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iPhoto '09: Time Machine backs up entire upgraded library

I don't think this will be a problem for those of us that manage our own libraries. I have an iPhoto file that is about 1gb (which contains all the iphoto specific changes) and 20gb of pictures saved in actual folders that I've been carrying over for years. Upgrading iPhoto will prob change the 1gb file, but leave all the others alone....at least that's my guess. I won't know for sure until my upgrade disc comes in the mail.


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theNEOone said:
I don't think this will be a problem for those of us that manage our own libraries. I have an iPhoto file that is about 1gb (which contains all the iphoto specific changes) and 20gb of pictures saved in actual folders that I've been carrying over for years. Upgrading iPhoto will prob change the 1gb file, but leave all the others alone....at least that's my guess. I won't know for sure until my upgrade disc comes in the mail.


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Click to expand...

I'm guessing you are correct. I have iPhoto manage my library, so all my photos and iPhoto data are in the iPhoto Library package.

Curious.....how well does Time Machine work in iPhoto if you don't have it manage your library?

Let us know once you get it installed.

-Kevin
 
kbmb said:
I'm guessing you are correct. I have iPhoto manage my library, so all my photos and iPhoto data are in the iPhoto Library package.

Curious.....how well does Time Machine work in iPhoto if you don't have it manage your library?

Let us know once you get it installed.

-Kevin
Click to expand...
Time machine seems to work just fine, although I have to admit that I've only been using a mac for 2 weeks and have only recovered 1 photo. (In fact, seeing that Time Machine seems to back up your entire collection in an iPhoto-managed library post-upgrade, I would venture to guess that TM actually works better in an environment where the user manages their own libraries.) I'm curious to know if (and why) you would expect TM to behave poorly in my case.

I will certainly update this thread on what happens with Time Machine after I upgrade...it will probably be a week, however. My iLife 09 disk isn't shipping until Feb 2.


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theNEOone said:
Time machine seems to work just fine, although I have to admit that I've only been using a mac for 2 weeks and have only recovered 1 photo. (In fact, seeing that Time Machine seems to back up your entire collection in an iPhoto-managed library post-upgrade, I would venture to guess that TM actually works better in an environment where the user manages their own libraries.) I'm curious to know if (and why) you would expect TM to behave poorly in my case.

I will certainly update this thread on what happens with Time Machine after I upgrade...it will probably be a week, however. My iLife 09 disk isn't shipping until Feb 2.


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I was specifically asking because unlike using the finder view to recover files from the system in TM.....when you Enter Time Machine while in iPhoto, it keeps the iPhoto interface (instead of replacing it with a finder window).

So I was just curious as to whether Apple did the same if the actual photos are not stored in the iPhoto Library package itself.

Just my own curiosity.

-Kevin
 
kbmb said:
I think because Apple specially programmed TM to interact directly with iPhoto (much like how it directly interacts with Mail), that this is causing TM to backup the entire library.
Click to expand...
That is not how iPhoto '08 worked. Time Machine, after the initial backup of your iPhoto Library file, would only backup the changes.

I find it hard to believe that Apple "broke" iPhoto '09 in this manner.

I could see them requiring one "full" backup after iPhoto '09 has upgraded your library, but after that, I'd be surprised if it continued to do full backups.
 
kbmb said:
I was specifically asking because unlike using the finder view to recover files from the system in TM.....when you Enter Time Machine while in iPhoto, it keeps the iPhoto interface (instead of replacing it with a finder window).

So I was just curious as to whether Apple did the same if the actual photos are not stored in the iPhoto Library package itself.

Just my own curiosity.

-Kevin
Click to expand...
Ahh - I see what you're saying. I will check when I get home today.


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aristobrat said:
That is not how iPhoto '08 worked. Time Machine, after the initial backup of your iPhoto Library file, would only backup the changes.

I find it hard to believe that Apple "broke" iPhoto '09 in this manner.

I could see them requiring one "full" backup after iPhoto '09 has upgraded your library, but after that, I'd be surprised if it continued to do full backups.
Click to expand...

No change.....this is how iPhoto '09 is working....just like '08.

What it did was the one "full" backup of the new iPhoto '09 library. All backups after that initial new backup are incremental just like in '08.

The problem is that your iPhoto '08 backup still lives on your TM drive.....and in my case was taking up 40GB....so the iPhoto '09 backup added ANOTHER 40GB to the TM backup.

-Kevin
 
Fitchley said:
Brace yourselves for another "duh" moment, I'm new to all this. Should I burn all my pictures to a DVD, and then remove them off the hard drive before I install Ilife 09? Also, if I do that, can I open them later if needed in the new Iphoto 09? Seriously, I'm that green.
Click to expand...

That makes no sense whatsoever
 
Update to this - I just got an email from Apple saying that iLife 09 shipped. I should get it by tomorrow, at which point I can test how it behaves with TM when the library is managed manually.


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Time Machine after my install is backing up 71GB now :O

But not unexpected given this thread.

Strange, my iPhoto Library is bigger than 71GB , however. Well marginally, maybe just differences in rounding.

