Duplicate external hard drives

What's the best way to mirror two external hard drives connected to two separate computers on a network?  Can this be done with the built in file sharing capablities of Lion or do I need to use a utility such as Forklift?

Assuming your 2 systems are on the same network, you can use utilties such as unison (the unix file sync'ing utility), Carbon Copy Cloner between 2 computers, and there are other utilities for syncing.
A lot would depend on whether there is a primary and the other a secondary, such that you need to sync them up one-way, or if both can be updated, and you have to replicate updates in both directions.
Also do you want automatic, or is manual when you get a-round-to-it what you desire?

Similar Messages

  • I need to delete a lot of duplicates on iPhoto. I just bought my MacBook Pro and was so excited I downloaded my external hard drive without thinking through the process. I now realize I had my photos doubled up. So I actually have the same library twice.

    Hello All!
    I am so excited about my new computer and I didn't know that my external hard drive had so many pictures duplicated on it. So I downloaded the entire hard drive. I thought iPhoto was going to be my answer, and now after reading a lot of discussions, it seems I have royally screwed up.  Please help me fix this problem. I am a computer novice. An even more Mac novice. I need very simple directions.  I would just start over with iPhoto, but I downloaded my digital camera with brand new photos on iPhoto and also downloaded my digital camera software on my new MacBookPro.  I am afraid if I "start over" with iPhoto I will lose my digital camera pictures. I bought the Mac to finally get my pictures straight, and look at the mess I have made.  I had AVG PC cleanup and used that program last night to delete duplicates from my PC. I also used it to delete duplicates from my external hard drive. I omega. I know, I know, too late huh? But I am teachable. And I now have my external hard drive fixed. But now, my question to the community is how to fix my new Mac, and my iPhoto. 
    Thanks,

    SweetThunder73 wrote:
    When you say to remove the photos out of the iPhoto folder, then import the clean single copies, I am understanding that the "original" file that the decloner was run against is now the "clean" single copies?
    Ok, you've got iPhoto Library that you have imported everything into, you can't delete the iPhoto Library and start over because you have only one copy of some pictures in there, combined with a lot of duplicates.
    You want all the duplicates out, but it will take you ages to do it by hand.
    What you do is.
    1: Right click on the iPhoto Library and "Show Package Contents"
    2: You will see a folder called Originals, these are all your original photo's, copy this folder to a external drive someplace, it's your backup.
    3: Select the Originals folder again and from the Finder Menu > File > Duplicate.
    4: Now you will have a OriginalsCopy folder, move that OriginalsCopy folder onto the desktop area out of the iPhoto Library folder. Close the iPhoto Library folder/window.
    5: Download the Decloner software and install it, use it to find all the "real" duplicates, via it's content on the OriginalsCopy folder.
    6: From the Finder menu > New Folder, now send the duplicate files to that folder, so all that is left in the OriginalsCopy folder is 1 copy of your pictures, minus all the duplicates which are now in New Folder.
    7: Open iPhoto and remove all your pictures in there. The iPhoto Library will update to become empty.
    8: Now import the pictures from the OriginalsCopy folder, these will now have only one copy of each picture.
    9: Open your New Folder, from the Edit menu > Select All and
    10 From the Finder > File Menu > Open With > Preview.
    Now you have one copy in your iPhoto Library and the duplicates in a New Folder opened with Preview which you can compare to make sure.
    Make as many backups of your pictures as you think you need during this prcess, but eventually you only want 1 picture of all you have in the iPhoto Library.
    Some pictures may be the same thing but a little smaller etc., these obviously are not duplicates, and you can weed those out by hand in iPhoto.
    Good Luck.

  • Will using an external hard drive cause me to have duplicate files on my itunes library?

    I put all my ITUNES MEDIA folder on my external hard drive from my older computer.. I recently bought a new computer and installed Itunes. I synced some of my Itunes purchased songs back on by using my Ipod.. however the songs I ripped from my cds are still not reinstalled in my library.. I will have to use my external hard drive or re rip those.. and there are a lot of them.. since I have already replaced some of the ones I purchased back on using my Ipod will it duplicate them if I use the prefrences method and return them all from my external hard drive? If i delete my files that I have already returned on my new computer before using my external will Itunes remember which are Itunes purchased music and which arent as well>??? also how exactly do you move music from an external? just plug it in and click the prefrences box about syncing files and keeping Itunes library organized?? any other thing to click?

