matt.schuh

Q: Merge iPhoto and Photos removing Duplicates

I work as the head of IT for my company, and my boss much prefers iPhoto to Photos.  He has an iPhotos file that is ~220GB and a Photos file that is ~250GB.  There are probably duplicates mixed in with them, so what he wants to be able to do is have them merged, duplicates removed, and everything setup so that iPhoto is the one he uses, not Photos.

From what I've read, Apple has made this impossible.  Is that true or is there a way to make this happen?

 

A little research I've done, please correct me if I'm wrong.  When Photos was run, it read the iPhoto library and made a symlink to it, also changing the extension of the file to a Photos library extension.  Anything added to Photos was added to its own library, thus Photos was essentially reading the symlinked files and its own library.  When iPhoto was run again, it saw that the extension was changed and changed it back.  After this, Photos no longer reads from the iPhoto library file and only reads from its own, while iPhoto only reads from its own file and not from Photos.  Any changes made in one of the programs would not be reflected in the other.  Am I correct in this understanding?  If this is the case, would there even be duplicate photos or are all 500GB of his photos unique?

 

Thanks for any help you're able to provide.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), Involves iPhoto and Photos

Posted on Apr 1, 2016 8:18 AM

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Q: Merge iPhoto and Photos removing Duplicates

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  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Apr 1, 2016 9:05 AM in response to matt.schuh
    Level 10 (84,585 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Apr 1, 2016 9:05 AM in response to matt.schuh

    Apple has not made it impossible - they have not implemented that capability and no one has seen a biggest enough market to develop that capability - you could be the one to do that if you want

     

    You description is close but not totally correct - each library is complete and separate - the originals and previews are both hard linked to the same photos to save space  --  Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support

     

    Photos does not ever read from the iPhoto library - when you migrate an iPhoto library there is a one time operation that sets up a new Photos library ( Details of how Photos handles the migration from iPhoto ) - again each library is separate and complete and there is no connection of any sort between them and nothing done to either library affects the other library in any way

     

    The only way currently to accomplish what you want is to export all new photos form the Photos application and then import them into iPhoto

     

    However the best plan would be for your boss to learn Photos  - it is better than iPhoto in almost every way and since iPhoto is not supported things will get worse and worse for it until it totally quits working at which time you will have a mess

     

    LN

  • by matt.schuh,

    matt.schuh matt.schuh Apr 1, 2016 9:24 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iLife
    Apr 1, 2016 9:24 AM in response to LarryHN

    Thanks for the reply.

    If Photos is the way to go I can try to convince him to switch, however I don't like that the switch was/is forced to begin with.  If users like a product more, why force them to switch or make it very hard to switch back after trying the new product?  Saying something is better in almost every way is hardly a fair assessment.  In many cases with programs such as photo managers, that is down to opinion.  Just because you like it better doesn't mean he will, and just because it is the newest thing doesn't mean that he shouldn't be able to switch back to what he prefers should he come across a few kinks.  Photos has removed some things that were present in iPhoto - I know he's not the only one who has issues with Photos.

     

    So in my opinion, the best plan would have been for Apple to provide a migration tool that works both ways between the programs, or even a warning that once one is used you can't easily go back to the other if you'd like to argue that they shouldn't have to develop such a tool.

     

    That's all really a moot point though.  What's done is done.

    What is the best way to make sure everything from iPhoto is present within Photos with no duplicate data?  I'm sure there's a lot of crossover between the 220GB iPhoto and 250GB Photos library files, so is there a way to remove that and at least switch over to Photos so that everything is synced to one and only one program?

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Apr 1, 2016 10:29 AM in response to matt.schuh
    Level 10 (141,085 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 1, 2016 10:29 AM in response to matt.schuh

    To help understand the differences between iPhoto and Photos these two user tips might be of help:

     

    Moments in Photos are the New Events

     

    Photos 1.5 vs iPhoto 9.6.1:  Features and Capabilities

     

    If you had used 3rd party image editors from inside iPhoto previously this user tip will show you how to do it now with Photos:  External Editors in Photos Are Here

     

    Photos is a different paradigm but after a little use you'll find it is more powerful than iPhoto is several ways. 

