Backing up iPhoto Library to DVDs

Hello,
I'm planning to back up all my files and reinstall Leopard. However, I'm a little worried about backing up my iPhoto library (~22 GB). I don't have an external hard drive so burning to disc is the only way.
I want to retain _all my events and both original and modified photos_. Which method is right for me: using iPhoto's built-in Burn feature or manually copying sections of the iPhoto Library to DVD?
Thanks!

Chris:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. Be sure you don't select much more than 4GB of photos as reported by iPhoto in the Information pane at the bottom of the left window in iPhoto to burn because iPhoto adds a lot of overhead, i.e. the modified and thumbnail files, and various database files that can bloat each burn. You don't want to get into the burn and get the not enough space message. You can see this
Since all of the disks that get created have the same disk name, keep a written record of the contents of each disk and number the disks with a pen so it will be easier to locate what you need.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Similar Messages

Backing up iPhoto Library to DVD: too big

I want to back up my iPhoto library to DVD so I can have an "off-site" copy. However it is 17GB, and won't fit on one DVD. What's the best way to back up to multiple DVD's? I do have Toast 8, if that's the best way.
Thanks!

Use the Disk Utility in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder to create a 20GB disk image, copy the entire library to it, compress it, and then use this tool to segment the image. You need all the segments to recover anything.
(40485)

Backing up iphoto library to dvd when size is enormous

this community has helped me every time and once again i am stuck and have searched for the answer with no luck yet.
i have a 20GB library and have already copied it to an external HD and switched my default library position to free up space internally. i manage the two different locations with iphoto library manager.
i would like a hard copy of the library in case (knock on wood) my external HD would crash. too many memories lost. but i have yet to discover a way to do this and am assuming i am overlooking something. how can i burn that massive library to dvds???
thanks for listening.

so i was entirely unaware of backup. i figured it was something extra and had not yet explored it. i have now downloaded backup and have a few more questions about this process.
my iphoto and itunes folders are on my external hd, yet they are both set as the default library for both programs. i have not yet seen a quickpick or pre-installed plan that will back those up (only available for home folder). so i looked through the custom settings as well and was unable to determine how to back up my external hd. it seems everything is for my mac hd. my external hd never appeared appeared on the desktop as an option to backup.
any thoughts because i would love to back up the folders and files to dvds and then schedule regular backups as well. thanks again for the back up info, and any further help.

Since my last software update, my iphoto 11 will not import any photos from any source. The circle just spins...when I go to force quit, it says iphoto not responding. Backed up iphoto library, uninstalled and reinstalled iphoto. Still not working. Help!

Since my last software update, my iphoto 11 will not import any photos from any source. The circle just spins...when I go to force quit, it says iphoto not responding. Backed up iphoto library, uninstalled and reinstalled iphoto. Still not working. Help!

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one. .
Regards
TD

Backing up iPhoto Library to multiple DVDs

I'm pretty sure that iPhoto does not have built-in backup capability like iTunes, but is there an easy way to do this with another application? I do own a copy of Toast 8 Titanium which I believe will allow me to span a large file across multiple DVDs but I haven't tried it yet. Incremental backup capability would be nice too, but just having a safe copy of my entire photo library would be good enough. Any suggestions or recommendations?

Other apps that will do incremental backups of the entire library is LaCie's free SilverKeeper and Synk Standard. Another backup that should be performed frequently is in the tip at the end of my signature.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Backing up iPhoto Library (or its contents) to DVD

I currently use Time Machine to backup my iPhoto Library to an external hard drive. However, I would also like to back up the library itself, or at least its contents, to DVD. Does iPhoto have a built-in backup to disc utility like iTunes does? If not, can you suggest a good method/app for backing up the library to disc? My iPhoto Library is around 8 GB, so it won't fit on a single DVD. I do have Toast, although it's an old version (Version 8, I believe). Could I use that?

