Can I copy a Photos library from one Mac to another?

I have upgraded an iMac and MacBook Pro to Yosemite 10.10.3, and am switching to the new Photos app and iCloud Photo Library.  I want to keep full copies of my Photos library on both the iMac and MacBook Pro, with an Optimised version of the library on my iPhone.
My iMac has the master Photos library.  It is slowly uploading the 28,000 photos in the library to iCloud Photo Library, and they are slowly appearing on my other devices. 
The question is, can I copy the Photos library from the iMac to the MacBook Pro via a USB hard drive, and expect iCloud Photo Library to work out that each photo is duplicated in the two libraries, or will I end up with duplicates in iCloud Photo Library?  What would be the effect if I were to change the MacBook Pro to Optimised after copying the Photos library?
If I can do this, it will mean I can see my Photos library on my laptop much sooner, and I might be able to get my MacBook Pro to the office which has much quicker upload speeds.  I don't fancy taking my iMac in to the office, and my boss might ask an awkward question or two...
Thanks in advance for any advice.
P Diddy

Yes, and no.  Yes, if the plist(s) don't contain any pathname info.  Obviously, no, if they do, unless of course the other system has the exact same directory structure and filenames.
I should add a little caveat about preference panes.  User prefpanes may store plists in ~/Library/ByHost.  And the plist filenames in there usually have a long code and letter sequence which I think is machine specific.  So they probably would be problematic moving to another machine.

Similar Messages

  • How can I move my iPhoto Library from one Mac to another without losing the comments on the individual photos in the process?

    How can I move my iPhoto Library from one Mac to another without losing the comments on the individual photos in the process? The source Macbook (OS 10.4.11 and iPhoto 6.0.6 (3.2.2.)) is with my husband in Germany, the target MacBook Pro (OS 10.8.5, iPhoto 11) is with me in Japan. Thanks for your help.

    I copied the iPhoto Library to a CD and from there to the new MacBook
    If you copied the library to the CD via the Finder it would be no different than the methods Terence suggested.  If you used the Share ➙ Burn menu option from inside iDVD you'll get a mini library that has to be accessed from the open library and the events/alubums copied into the destination library.  Not the same as the other methods.
    The Share ➙ Burn method is no longer supported with iPhoto 9 and later.
    OT

  • How can i move my iTunes' library from one mac to another without losing playlist etc???

    how can i move my iTunes' library from one mac to another without losing playlist etc???

    Use migration assistant, email it to the other computer or transfer the file using iChat.

  • How can I move my iTunes library from one Mac to another?

    I recently purchased a new 13" MacBook Air to replace my older 17" MacBook Pro. 
    How can I move my iTunes library to my new MBA? 
    I also plan on purchasing a new iPhone in the next month or so.  Can I move my songs from my iPod to that too?

    Easy. Copy it from the old Mac to the new one.
    There are a variety of techniques including Setup Assistant (as soon as you get your new MacBook Air, it will ask you if you want to transfer information from another computer), Migration Assistant (if you elect to transfer information later), enabling file sharing between the two computers, or copying your music to a flash drive or other storage device followed by importing it to iTunes.
    iTunes: How to move your music from one computer to another
    Once your music library and everything else you want to transfer from the MacBook Pro resides on the new MBA, sync your iPod to the MBA. Sync the iPhone too when you get it, and they will both have identical iTunes music libraries.

  • How can I copy an iPhoto book from one Mac to another?

    I'm wanting to copy an iPhoto book from one MBP (OS 10.7.3) to another (10.8.3). Is there an easy way to do it?

    You will have to copy the entire iPhoto Library to the other Mac as the library is a virtual entity in the library recorece in the database files.
    Once it's been copied launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and select the libary in the window that appears.  I
    NOTE:  if the new Mac has  newer iPhoto version than the old Mac check to make sure it has the same theme that you used in the book.  There were some changes in themes from iPhoto 8 (09) to iPhoto 9 (11).  If your new iPhoto doesn't have the same theme you may want to complete the book on the old Mac.
    OT

  • How do I copy & transfer iPhoto library from one mac to another?

