Icloud to make a copy of the complete Photo Library?

Yes, to have a backup of your original image files, you will have to download them from from iCloud. It would have been easier, before you enabled "Optimize Mac Storage".

To get a copy of your full library, you could create a new, empty library on your backup drive, make this the main system photo library, enable iCloud for this library, disable optimize storage, and wait for all photos to sync back to your backup drive.

Then switch back to your library on the internal drive, enable optimize mac storage, and make the internal library again your iCloud Library.

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Answer 2

Nov 4, 2015 12:13 PM in response to léonie

Thanks for your response. I thought this would be the case. And realize that I should have done a back up to the back up drive with full resolution pictures before uploading to iCloud. 😟 How do I create a new empty library on the back up disk?

Also, I actually have 3 computers with 3 Photo Libraries.And will be following this same method 3 times over. It is possible to consolidate all the libraries on the back up drive?

Thanks for your input.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,743 points

Nov 5, 2015 7:31 AM in response to Jenniferwillow

See this help page, Jennifer, on how to create a new library and to switch between libraries: https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.0/?lang=en#/pht6d60b524

What kind of drive are you using for your backups? To be able to store an icloud library on that drive, the file system needs to be MacoS Extended (Journaled).

If your backup drive has a different format, use a different drive or move all data of the drive format ot coectly, see this help page on how to format a drive: Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture

If you are syncing three computers with icLoud Photo library, the libraries will have merged in iCloud, so you only do need to download one library.

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Answer 4

Nov 5, 2015 7:31 AM in response to léonie

Ok great thanks. I will look at those links to create a new library.

I'm using WD external drives and had already formatted them to be Journaled for Mac.

So I just downloaded from iCloud Storage. To check out the file to ensure that I have the full files I copied one movie file to the external hard drive. But it copies as a thumbnail image. The original video is not copied. Any idea as to why that would that happen if all the original files have been downloaded back onto my Mac Laptop?

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