QwertyMan11

Q: Would I need to backup or just re-enable if doing a OSX reinstall?

I use Photos for Mac on my iMac. I have iCloud photo library enabled on my iPhone and iMac. I also have download originals on my iMac.

 

So I'm thinking of doing a total refresh on my iMac, and installing MacOS Sierra. I will obviously backup beforehand with TM, but if I do a fresh install of MacOS, do I then just re-enable/sign in to Photos for Mac, and then it will download all my photos as originals again anyway?

 

I won't have to backup and copy (like iPhoto of the past), the file to my iMac?

 

thanks

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 6:47 AM

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Q: Would I need to backup or just re-enable if doing a OSX reinstall?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Sep 21, 2016 6:50 AM in response to QwertyMan11
    Level 10 (84,752 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 21, 2016 6:50 AM in response to QwertyMan11

    I certainly would never do that without a knows good backup - things do go wrong

     

    If you download everything form iCloud Photo Library you will lose all projects and face albums

     

    LN

  • by QwertyMan11,

    QwertyMan11 QwertyMan11 Sep 21, 2016 6:54 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (19 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 21, 2016 6:54 AM in response to LarryHN

    I wouldn't do it without a backup no. I will run TM backup beforehand. So doing it the above way I would lose faces albums...ah ok, I don't have any projects, but have organised faces.

     

    So wold I just copy the photos database file to an external HDD and then put it back in the same folder \user\pictures once I've done the reinstall?

     

    thanks

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Sep 21, 2016 7:42 AM in response to QwertyMan11
    Level 10 (84,752 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 21, 2016 7:42 AM in response to QwertyMan11

    Yes - the EHD must be formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and doing that will tripper a total upload to iCloud PHoto Library to verify that everythign is in sync

     

    LN

  • by QwertyMan11,

    QwertyMan11 QwertyMan11 Sep 21, 2016 8:24 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (19 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 21, 2016 8:24 AM in response to LarryHN

    Sorry not sure what the EHD is sorry, so what are you saying is best way please? copy the Photo library database file to an external disk, then once reinstall done, then copy that back to the pictures folder, open Photos for Mac and voila, everything as is?

     

    for ref if makes a difference my iMac has a fusion drive

     

    thanks

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Sep 21, 2016 9:00 AM in response to QwertyMan11
    Level 10 (84,752 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Sep 21, 2016 9:00 AM in response to QwertyMan11

    EHD is an external hard drive exactly the same as

    external HDD

    is an external hard drive

     

    and yes dragging the Photos library to an external hard drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and then dragging it back later is the correct way - this will trigger a new total upload (not duplicating but verifying) the database integerity

     

    LN