Does iPhoto have a built-in backup to disc utility like iTunes does?
No.
My iPhoto Library is around 8 GB, so it won't fit on a single DVD.
If you have a drive capable of writing to dual layer double sided DVDs, the library will fit. Other options include control-clicking the iPhoto Library item in the Finder and compressing or archiving it, or showing its contents in the Finder, splitting that over multiple DVDs, and fully reassembling it before attempting to access it from iPhoto.
(3153)

Transfering iPhoto Library via DVD

Hello! I searched long and hard before posting this, but I couldn't find a good answer.
I bought a new macbook and I want to put the iPhoto '08 library from my iMac on it. I burned the events to a couple DVDs and imported them on the macbook, but there were several problems. All of the originals came up as new photos in each event (not just stored behind their modified) and it did not transfer the hidden photos. Moreover, all of the modified pics were placed in new events with the same title as the event on their originals! What a mess. I deleted the whole lot of them and created a new, unpopulated library.
It seems as if I need to transfer over the entire iPhoto library, not just the pics. It is 16GB. Should I buy a firewire cable, borrow and external HD or what? Will this even work? I want to copy the EXACT library over.
Thanks in advance! I love my new black macbook, can't wait to get some pics on it!

Where are you copying it to? Try to the desktop first. If that doesn't work try to the root level of your destination Mac, the same directory as the Applications folder. You may have to be logged in as an administrator to do that.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Burning iPhoto Library to DVD

I had a lot of new photos and wanted to back up my iPhoto Library. I burned the library it to a DVD in iPhoto. Over 2600 photos. All seems to have gone fine, but it took over 1/2 hour. Is that about right? I didn't expect it would take nearly so long (although I really don't know why I think that).
In the future, am I okay not burning the whole library---just the newly added photos not on the DVD I burned today? I did lose the whole library a few months ago and gratefully had backed it up.
Thanks.

It mostly depends on the speed of your DVD burner and the media it is using, but does not sound unreasonable to me!
I agree with the first response that an external HD is a good idea. I have and older "mobile disk" external hd case which has firewire 400. It works great with a 120 gb WD HD, and runs cool.
Periodically, I use "Super Duper" to clone the HD every month, and every week copy the iPhoto library over to it as an additional file. If my iMac hd fails, the HD could be used as a external boot drive and I would only be a week out in updates. If the iMac needs a new HD I could either install the one from the external case or duplicate it to a new HD in the iMac.
I have just started using RAW images and keep them in a separate folder from iPhoto. Once, I have gone through these RAW images and exported the "keepers" to iphoto as JPEG's the original RAW files are periodically transferred to a DVD for archiving. I always have the original image to work with, like keeping the "negatives" from a film camera.
Well...that's my strategy anwyay...and I am sticking with it!!!
Ed

Problems with burning iPhoto library to DVD

When I try to burn my iPhoto library to a DVD, iPhoto eventually always crashes.
iPhoto will prepare to burn and the window to select output drive, spee, etc. will com up. After clicking on "burn", iPhoto is always end.
What could be wrong?
Is my iPhoto library maybe corrupted?
If yes, can I do something about it?
Infos:
iBook G4, 640 RAM, HD 30GB (3.72 available), OSX Tiger, external LACIE d2 DUAL DVD+-RW DRIVE, iPhoto library: 3.53 GB
Thanks for any help!

Hi iRose,
Thanks for giving all your info. Your free space on your hard drive is not enough to do a successful burn of the entire iPhoto Library. Do you have an external drive? Is your drive supported for iPhoto burning? usually on the internal that comes with the computer is supported.
Try instead to burn the entire iPhoto Library folder in the Finder using your external burner.
Close iPhoto
I can't burn a Cd or DVD
The next info is from iPhoto FAQ on the Apple site
Question 5: Can I burn a CD or DVD to back up my iPhoto library?
Answer: Yes, you can easily back up your iPhoto library by using the CD burning capabilities of Mac OS X. Simply insert a blank CD into your internal or external CD-RW drive and copy the iPhoto library to the CD icon on your desktop. When you drag the CD icon to the Trash/Eject button in the Dock, you are given the option to burn the CD. Click Burn and the CD is created. To burn a DVD backup of your digital images, use iDVD and a SuperDrive-equipped Mac.
Lori

Restoring iPhoto Library from DVD

I having been backing up my iPhoto 5.0.4 library to DVD peridodcially using the Share command. The library is on 2 DVD's, is in the iPhoto Library format with other data files as well. If I want to restore the library to one of my Macs, how is this done so that I don't wind up with an entire library of grayed-out photos?
Thanks -