    An iTunes library consists of both the media and the database that knows which files are in the library and hold details of ratings, playcounts, playlist membership and other details not stored in each file's metadata.
    Depending on how you have moved content to your external drive you may find you are only moved the media, but not the database. If you import this media into a new library it will work, but your library will be seen as "new" with respect to any devices that you have and iTunes will want to erase and reload them, losing you current selections, settings and data on the device.
    These are two possible approaches that will normally work to move an existing library to a new computer.
    Method 1
    Backup the library with this User Tip.
    Deauthorize the old computer if you no longer want to access protected content on it.
    Restore the backup to your new computer using the same tool used to back it up.
    Keep your backup up-to-date in future.
    Method 2
    Connect the two computers to the same network. Share your <User's Music> folder from the old computer and copy the entire iTunes library folder into the <User's Music> folder on the new one. Again, deauthorize the old computer if no longer required.
    Both methods should give the new computer a working clone of the library that was on the old one. As far as iTunes is concerned this is still the "home" library for your devices so you shouldn't have any issues with iTunes wanting to erase and reload.
    I'd recommend method 1 since it establishes an ongoing backup for your library.
    If you have an iOS device that syncs with contact & calendar data on your computer you should migrate this information too. If that isn't possible create a dummy entry of each type in your new profile and iTunes should offer to merge the existing data from the device into the computer, otherwise the danger is that it will wipe the information from the device.
    If your media folder has been split out from the main iTunes folder you may need to do some preparatory work to make it easier to move. See make a split library portable. Alternatively you could copy over the iTunes folder and make sure your external drive has the same drive letter on the new system as the old, however moving the library into a portable form will make every subsequent move that much easier.
    Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library, or a backup of it, then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for advice on how to set up your devices with a new library with the maximum preservation of data.
    tt2

  • I transferred my iTunes library from one external hard drive to another and added more music on the same day. How do I get rid of my duplicate files without going through them one by one which would take forever?

    Please help. I have transferred my iTunes library from one external hard drive to another plus added additional music now I have duplicates of the same music in many albums. How do I delete the duplicates without going through them one by one which would take forever? I understand how to get the "show exact duplicate" feature up on iTunes but, because they were added to the library on the exact day I can't seperate them I'm that manner. So each duplicate is right next to eachother in the exact duplicate screen.

    My DeDuper script is designed to help clean up. See this thread for background.
    tt2

  • Can some please provide instructions on how to import an iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Mac without getting a bunch of duplicates?  I tried transferring my pictures using an external hard drive and then copying it to the Pictures folder on my Mac

    Can someone please provide instructions on how to import an iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Mac without getting a bunch of duplicates?  I tried transferring my pictures using an external hard drive and then copying it to the Pictures folder on my new Mac.  I ended up getting a bunch of duplicates. My old Mac has an older version of iPhoto while the new Mac has iPhoto '11.  Is that the cause of the problem?  Please advise.  Thanks.

    Simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old Machine to the Pictures Folder on the new Machine.
    Then launch iPhoto. That's it.
    This moves photos, events, albums, books, keywords, slideshows and everything else.
    Regards
    TD

  • Best way to merge multiple iPhoto libraries from several external hard drives into one, while deleting duplicates?

