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Photos app and pics, not on boot drive

Z

zoran

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 30, 2005
4,881
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I want to relieve hdd space from my boot drive (happens to be an SSD), by changing the path that photos and videos are located in Photos app. Is it possible "legitimately" to relocate that path so that all photos/videos can be stored in a diff drive, other than the boot drive for obvious reasons!

Just to make it clear, im not talking about iPhone or iPad backup files etc. im talking about the actual files of pics and videos that are contained in the "Photos" application.
 
Last edited:
Just go to your ~/Pictures folder and move the Photos library file to the other drive. Then hold the option key the next time you start Photos. That will bring up a selection window where you can point the app the the new location of the Photos library.
 
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Great idea!
- What other libraries are there that i can do the same so that i will relieve the SSD boot drive from them? Perhaps music?
- Are there any downsides when doing transfers like these? For example maybe when i update OS's and those library folders are not in the system file area there might be issues?
 
You can also move the "movies" folder.

The apps themselves should stay on the SSD -- just move the libraries. There should be no difference in performance.

So long as you keep the apps themselves in the applications folder, there shouldn't be problems with updates.

This is a good way to keep the SSD running "lean and clean", and at its best.
 
Guys are you certain that i wont have any issues? Have you tried this your selves? Im afraid! :confused::)
 
Just back up your internal drive first, and give it a try.
There's nothing complicated about it.
iTunes, iPhoto, Photos, etc. all work with "libraries" wherever you locate them.
 
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Ok. Let me ask this, i want to make a clean install of Sierra. Can i move the Libraries (from Yose version) to a folder of my liking and then link those Libraries from the Sierra apps, will they still work?
 
Im trying to move the iTunes Library but cannot locate what needs to be transferred in the folders you can see... any idea what i can move?
Screen Shot 2017-05-15 at 8.06.33 PM.png
 
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