    I have a Power mac G5 and want to transfer a complete copy of my iPhoto 6 library (with all the specific albums) from my Power mac G5 to a new mac mini. I have an external drive. Is there a way to do this operation direct, between computers, or do I go through the external drive? Which do you recommend and how do I do this?
    After the copy transfer is completed, in the future, when I add new photos to my iPhoto library on my G5 and I want to transfer a copy of the new photos to the mac mini, do I follow the same process you outline above? Will the future copy transfer require I delete the library on the mac mini, and make a new complete copy transfer, or will a future transfer only pick-up the new photos?
    Thanks,
    HDP

    1 - connect the two machines together (a network or firewire target mode) quit iPhoto and drag the iuPhoto library from the old to th enew machine
    2 - alternatively you can connect the EHD to the old machine, drag the iPhoto library to it, move it to the new machine and drag the iPhoto library to the picturews folde on it
    3 - there is no way to sync the libraries - if the two are on a network you could use iPhoto library manager (only if both use the same version of iPhoto ) or use image capture to move the photo to the desktop from the camera and tehn impor tthem into both - but you can not automatically sync them you have to load the photos twice or use IPLM to do it
    ln
    Message was edited by: LarryHN

  • How can I transfer my iTunes library from one Mac to another Mac?

    I have an old Mac book and purchased an air.

    Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive.  Open iTunes and immediately hold down the option (alt) key (shift on Windows) so you get a prompt to select a library, then guide it to the 'iTunes Library.itl' file in the moved iTunes folder.
    If you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
    Longer answers if for any reason you do not think all library files are inside your iTunes folder (changed preferences settings at some point):
    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music [library] to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527 - a somewhat bewildering and not always easily understandable set of options.
    For the record there's this reference for iTunes 11 but it really doesn't strike me as having the specifics you need. iTunes 11 for Mac: Move your library to another computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12168

  • Can i copy an email folder from one Mac to another?

    I have some emails (in an email inbox folder) that i need to copy from my iMac to my Macbook Air. I don't need ALL the emails from inbox etc.. just that certain Mailbox with about 15 emails in it.
    Is there some way i can copy them to a USB thumb drive ? I tried dragging the emails to the thumb drive but it didnt work.
    Or any other way to copy them maybe, like wirelessly or something.
    If it helps, the iMac is running 10.6.7 Snow Leopard and the Macbook Air is running 10.5.8 Leopard.
    Thanks in advance
    Chris

    From Mail's Help File:
    You can archive (create a backup copy) of a mailbox so you can retrieve messages if needed.
    To archive a mailbox:
    Select one or more mailboxes to archive.To select mailboxes that are next to each other (contiguous) in the list, hold down Shift as you click the first and last mailbox; to select mailboxes that are not next to each other in the list, hold down Command as you click each mailbox.
    Choose Mailbox > Archive Mailbox, or choose Archive Mailbox from the Action pop-up menu (looks like a gear) at the bottom of the sidebar.
    Choose a folder or create a new folder where you want to store the archives, and then click Choose.Mail archives the mailboxes as .mbox packages. If you’ve already archived a mailbox, Mail does not overwrite the existing file but appends a number to the filename to create a new version of it.
    If you need to recover messages, you can import an archived .mbox file as “Mail for Mac OS X.”
    ALSO
    Mail can import messages from other email applications, or messages that you’ve archived using Mail.
    To import messages:
    Choose File > Import Mailboxes.
    Select the mail application you want to import messages from.If you’re importing a mailbox archived from Mail, choose Apple Mail.
    Follow the instructions that appear onscreen.
    Make sure the application you’re importing from is open and running, because some of the options require this.
    If you’re importing messages from a Windows or UNIX computer, select “Files in mbox format” and locate the folder containing the files.
    If the email application you’re switching from isn’t listed, click Cancel. Consult the documentation for the other application to learn how to export your messages in mbox format (most email applications can). You can then import the mbox format files.
    Your imported mail is stored in a new mailbox called “Import.”

  • Can I Copy a preference pane from one mac to another?

    Hi everyone. I regualrly work on a lot of different computers and to save time I've been keeping a usb with a few plists with me that i can drag and drop into the library to save time. I was wondering whether there were any issues with doing this with preference panes (that would have been installed by 3rd party apps, specifically wacom)? This particular pane is usually stored /library/preferance panes.

    Yes, and no.  Yes, if the plist(s) don't contain any pathname info.  Obviously, no, if they do, unless of course the other system has the exact same directory structure and filenames.
    I should add a little caveat about preference panes.  User prefpanes may store plists in ~/Library/ByHost.  And the plist filenames in there usually have a long code and letter sequence which I think is machine specific.  So they probably would be problematic moving to another machine.

  • Can I Copy and Paste text from one Contact to Another on iPhone 3G?

    Can I Copy and Paste text from one Contact to Another on iPhone 3G?
    Or even better while the iPhone is connected to my PC can I view the address book on the iPhone and make changes using my PC keyboard?
    I had a challenge importing from my outlook as it created dual entries for people I had with multiple email addresses or telephone numbers so I need to copy and paste contact info from one to antoher.
    Can anyone help?

