Can I delete the iPhoto Library file?

[brilliantthings]

I just noticed that the iPhoto Library takes up 25GB of my 256GB of SSD.

I dont like or use iPhoto. If I delete the iPhoto library file, will I lose the original photos that are elsewhere on my SSD?

Also, I'm looking for a photo viewer that does not sort photos itself, but keeps photos in the folders I have created. Using Xee, but it's a bit average.

Thanks

 

[Comeagain?]

Whenever you import photos, iPhoto adds them to the iPhoto library file. So, if you import photos from other places on your drive, it *shouldnt* remove all your photos.

Make a backup before you do anything drastic though.

 

[maflynn]

will I lose the original photos that are elsewhere on my SSD?

You will lose any and all photos that were imported into iPhoto. If you have other images that have not been imported, they will not be touched.

Before deletting the file, back up your system and then delete the library. If you like what you see, then no harm no foul. If you suddenly realized that you lost images that you wanted to keep, then you have the backup.

25gb iPhoto library seems to indicate that you have a rather large collections of photos in iPhoto.

My LightRoom library for 2012 is about 36gb of space which is > 2,500 images

 

[brilliantthings]

Btw...deleted iPhoto and iPhoto library. Freed up 25gb and didn't delete any original photos. So nice to be free of that beast.

 

[netslacker]

The only other caveat that I can see is if you were using photostream from an iPhone or iPad. If so, then all the pics that were photostreamed to your Mac are now gone. Could explain the large size of the iPhoto file.

Since the iPhoto file was 25gb in size there was definitely a good number of images that had been imported into iPhoto. The file doesn't just magically grow for no reason so either you use(d) iPhoto or photo stream has been loading images.

You could have just launched iPhoto to see what photos it had (or right-click on the library file and choose 'show contents' to explore) but since you've already deleted it I hope you don't one day regret it...

 

[brilliantthings]

The only other caveat that I can see is if you were using photostream...

...Since the iPhoto file was 25gb in size there was definitely a good number of images that had been imported into iPhoto. The file doesn't just magically grow for no reason so either you use(d) iPhoto or photo stream has been loading images.

No. I never used Photostream. I've backed up my Camera Roll to Dropbox instead.

The 25GB wasnt a "magic number". I have about 40GB of photos on my SSD. 25GB of these had been imported to iPhoto. iPhoto unnecessarily was adding 25GB to the 40GB of space that my photos were already taking. My initial question was, if I delete the library file will I lose the files from which iPhoto originally imported.

Btw...the answer is no.

 

[DewGuy1999]

I just noticed that the iPhoto Library takes up 25GB of my 256GB of SSD.

I dont like or use iPhoto. If I delete the iPhoto library file, will I lose the original photos that are elsewhere on my SSD?

Also, I'm looking for a photo viewer that does not sort photos itself, but keeps photos in the folders I have created. Using Xee, but it's a bit average.

Thanks

For an alternative to iPhoto, you might try Google's Picasa or a little known app called Lyn.

 

[brilliantthings]

Thanks. But I'm very happy with Path Finder, my own folders and Xee. Don't see any benefit in having another program trying to organise my photos.

 

[DewGuy1999]

Thanks. But I'm very happy with Path Finder, my own folders and Xee. Don't see any benefit in having another program trying to organise my photos.

Both of those programs allow you to view and I believe organize your photos (if you wish), but unlike iPhoto use your own existing file structure and don't copy the photos to another location.

 

[brilliantthings]

Oh okay. But any benefit over Xee and Path Finder?

 

[DewGuy1999]

Oh okay. But any benefit over Xee and Path Finder?

I don't know as I've never used either of those programs, the obvious one that comes to mind is that it would be one program instead of the two you're currently using.

 

[brilliantthings]

Path Finder is just a Finder alternative and Xee works quickly and seamlessly with it or Finder for viewing photos. Useless for editing though. I use Photoshop Elements for that.