Argelius

Q: Transferring Photos library to new Mac via iCloud

I purchased a new iMac to replace an aging MacBook Pro.  Rather than do a Migration Assistant, I opted to do a fresh install of things since the MBP had years and years of junk on it.  Anyway, from the MBP, I uploaded the very large Photos library to iCloud (which ultimately took over two weeks).

 

On the new iMac, in Photos, I checked "use iCloud" and "download full resolution origiovals to this Mac."   Now I see in Preferences in Photos (on the iMac), it says "now UPLOADING 13,500 files to iCloud".

 

I am confused by this, since there are no native photos on the iMac, so what, exactly, is it attempting to do? Shouldn't all the photos be coming down from the Cloud, not going up to it?

 

Alternatively,  if I deleted the existing PhotosLibrary file on the iMac and copied the PhotosLibrary file from my old MBP, and continue to sync with iCloud, would the process be smart enough to to know tha all those photos are already in iCloud and don't need to be reuploaded (or risk getting duplicates of everything)?

 

Life was so much simpler before I decided to (try to) link photos between my Mac, iPhone, and iPad via iCloud.  C'mon, Apple. What happened to "it just works""

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 8, 2016 4:22 PM

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Q: Transferring Photos library to new Mac via iCloud

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  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Feb 8, 2016 5:24 PM in response to Argelius
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Feb 8, 2016 5:24 PM in response to Argelius

    Alternatively,  if I deleted the existing PhotosLibrary file on the iMac and copied the PhotosLibrary file from my old MBP, and continue to sync with iCloud, would the process be smart enough to to know tha all those photos are already in iCloud and don't need to be reuploaded (or risk getting duplicates of everything)?

    Whenever you open a library to use with iCloud Photo Library, the Mac will upload and compare all photos with iCloud.  It will try to prevent duplicates and probably succeed.

     

    If you already invested much work into your library on the MBP, if you created projects - Book, Calendars, named Faces, it would be preferable to copy the library over. Faces names will not download from iCloud, also your books and calendars will be missing.

    See:  Use Photos and iCloud Photo Library on multiple Mac computers - Apple Support

     

    But if you do not need to save Faces labels and projects, it should be quicker just to download the photos from iCloud.

  • by Argelius,

    Argelius Argelius Feb 12, 2016 10:27 AM in response to léonie
    Level 2 (205 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 12, 2016 10:27 AM in response to léonie

    Thanks for this.  If I may, let me ask one more question.

     

    So, on my old MBP, I primarily used Aperture with about half of the photos referenced to an external drive. Photos, on that machine, I believe, also saw those photos as referenced.  

     

     

     

    If I physically transfer the Photos library to the new iMac, how can I move those referenced photos off the hard drive so they now all reside on the iMac?

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Feb 12, 2016 10:44 AM in response to Argelius
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Feb 12, 2016 10:44 AM in response to Argelius

    Photos can also consolidate referenced photos into the library, just like Aperture.  But it cannot relocate referenced photos to a different folder outside the library.

     

    if  you have enough storage on your new mac, connect the drive with the referenced photos, to your new mac, select all referenced photos in Photos  on the the new mac, then use the command "File > Consolidate".  That will copy the referenced images into your Photos library on the new mac and turn them into managed photos.  This way, you can use the photos with iCloud Photo Library as well.

     

    If you want to keep the photos referenced, you could try to copy them manually to a folder on the new mac, and when you click on a thumbnail in Photos you should get a a prompt to locate the referenced files. But it will be a lot of work.  Relocating was much easier in Aperture.

  • by Argelius,

    Argelius Argelius Feb 12, 2016 10:48 AM in response to léonie
    Level 2 (205 points)
    iPhone
    Feb 12, 2016 10:48 AM in response to léonie

    Thank you !  Appreciate your clear and concise responses.  You should move up to Level 12!

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 12, 2016 11:39 AM in response to Argelius
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Feb 12, 2016 11:39 AM in response to Argelius

    You're welcome