    MCWEB wrote:
    Can I Copy and Paste text from one Contact to Another on iPhone 3G?
    You will be able to do copy & paste when 3.0 comes out this summer.
    Or even better while the iPhone is connected to my PC can I view the address book on the iPhone and make changes using my PC keyboard?
    No. You would make changes to the address book on your PC and then sync via iTunes.

  • How can I transfer my iTunes library from one comptuer to another in my houser

    how can i transfer my itunes library from one computer in my house to another in my house?

    Type "move itunes library" into the google search bar

  • Manually copy a Quicktime installation from one Mac to another?

    We have an office full of computers with a very specific setup that includes Quicktime 7.1.3. And no, I cannot upgrade to the newer versions of Quicktime due to various technical issues that have arose during our testing. I'm setting up a new Mac station but have discovered that Apple removed all links for Quicktime 7.1.3. So i'm curious if i'd be able to manually copy/paste all the relevant quicktime files from one Mac to another (same specs on both). Would that work? Anybody have a list of files that Quicktime installs?

    See if this will work (I've never tried it):
    HD>Library>Receipts
    Check to see if you have a QuickTime or QT7.1.3 pkg file. If so, click on same. See if it will re-install QT.
    If the above works, then you will have no need to transfer QT from one Mac to another.
    I wonder if you can transfer just the .pkg files? Hmmmmm.............

  • HT4889 Can I choose what to migrate from one mac to another mac?

    Can I choose what to migrate from one mac (Powrebook G4) to another mac (New iMac)?  I do not want everything to be migrated, as some programs are not compatible with Mountain Lion or an intelIntel mac!
    As it is a brand New iMac I would also like to keep it clean of unnecessary files that have become  imbedded in the Powerbook over its time.Therfore it would be nice if I can pick and choose what is to be transferd. If you can give me a heads up on if and how it would be appreciated!!!
    Thanks
    PicMac

    Thanks for your input!… I have now come across an Article from Apple 
    Migration Assistant tips and tricks
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3231?viewlocale=en_US
    Controlling what is migrated
    With Migration Assistant you control the data that is migrated from another Macintosh computer. By clicking the triangle next to a user's name, you can select which User Accounts to migrate and choose which folders to migrate. You can also choose whether to migrate Applications, Network and Computer settings, or Volumes. Migrating only what you need can reduce the time it takes to complete your migration.

  • Can you copy Modern-app settings from one computer to another?

    Has anyone tried copying settings of Modern apps from one computer to another?
    Example: let's say that I wanted to copy the settings from the Photos app on one computer to a thousand other computers.  Would this work?  Are settings for Modern apps in a format that can be easily copied?
    This topic first appeared in the Spiceworks Community

    Thank you! It's so obvious now that I've given it some thought (hindsight is 20/20, right?) Wish the Apple tech at the store had thought of it before I was sent on my merry way and was under the impression I had what I needed.
    Def appreciate the quick answer from you tho'

  • Can I copy a Backup file from one PC to another and use it?

    IPhone got all screwed up with the update on my home PC and wont restore, my PC at work does it fine, but my backup file is on my home PC. Can I copy my Backup file from my home PC and put it on my work PC to restore my IPhone?

    Before your restoring your iPhone with your PC at work, you can create a backup of your iPhone on the PC before restoring.
    With your iPhone connected and available in the iTunes source list, control click on your iPhone and select Back Up.

Maybe you are looking for

  • Automator: Watermark PDF Documents not supplied required data?

    I want to create a letterhead background on a Numbers document so I can email a Numbers document on my letterhead. I haven't found an easy answer so far until I came across the Watermark PDF Document feature in Automator. That would work perfectly, p

  • PI Configuration question....

    Hi, It is for PI SP12 on AIX and Oracle. I am configuring the CRM 5.0 to PI 7.0. The CRM 5.0 is ABAP+J2EE system. I have created two RFCs in CRM ABAP side (SAPSLDAPI and LCRSAPRFC). Both of these RFCs are pointing to PIHOST and PIGATEWAY. The applica

  • Hi, 2nd trial on the CS6 Master Coll downloaded (to prev app location) no issues, but when I open an

    Hi, 2nd trial on the CS6 Master Coll downloaded (to pref app location) no issues, but when I open a n appl I get 'Your Trial has Expired'. What should I do?

  • Tranport cFolder Objects

    Hi Experts, I am new for cFolder and I have learnt the cFolder concepts in terms of creation collaborations, folders and other objects, etc.,. But, I am not sure, how do we transport our collaboration objects from Dev to Quality system. Please throw

  • Early start of progressive video?

    Using CS5 Master Collection. I encoded a video into a 30mb FLV using AME out of PPro and then created a swf with Flash using a standard player skin to get the full-screen option that seems not to be available in the DW skins.  This all works fine loc