    Problem: My wife and I both have MacBook Pros (MBPs).  We take a lot of pictures and import them into iPhoto.  When the storage capacity of our MBPs gets full, I have been moving our iPhoto libraries into external hard drives, which are now multiple (3 or 4).  The problem I now realize we have been making, is that once the iPhoto libraries were copied onto the external hard drives, we were only deleting about half of the photos in each iPhoto library remaining in our MBPs (because we wanted to keep some of the important ones in our hard drives).  Once the storage capacities of our MBPs got full again, I would repeat the whole process again and again.  In essence I now have several large iPhoto libraries (each about 80 GB), each with multiple duplicate photos, divided among several external hard drives.  And I am running out of space on my hard drive again.  So what is the best way to:
    a)  merge all of these iPhoto libraries into just one, while simultaneously being able to delete all the duplicates?  (or would you not recommend this?)
    b)  prevent this from happening again?
    Thanks.  BTW I am using OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.5 and iPhoto 8.1.2 (2009)

    If you have Aperture 3.3 or later and iPhoto 9.3 or later you can merge libraries with Aperture.
    Otherwise the only way to merge Libraries is with the paid ($30) version of iPhoto Library Manager
    The Library Manager app can be set avoid duplicates.

  • If I've downloaded my music to an itunes library from an external hard drive and I have several duplicate songs, is there an easy way to delete the duplicate songs? Or, do I have to go through my entire library song by song to delete duplicates?

    If I've downloaded my music to an itunes library from an external hard drive and I have several duplicate songs, is there an easy way to delete the duplicate songs? Or, do I have to go through my entire library song by song to delete duplicates?

    In iTunes, File>Display Duplicates

  • Help, I need to search for duplicate photos in my external hard drive

    Hi Mr. Toad and others who have been answering questions in these forums:
    Thank you very much for all your help so far. I have been using a mac for the last few years and LOVE IT! I was wondering if I could pick your brain for a moment. I have backed up my iphoto library onto my external hard drive...a few times...once or twice before I really knew what I was doing. There are a couple of folders that I fear have duplicates and I wasn't diligent about naming pics after having a baby (and now I know the errors of my ways). Now I have lots of folders like 01, 02, 03, etc and within each, there are the different days of the month. So, my question to you is do you know of a program that can seek on my external hard drive and show me duplicates and ask me if I want to remove them? I am trying a program right now called DupeGuru, but it has been running for abot 6 hours already and is only 1/4 done!!! It isn't even showing me that it's found any dupes yet. I've looked at iphoto diet and duplicate annihilator and both seem to only work with iphoto.
    I really need an application or workflow to search my iomega 80g usb drive. if you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. My brain hurts trying to figure all of this out. Thanks again for your help!!!
    ibook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    well PhillyPhan, I can't tell that you're better looking just by your iphoto icon, now can I? Although it is a lovely sunset you've got there.
    Thanks for your response to my question, I see your point and will do that, however, I have another folder that was created before I had a Mac, which has all sorts of lovely titles and labels and some of those pictures I brought over to my ibook when I first started. So there are some duplicates in my iphoto library that I already have backed up in that other folder. I guess I shouldn't really obsess about those. I guess I am just nervous about deleting all my prior iphoto library, but I should have faith that it will all be there in my pictures library. Just trying to clean up the virtual mess.
    I'll hold my breath and take the plunge.
    Thanks!
    ibook G4    

  • How to import photos from external hard drive and exclude duplicate images

    Hi,
    I apologize if this is easy, but I can't seem to find out how to do it. I have an external hard drive that I used to back up my photos when I was in the Windows environment. I want to import these into iPhoto and/or Aperture, but how do I exclude duplicates that I may already have in iPhoto?? Also....should I import them into BOTH programs, or just bring them into iPhoto and selectively bring them into Aperture when I want to edit?
    Thanks,
    Ron

    You really should choose between Aperture and iPhoto. Both are Photo organisers, both manage your photos. You need to decide which one is primary. Then only import to that one.
    Aperture is the more powerful of the two. If you’re shooting RAW then deciding on Aperture is a no-brainer. It’s easier to have files in Aperture and share them with iPhoto than the other way around.
    If you’re not shooting RAW, if the volume of photos is small, then stick with iPhoto.
    just bring them into iPhoto and selectively bring them into Aperture when I want to edit?
    Aperture is not an editor, like Photoshop. Like iPhoto it’s a database application.
    Regards
    TD

  • My MacBook Pro keeps making copies of a document that I am trying to save. I don't want to duplicate the file. I only want to save it on both my hard drive and my external hard drive. I do not want to change its name for every save, which the computer see

    My MacBook Pro keeps making copies of a document that I am trying to save. I don't want to duplicate the file. I only want to save it on both my hard drive and my external hard drive. I do not want to change its name for every save, which the computer seems insistent on doing. Help!!

