bobrock4

Q: need space: what library file to move?

Hi all,

 

I have all my photos on Mac and on my backup unit

 

Last year, after buying my new MacBook, I have made some works to migrate from old to this new one.

 

Now I need free space on Hd on my Mac and in my /images folder I have these files:

- "foto library" gb75 (i can view it also in my Photo settings, last update now)

- "iPhoto Library.migratedphotlibrary" gb47 (last update 13oct2015)

- "libreria di Foto" gb5 (last update now)

 

Logically I could delete the 47gb file.

 

But in my Photo there's a folder ("eventi iPhoto", 9000 photos inside) imported from my old iPhoto (and Mac)

 

I would like not do delete any old photos.

 

Please give to me an advice.

 

Thanks :-)

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), OS X Yosemite 10.10.3

Posted on Jul 31, 2016 3:30 AM

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Q: need space: what library file to move?

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  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Jul 31, 2016 3:53 AM in response to bobrock4
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    Jul 31, 2016 3:53 AM in response to bobrock4

    - "iPhoto Library.migratedphotlibrary" gb47 (last update 13oct2015)

    This is your old iPhoto Library.  The changed filename extension ".migratedphotolibrary" indicates, that this library has been migrated to Photos and your largest Photos Library will contain all the migrated photos.

     

    So you can move the "iPhoto Library.migratedphotlibrary" to an external drive for backup.  All photos inside your Photos Library will continue to work. Photos created its own copies of the image files.  However, they are stored very efficiently as hard links to the originals in the old iPhoto Library.  Deleting the iPhoto Library may not free as much storage as you are expecting. See this document:   Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support

     

    But in my Photo there's a folder ("eventi iPhoto", 9000 photos inside) imported from my old iPhoto (and Mac)

    This folder in your Photos Library will continue to work. The migration tp Photos copied all photos into the library, but very efficiently to save storage.

  • by bobrock4,

    bobrock4 bobrock4 Jul 31, 2016 4:00 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jul 31, 2016 4:00 AM in response to léonie

    Hi,

     

    after reading your link I understood that deleting my iPhoto Library.migratedphotlibrary I would delete all my old photos. I thought that file is the the storage file for old photos.


    I would like to know if I have well understood.


    Thanks, bye

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Aug 3, 2016 10:10 PM in response to bobrock4
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    Aug 3, 2016 10:10 PM in response to bobrock4
    after reading your link I understood that deleting my iPhoto Library.migratedphotlibrary I would delete all my old photos. I thought that file is the the storage file for old photos.

    It is your old iPhoto Library, just with a new filename extension.

     

    You do not need it any longer, unless you are still using iPhoto.

    All photos from that library have been copied to the Photos library, when Photos opened the iPhoto Library and created its own library.   Both the old Photos Library (.migrated) and the new "foto library" gb75 are totally independent.

     

    Why do you have an additional - "libreria di Foto" gb5 (last update now)?  Did you intentionally create a second Fotos library?

  • by bobrock4,

    bobrock4 bobrock4 Aug 3, 2016 10:10 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Aug 3, 2016 10:10 PM in response to léonie

    Hi,

     

    I don't really have all clear :-(

     

    It seems that deleting the old Photos Library (.migrated) I will not save so much space. It is 47gb! Deleting a so big file I should gain space.

     

    It seems that the old Photos Library (.migrated) is totally independent from Photo Library and that old photos are "moved" in the Photo Library. My logical thought is to delete an old and independent library.

     

    For what concern additional photo library "libreria di Foto" (gb5) I continue to have not enough information in my mind. I remember that I wanted to create different libraries at that time, but:

    - I can't see this in the Photo configurations now (only 1 libray is set)

    - It is running together the big one library: those library files have both the same time/date as last time opened (just now)

     

    Thanks, bye

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Aug 3, 2016 10:38 PM in response to bobrock4
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    Aug 3, 2016 10:38 PM in response to bobrock4

    It seems that the old Photos Library (.migrated) is totally independent from Photo Library and that old photos are "moved" in the Photo Library. My logical thought is to delete an old and independent library.

    Perhaps this document will explain better how the Photos saves space by using hard links:  Six Colors: The (hard) link between Photos and iPhoto

     

    In short, you will not be able to free storage at all for your photos, unless you delete the original ".migratedphotolibrary". Hard linkend files are independent files, but stored on the same disk blocks, because their content is identical.  MacOS is counting how many linked files are using these disk blocks, and will release the storage only, if the last linked file has been deleted.

  • by bobrock4,

    bobrock4 bobrock4 Aug 3, 2016 11:35 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Aug 3, 2016 11:35 PM in response to léonie

    Useful reading, but I'm not so good in understanding the hard links feature :-)

     

    I don't really understand why I don't gain space if I'd delete the migratedlibrary file. In any case you taught to me what result i should expect deleting that file and this is enough.

     

    What solution could I use to have more free space? Dividing my Photo library in different parts (1 on an external drive to be used only in case of need and the other one on my hd)?

     

    Thanks

    Bye

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Aug 3, 2016 11:45 PM in response to bobrock4
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    Aug 3, 2016 11:45 PM in response to bobrock4

    What solution could I use to have more free space? Dividing my Photo library in different parts (1 on an external drive to be used only in case of need and the other one on my hd)?

    That would be an option. And it is what I am doing.  I am keeping all photos on an external drive as an archive, and the library I am using on my internal drive of my MacBook Pro has just the favorite photos I want to be able to access most of the time, plus the most recent photos I am still editing and tagging.

     

    I rarely need to access the older photos on the external drive, only if I need to restore a photo that got corrupted.

  • by bobrock4,

    bobrock4 bobrock4 Aug 4, 2016 12:10 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Aug 4, 2016 12:10 AM in response to léonie

    How could I pratically do it? What configurations should I do in my Photo to reach a goal similar to your?

     

    Thanks :-)

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Aug 4, 2016 1:14 AM in response to bobrock4
    Level 10 (105,761 points)
    iLife
    Aug 4, 2016 1:14 AM in response to bobrock4

    To get started, drag and drop your Photos library as it is not to an external drive. Use a drive that is locally mounted, by USB or thunderbolt, not a NAS or similar. The file system needs to be MacOS Extended (journaled). 

    When end you import new photos, import them to both libraries, on your external drive and your Library on the external drive. This way you always have a full archive of all your photos on the external drive. And you can delete rigorously all mediocre photos or redundant photos from the library on the internal drive.

    Alternately you you could move photos from your main library on the internal drive. The application PowerPhotos lets you move photos between libraries, but you need the full, paid version.  With Photos you can only export the photos from one library, then import them into the other library.