    OTsig.png

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Apr 1, 2016 11:49 AM in response to Old Toad
    Level 10 (84,585 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Apr 1, 2016 11:49 AM in response to Old Toad
    If Photos is the way to go I can try to convince him to switch, however I don't like that the switch was/is forced to begin with.  If users like a product more, why force them to switch or make it very hard to switch back after trying the new product?

     

     

    In general people who do not like Photos simply have not learned it - things are different and thee is a learning curve but at to better - no one can argue that the amazing increase in editing options due to extensions is not a major enhancement, iCLoud Photo Library is a major enhancement, the greater speed and reliability due to OS integration is a major enhancement and on  and on

     

    As to likening it - yes that is personal and if you kept your boss's software up to date then he has iPhoto 9.6.1 and it worked from day one without a hitch so all he had to do is keep using iPhoto - no upgrade - no change of any sort - the latest version of iPhoto the day before Yosemite was released was version 9.6.1 and it worked the day before and the day after with no change - so either you did not keep his software u to date or he choose to use the new software later than continue using iPhoto

     

    What is the best way to make sure everything from iPhoto is present within Photos with no duplicate data?  I'm sure there's a lot of crossover between the 220GB iPhoto and 250GB Photos library files, so is there a way to remove that and at least switch over to Photos so that everything is synced to one and only one program?

    When you migrated form iPhoto to Photos everything was migrated. So only if both programs were used after the migration is there anything missing from Photos

     

    If he is using Photos and only used Photos then he just keeps on keeping on - likewise for iPHoto - if and only if both programs were used is the an issue in continuing

     

    If he used Photos and now wants to go back to iPhoto tne the answer is as originals given

     

    The only way currently to accomplish what you want is to export all new photos from the Photos application and then import them into iPhoto

     

    so in spite  of all of your editorials there are two choices going forward

     

    1 - keep using Photos

     

    2 - use iPhoto 9.6.1 (unsupported with no print products available) and export all new photos added to Photos and import them to iPhoto

     

    Those are the choices - pick the best one for your situation

     

    LN

     

    <Edited by Host>

  • by matt.schuh,

    matt.schuh matt.schuh Apr 1, 2016 11:29 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iLife
    Apr 1, 2016 11:29 AM in response to LarryHN

    Why the personal attack?  You know nothing of my situation apart from what I've posted here, yet you speculate all of these things in order to make me appear stupid? 

    In your example, I have had programs be forcefully updated.  But not changed.  This isn't iPhoto 10, it's an entirely new program.  It's been rare for me to be forced into having to switch a program entirely.  You're trying to equate this problem to something that it isn't, something simpler entirely to make the argument on my end seem stupid and on your end seem infallible. I haven't been forced to upgrade from Microsoft Office 2010 to Office 365 for example.  And if I had chosen to it's very simple to go back.  They even offered the ability to go back on the Windows 10 Upgrade, built into the upgrade itself, no prior backups needed.

    Now to explain my situation that you have wrongly assumed so many things on - there was no head of IT before I arrived.  There was an "IT guy" but he was a developer as his main role.  He was here to assist if something broke, but there really haven't been any policies in place.  I'm new here and function as the head of IT, so I'm setting policies, updating everyone, etc.  I'm sure you can understand that situation, though none of this should matter to you.  The question still stands as it was.

    iPhoto is and has been working fine.  That wasn't the issue.  He is up to date as of now.  He had tried Photos before I got here, hence the two files.  After trying and not liking, it's completely reasonable to assume you can continue using the original software.

    As for the photos themselves, I have no idea how or if he migrated, and neither does he.  That's why I'm unsure of duplicates.  I want to migrate from the 2 clients to just one, ensuring no duplicates.  Is that possible?  At this point, it doesn't matter which.  I just want to be able to merge, remove duplicates, and ensure nothing is lost.

     

    If you're going to provide assistance, I appreciate it.  But please, enough with the personal attacks.  They're infuriating.