On the Mac you want to restore the library to open iPhoto and create a new library (or use the existing one if that's what you want to do) and insert the DVD. The DVD will show up as a disc icon directly under the main library icon in the Source window. You then expand the disc icon and drag the roll icons onto the library icon. This will copy the rolls into the library on the Mac. If you burned by album you can select them and drag to the Source window (I believe that will copy them as an album - not sure because I haven't backup via albums). In either case you'll be able to copy your photos into the "new" library and maintain the organizational information. However, you may not retain the keyword correlation as that's been a reported bug in burning to disc with V5.
Hope this has been of some help. Good luck.
OT

Backing up iPhoto Library to EXD

I know this has been discussed LOTS but I would like to make a one time back up of my entire current iPhoto library to an EXD (the library is huge). I have TM but want to leave a copy of all my photos in a safe place. I have all the photos on CDs/DVDs as well but want access to the entire library.
Is it really as simple as clicking & dragging the iPhoto Library icon in Pictures (in Finder) to the EXD? I'm afraid I will corrupt my Library if I do this. Or is there some method whereby I can copy the photos & structure in my iphoto library - albums/keywords, etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I am about to switch from my older desktop to a whomping 1TB so am anxious to make copies - just in case.
Thank you

Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Then yes, it is that easy.
However, with a large library doing this time and time again gets tedious as copying that huge library takes time. Consider getting a back up utility that does incremental back ups. Such an app will make a full copy first time, thereafter it will update the back up with changes in the source files. There are many apps that do this. Search on MacUpdate
Regards TD

Suggestions on backing up iphoto4 library on DVD when library is greater th

Hi,
I need to backup my iphoto4 library. I want to do it on DVD. My present library is larger than 1 DVD. How would you go about dividing up the pictures. The library is just one large library of all of the pictures.
Thank you for your help and ideas.

iPhoto Help has several suggestions to back up photos. Photo backups vs. iPhoto library backups are two different things (a library is a database which needs to retain its integrity beyond just the image files). If you want to backup libraries, then you might consider multiple libraries whose respective sizes will be limited by the capacity of the chosen backup medium.
The backup of a large collection of individual images is relatively straight forward; backing up large photo databases requires a greater degree of strategy.

Questions re backing up iPhoto Library

I have a 20” iMac purchased last January and have been using iPhoto a lot since recently acquiring my first digital camera. I am adding extensively to my collection of digital photos and wish to back up my photo images to DVDs in case the originals are accidently lost or corrupted. However, I am running into some seeming weirdness along the way that is making it difficult for me to figure out how best to accomplish this. I would appreciate one of the experts on this forum clarifying this situation for me.
It appears that one way to back up the photos to a DVD is to open up iPhoto, and then click Library/Share/Burn, after which you insert a blank DVD to complete the process. However, I note a discrepancy here. When I click on Library I note that I currently have 653 photos in the Library at a size of 3.4 GB which would easily fit on a DVD. The discrepancy shows up when I open up the iPhoto Library folder in the Pictures folder and find that the size of the iPhoto Library folder is 4.73 GB which would be too big to fit on a DVD. Why does the size of the Library show up as 3.4 GB in the first case and 4.73 GB in the second case? Which value is correct? Should I back up the Library in iPhoto per the Library/Share/Burn indicated above or should I attempt to burn the iPhoto Library folder to a DVD? If the latter, what would be the best way to do this?
A related issue is creation of new photo libraries. I plan to continue to back up my library by burning to DVDs, which means that I would want to create a new library every time the current library reaches a size of about 4 GB. This would assure that each library would fit on a DVD. I encountered another bit of weirdness in my attempt to find out how to create new libraries and to switch between libraries. It appears that in creating a new library or in switching to a different iPhoto library it is first necessary to locate the current iPhoto Library folder and rename it. I can find no explanation for this. My plan would be to retain “iPhoto Library” as the name of the original library with “iPhoto Library - 2”, “iPhoto Library - 3”, etc. as the names of subsequent new libraries. Why would I want to or need to rename these libraries? Weird!
Back to my current iPhoto Library: If the actual size is 4.73 GB it won’t fit on a DVD. It would seem necessary for me to create a new library and then transfer some of the photos in the current library to the new library in order to reduce the size to about 4 GB. I presume that this is possible and would appreciate guidance on how best to accomplish this. I don’t want to chance losing any images in the process!
To date, except for the oddities incurred in working with iPhoto, I have not had much difficulty in making the transition from a Windows computer to the new iMac. I’m now a definite Mac fan! I trust that one or more experienced hands here can steer me in the right direction so that I can continue to enjoy the use of iPhoto, hopefully knowing what I am doing and why.
Bob