    11lizzyp wrote:
    can't be saved because the file is read-only.
    I did not create the file to be read-only. I created to be able to continue to add to it as I work on it.
    More on versions here:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4753
    local snapshots:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4878
    Sounds like a permissions problem ie read only.
    If running repair permissions from your DiskUtility.app does not sort it,
    Someone should jump in here with erudite and concise fix.

  • How to scan my computer and external hard drives for pictures with out importing duplicates.

    how do i scan my computer and external hard drives for pictures with out importing duplicates.

    iPhoto doesn't scan anywhere. It imports files offered to it. If it spots a duplicate it will warn you.

  • How can i stop itunes from finding duplicate tracks from my external hard drive?

    All my music is stored on C: drive and backed up on an external hard drive. when I install I iTunes it detects all tracks from both sources giving me 20000 duplicates.  I have tried uninstalling iTunes and then installing without the external drive plugged but iTunes still shows both copies, only the f: drive version has the ! next to it. How can I get iTunes to only search in one place?

    Uninstalling and then reinstalling iTunes doesn't reset the library. To that simply delete the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder. For completeness delete the other files in that folder and the subfolder Album Artwork.
    Don't let iTunes scan the computer, or if you do disconnect all of the additional sources of media. Better not to scan and then use File > Add Folder to Library so you are in control.
    See Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy for a suggested method of keeping the original and backup of your library in sync.
    tt2

  • Why do my photos duplicate every time my external hard drive is plugged in? iPhoto

    My photos are stored on my external hard drive and they duplicate every time I reconnect the EHD.
    Is there something in iPhoto preferences that will fix this?

    Moe information needed
    Like details - where do you see these duplicated photos - are you saying that reconnecting the EHD when iPhoto is not running duplicated photos? Where
    is this a default "managed" library (the iPhoto preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library is in its checked state) or a referenced library (you have unchecked that option)
    LN

  • The cause of duplicate songs with external hard drive??

    I would love to eliminate this annoying problem... I keep my itunes music library on an external hard drive, so when my old g4 died and I got a Macbook I added the old song library to my new library. Almost all of the songs added in duplicates, triplets, and more. I tried to rectify the problem... but it's just gotten worse. And it does the same thing again each time I add something new. I have no idea why this is happening... does iTunes think I have two libraries? In which case, why do I have multiple libraries? There are so many songs that there is no way I could go through and delete multiples. Help please?

    My music has done the same thing. Moving my music library to an external firwire Lacie hard drive has made duplicates. I'm sorry it has happened to you but am happy to know it wasn't just me.
    Still haven't figured out why.........

  • How to transfer a copy or duplicate of my iPhoto library to an external hard drive.

    I would like to save a copy of my iPhoto library on an external hard drive (InfoSafe) that has been reformatted to Mac OS Extended file system (journaled).  I want the photos to be moved in the same Events they are in and with all of their metadata. 
    Then I want to delete some of those pictures or events from iPhoto on my computer.   I am using OS X 10.8.5 and my iPhoto '11 9.4.3.  Once I do this and make sure it works and everything is where it is supposed to be, can I just stick the hard drive in a safe place for years?
    Thank you.
    Wendy

    Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    1. Quit iPhoto
    2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
    Now you have two full versions of the Library.
    3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
    Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
    Some Notes:
    As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
    You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
    You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager
    Once I do this and make sure it works and everything is where it is supposed to be, can I just stick the hard drive in a safe place for years?
    No. Hard Drives are volatile and can be damaged. Over time the connection protocols change - USB 1 to USB 2 to USB 3. Firewire is almost dead and so on - and HDs fail. Multiple, redundant back ups are required. And when a back up is a copy of two drives at least, you won't have an actual back up for any of the material you then remove from the laptop.
    For long term archiving I use Flickr. Then backing up the photos becomes their problem but it works in other ways as well - images available from any computer, as future-proof as just about anything is, and you can set the privacy protocols to keep the material private.

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