I guess it makes it easier to "go back" if you wanted to go back to iLife08.
 
Update from someone who manages his own library. After the upgrade to iLife '09, it seems as if Time Machine DID NOT backup my entire library. It seems as if it backed up the new program and the iPhoto library file that contains the changes/iPhoto specific info about my library. It did not make a backup of all of my photos.

Note, even though I manage my own library, I can use TM w/ the iPhoto support, so it doesn't seem as if I lose any functionality by managing my own library.


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theNEOone said:
Update from someone who manages his own library. After the upgrade to iLife '09, it seems as if Time Machine DID NOT backup my entire library. It seems as if it backed up the new program and the iPhoto library file that contains the changes/iPhoto specific info about my library. It did not make a backup of all of my photos.

Note, even though I manage my own library, I can use TM w/ the iPhoto support, so it doesn't seem as if I lose any functionality by managing my own library.


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Click to expand...

Thanks for the update....good to know.

So I'm guessing the only real disadvantage for managing your own library (assuming you know what you are doing), is that if for any reason you make a change to the files/file structure, all the links in iPhoto would be broken?

-Kevin
 
kbmb said:
First....I closed iPhoto and made a manual backup of the iPhoto library just in case....I recommend doing the same.

Then I went into Enter Time Machine to get into the space interface.....go to where my iPhoto Library was, select the iPhoto Library in the Time Machine interface and choose the gear menu and select Delete All Backups of iPhoto Library.

This will delete ANY and ALL backups of the iPhoto library that TM has ever done. It should ask for your password.

I then clicked cancel (in the lower left) to exit the TM interface.

You should notice that a smaller finder window is on your screen working to delete all those backups.....you should wait until it's done.

Then once it's done.....with iPhoto still closed (because I think TM is smart enough not to backup the entire thing if iPhoto is open), force a backup. You should see TM now backing up all 35GB of your iPhoto Library.

Once it's done, you know can move forward and it will keep changes. You now have just one initial set of the 35GB of data.

NOTE that if you delete all backups in TM.....you are essentially losing all data that TM has backed up relating to iPhoto. You won't for example be able to go back 3 months ago and get a picture you deleted. You are starting from scratch for your backups....which is what I wanted to do.

-Kevin
Click to expand...

Kevin,

Thanks for the tip. Very helpful. However, I have done this and it has worked - when I go into time machine from iPhoto there are no backups - but this does not seem to have freed up any space. It should have as my iPhoto library is upwards of 60GB and I know that it has backed up twice. Any suggestions?
 
dolutz said:
Kevin,

Thanks for the tip. Very helpful. However, I have done this and it has worked - when I go into time machine from iPhoto there are no backups - but this does not seem to have freed up any space. It should have as my iPhoto library is upwards of 60GB and I know that it has backed up twice. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Just ignore it. This is how Time Machine works. When it needs more space it will clear more space. There's no reason to be worried.
 
dolutz said:
Kevin,

Thanks for the tip. Very helpful. However, I have done this and it has worked - when I go into time machine from iPhoto there are no backups - but this does not seem to have freed up any space. It should have as my iPhoto library is upwards of 60GB and I know that it has backed up twice. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you did the delete by entering TM via the Finder and not from within iPhoto?

I guess you can always go and double check within TM. If it lets you delete all the iPhoto library backups again, maybe it didn't delete all of them the first time around.

-Kevin
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
Just ignore it. This is how Time Machine works. When it needs more space it will clear more space. There's no reason to be worried.
Click to expand...

With large libraries like 40GB or 60GB.....I'd rather have that space back within TM now. I'm also assuming that if the TM disk was to fill up, it would potentially delete good data that was older than the duplicated iPhoto library backup.

-Kevin
 
kbmb said:
With large libraries like 40GB or 60GB.....I'd rather have that space back within TM now. I'm also assuming that if the TM disk was to fill up, it would potentially delete good data that was older than the duplicated iPhoto library backup.

-Kevin
Click to expand...
Are you using a Time Capsule?
 
kbmb said:
Both a Time Capsule on my MacBook and an OWC drive on my Mac Pro.
Click to expand...
I was going to mention that if it was the size of your backup on the Time Capsule that didn't decrease (after you deleted your iPhoto stuff), it's because the overall size of that sparse bundle thing never decreases. If you deleted your iPhoto Library, then you'll have more free space inside of the sparse bundle, but the overall size of the sparse bundle won't decrease.

Sorry if that's not what you were talking about.
 
aristobrat said:
I was going to mention that if it was the size of your backup on the Time Capsule that didn't decrease (after you deleted your iPhoto stuff), it's because the overall size of that sparse bundle thing never decreases. If you deleted your iPhoto Library, then you'll have more free space inside of the sparse bundle, but the overall size of the sparse bundle won't decrease.

Sorry if that's not what you were talking about.
Click to expand...

Good question actually.....but I'm not the one that was having the issue with not seeing the space free up, that was dolutz.

My main iPhoto library is on my Mac Pro, so I haven't done the purge in TM from within a backup on the Time Capsule.

-Kevin
 
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