Hello, Bob,
Terence is correct. You don't need to rename your library.
I use iPhotoBuddy to manage my libraries; currently I have ten of them. I separated them chronologically by dates and named them appropriately, such as iPhotoLibrary2007.
You can burn DVDs or CDs in two ways:
1. From WITHIN iPhoto Burn from iPhoto This method is good for iPhoto backup when you would like to keep iPhoto's structure. You can just insert the disk when you want to use the photos, and you will have them just as they were in iPhoto.
However, the photos cannot be read by photo print places nor by PCs. You may note that the disk used size is larger because you are getting the full iPhoto--thumbs, originals and modifieds. The disk icon will appear in iPhoto's source pane and can be accessed without having to reimport the photos.
2. From FINDER Burn from Finder This method is good for preserving your photos for use in any computer or photo processing company. You may find that this method will allow more photos per disk because you are only burning the photos that you exported to the desktop folder/file. When you insert this disk and open iPhoto, you will not see the disk in the Source pane and will have to reimport the photos to use them.
Which method you use depends on what your ultimate goal is. If you want to delete the photos from your current library, but have access to them easily,then method 1 would probably suit you better.
If you are looking to archive the photos as a backup and are ok with reimporting them if you need to, then method 2 may be better for you.
Another suggestion for you is to get an external drive (or two) to use for iPhoto. As your photo collection enlarges, you may find that it is too big for your computer's drive to handle. You keep the iPhoto application on the computer's drive, but you can put the library(ies) on the external. It is easy to do; just drag the entire iPhotoLibrary (located in Pictures folder) onto the external. (Be sure the external is Mac-formatted first).
When you open iPhoto and it asks you to create or locate the library, just point it to the external drive.
If you make use of an external for your iPhoto Libraries, remember that unless you copy them onto disks, you have not backed up. That is why you may need a second external, for backup.
I have two external drives for iPhoto, and I make iMovies->DVDs of all our family photos and videos, and I burn DVDs of my photos. I had an external drive fail once. Fortunately, none of my photos were on it, just some papers of my daughters and some documents of mine. Makes me extra-cautious

I can't open my backed-up Iphoto Library on my new Mac with upgraded iLife. How can I retrieve all my pics??

Having backed-up my old iMac using time machine, thinking to open up my iPhoto Library to retrieve all pics from Time Machine, but iPhoto doesn't let me open it. First a pop-up appears: "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto. Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process for very large libraries may take an hour or more to complete." When I click Upgrade another pop-up appears "You can’t open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto. You have made changes to your photo library using a newer version of iPhoto. Please quit and use the latest version of iPhoto." But I am using the latest version iLife 11. Is there a way to open up the library in a different way, so I can get my pics back???

It sounds like the restored database is damaged.
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.

Would like to know how to back up iphoto library to external harddrive

I know this question has been asked and very well answered, but I could not find it in the pop up discussions. I have copied my library to an external hard drive by dragging and dropping the events into folders. This works, however is time consuming and all the photos, I think are out of order. I would like to use the "export library" link in iphoto, but when i do it say something about can't create volumes?? Sorry if this is not as clear as it could be, but I don't think I am the first with this problem. Links to previous solutions would be great! I do use time machine as a back up to an external hard drive, but would like to back up the library to a USB also, which I can then put somewhere else.
I have a Mac Mini 10.6.8. and a sweet new bluetooth keyboard!

Copy the iPhoto library intact to the EHD -- or use a incremental program so you can update it without recopying everything - I use Carbon Copy cloner - Superduper is another good one - there are others
LN

Backing up iPhoto Library to DVDs

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