iPhoto backup to ext HD?

Big Stevie · Jan 23, 2015

Im wanting to free up space on my Macbook Pro internal HD, as well as back up 147GB of iPhoto photos to two external hard drives. I then want to delete my MacBooks iPhoto library and then continue to use it again from fresh. But I have a few questions...

1) Whats the best way of backing up in such a way that the Events remain intact? I know I can go to Finder > iPhoto Library and drag it to my ext HD, but will the Events remain intact, or will all the photos get spread out into one massive jumbled up list?

2) Will doing the above create an iPhoto Library on my ext HD's so when I connect them to my macbook its just like using iPhoto again?

2) Whats the best format to use on my ext HD's? I only intend to use the HD's with my macbook, but who knows what Ill want to do with them in the future?

Thanks

Dave Braine · Jan 23, 2015

1) Whats the best way of backing up in such a way that the Events remain intact? I know I can go to Finder > iPhoto Library and drag it to my ext HD, but will the Events remain intact, or will all the photos get spread out into one massive jumbled up list?

The answer should be here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/index?p...&q=copy iphoto library to external hard drive

2) Will doing the above create an iPhoto Library on my ext HD's so when I connect them to my macbook its just like using iPhoto again?

Yes. The first time you run iPhoto, hold down the Alt key and then navigate to the Library file. iPhoto should then remember the next time.

3) Whats the best format to use on my ext HD's? I only intend to use the HD's with my macbook, but who knows what Ill want to do with them in the future?

The size limit for FAT32 file system is 4Gb, so it won't take your iPhoto Library, so you will have to use Mac OS Extended(Journaled).

Big Stevie · Jan 23, 2015

Dave Braine said:
Yes. The first time you run iPhoto, hold down the Alt key and then navigate to the Library file. iPhoto should then remember the next time.

Thanks. So holding down the Alt key when opening iPhoto allows me to choose whether I want to open the library on my macbook or the library on my ext HD?

Dave Braine · Jan 24, 2015

Yes. A box comes up showing the Libraries that iPhoto knows about, the option to navigate to another Library or the option to create a new Library.

Fishrrman · Jan 24, 2015

OP:
Since you said you're going to be using -2- external hard drives (first for "primary external" storage, and the second as a backup of your "primary", is this correct?), you might find the easiest way to maintain the backup is by using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper to clone the primary external to the backup external.

Fast and easy.

CCC is free to download and free to use for 30 days. One of the best pieces of Mac software there is.

SD will allow you to do a "complete clone" without registering. By "complete clone", it erases the target drive and then re-clones the ENTIRE drive. If you want to do incremental backups (backing up only "changed files", you need to register SD.

Big Stevie · Jan 24, 2015

Fishrrman said:
OP:
Since you said you're going to be using -2- external hard drives (first for "primary external" storage, and the second as a backup of your "primary", is this correct?)

I want to move my current iphoto library to two different hard drives (maybe three just to be safe) and delete the current library of its content, to free up space on my macbook. I shall then carry on using iPhoto on my macbook to store any new photos.

ApfelKuchen · Jan 24, 2015

Dave Braine said:
:::snip:::
The size limit for FAT32 file system is 4Gb, so it won't take your iPhoto Library, so you will have to use Mac OS Extended(Journaled).

I don't disagree about using Mac OS Extended (Journaled), (see http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203786) but... The iPhoto/Aperture Library is a package (defined in the Mac Developer Library as "...a directory presented to the user as a file"). The FAT32 file size limit wouldn't apply to the library as a whole, it would apply to the individual files within the library.

Dave Braine · Jan 26, 2015

The FAT32 file size limit wouldn't apply to the library as a whole, it would apply to the individual files within the library.

OK, I can see the logic in that, however:

iPhoto: Issues with FAT32-formatted drives
If you store your iPhoto library on a volume that is formatted as FAT32 (a file system commonly used on Windows PCs), you may encounter issues including poor performance or data loss. Referenced images stored on FAT32 volumes may also sporadically go offline.

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203786

Big Stevie · Jan 29, 2015

So Im about to copy my iPhoto library from my macbook onto some external HD's, and then delete my MacBooks iPhoto library to free up space. But i first want to make sure that when I do so, I will still be able to carry on using iPhoto on my macbook? The last thing I want to do is to actually delete the iPhoto app.

Dave Braine · Jan 30, 2015

But i first want to make sure that when I do so, I will still be able to carry on using iPhoto on my macbook?

As I said before, the first time you run iPhoto, hold down the Alt key and then navigate to the Library file on your external drive. iPhoto should then remember the next time.

Big Stevie · Feb 10, 2015

Thanks Dave. I would always want to default to the iPhoto on my macbook, and just use the iPhoto located on the external HD occasionally. I'll give it a go.

Big Stevie · Feb 10, 2015

I've now successfully copied my library to an ext HD.

Could I safely rename the ext HD library to something more recognisable, say 'External iPhoto Library' or 'iPhoto to 2015' without corrupting anything?

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