What happen when I update from 10.6.8 to 10.11 with my iPhoto library?

[mace_the_grace]

Hello everyone,



I want to update my old MacBook Pro (late '07) with 2.2 Ghz and 4 GB RAM from Snow Leopard (10.6.8) to El Capitan (10.11).

My iPhoto (iLife '07) library has a size around 25-30 GB. What will happen after the update with the library? Because of the replacement of iPhoto through Photos.
Does anyone know a good hint for exporting my iPhoto library on an external HDD (with complete folder system for non-mac users)?



Many thanks

mace_the_grace

 

[Bending Pixels]

You should be able to export the originals from your iPhoto library (File/Export/Originals). Most likely you'll lose any editing you did, but you'll still have your originals.

Photos should convert your iPhoto library over to Photos without any real issues. Some metadata will be lost, but any edits should carry over.

 

[mace_the_grace]

Before iPhoto I used a Windows system and had a folder system, year_month_day_event. I created every album in iPhoto in this way. But the folder system in the iPhoto library looks different

Has anyone experience about the performance of an Macbook Pro (late '07) with El Capitan?

 

[Fishrrman]

To be safe, before you attempt to upgrade you should create an external cloned backup of your old OS and data using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Doing this could save you A LOT of trouble and anguish if things don't go as planned.

That said, will a 2007 MacBook support El Capitan?

My prediction is that even if it does, you may not be satisfied with the overall performance of things after the upgrade.
As in S-L-O-W-E-R ...

With a MacBook that is currently eight years old and soon to be nine, it might be time to start thinking about an upgrade of the entire machine...

 

[Weaselboy]

My iPhoto (iLife '07) library has a size around 25-30 GB. What will happen after the update with the library? Because of the replacement of iPhoto through Photos.

Nothing at all will happen. You will still have iPhoto and your iPhoto library just like you always did. Then if you launch the new Photos app it will ask if you want to import the iPhoto library to the new Photos format. Even if you do that, you will still have the old iPhoto library there unless you delete it.

 

[Ebenezum]

What version is your iPhoto app? You will need latest version or it will not work in El Capitan.

Depending on your needs Photos may not be optimal since it has very limited organisational features compared to iPhoto, including limited Metadata support. You may want to continue using iPhoto for the moment.

While you Macbook Pro will support El Capitan I am sceptical it will run nowhere as fast as Snow Leopard, 10.11 ads a lot of functionality but it comes at cost of greater RAM and graphics needs. I recommend waiting for a few months until more information is available on 10.11 speed on old Macs.