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

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Level 1

53 points

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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Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

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

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Answer 2

QwertyMan11 Author

Level 1

53 points

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

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

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

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Answer 4

QwertyMan11 Author

Level 1

53 points

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

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

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

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