How do I import my library from an external disk to my new MBP hard drive?

My old MBP was running out of space so I exported my Aperture library (250GB) to an external drive. I just replaced my old computer with a new MBP with a 1TB flash drive. Now that I have the space, I want to put my library back on my computer but I can't figure out how bring it in from my external hard drive. Any ideas? Many thanks.

Why do you say " I exported my Aperture library"? Did you actually use "File > Export > Items as new Library" in Aperture to create a new library on your external drive? A simple drag and drop of the library should have sufficed. What is your Aperture version?
My old MBP was running out of space so I exported my Aperture library (250GB) to an external drive. I just replaced my old computer with a new MBP with a 1TB flash drive. Now that I have the space, I want to put my library back on my computer but I can't figure out how bring it in from my external hard drive. Any ideas? Many thanks.
Connect your external drive and use the Finder to drag the Aperture library from the external drive back to the Pictures folder.
Then double-click the library to point Aperture to the new location and open the copied library in Aperture.
If your Aperture library uses referenced originals, select the referenced images and use the command File > Consolidate originals" to move the originals back to your internal disk.
If you should encounter any error messages (like error -36) while moving the library to the internal drive, post back.

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What do you mean bye exported the library?
There is nothing to export or import.
The correct process to backup the iTunes library would be to copy the ENTIRE iTunes folder from the computer to the external drive.

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Press ALT or CTRL+B to display the menu bar. This gives access to File > Add Folder to Library.
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I just ran into this, too, when my Mac Mini died. I assume you're taking the data (songs) off of your old hard drive? Maybe with an external enclosure wrapped around it? Here's what I did:
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Or...
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http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
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Yesterday I tried to move all my music from an external HD to a new bigger one.
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Sorry, I wasn't responding to you, just the original poster. I didn't look at the date on that posting and didn't realize that you'd added a post that wasn't quite the same problem. In future, you'll find you get better answers if you start your own thread. You're issue really is a bit more complicated.
If iTunes currently recognizes all the music on both internal and the external drives, it should work. You have to make sure that both drives (old and new) are mounted. Make sure you have both "Keep iTunes music organized" (you probably already do) and "Copy files to iTunes..." (you probably don't) checked.
If not all of the music is currently in your iTunes library, perform the procedure with the music that is a part of the library and add the other stuff afterwards.
Best of luck.

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Howdy!
My iPhone has finally demanded that I upgrade my MBP from Tiger. And as if by coincidence, my now puny 100GB internal drive is packed full with less than a gig free most of the time. (10% free is the MINIMUM free allowance, I know!!) I run old copies of Adobe CS2, Quark, Quickbooks, Microsoft Office... would love to keep them working without purchasing upgrades, but probably isn't a realistic hope. None of it is mission critical at this point.
So I've purchased the $29 Snow Leopard DVD (from a reseller - it says CPU Drop-In DVD Version 10.6 on the disk), and a new 750GB internal drive (same reseller - The drive is a 2.5" SATA 5400RPM 8MB-Buffer Hard Drive (9MM Slim) (RoHS Green Friendly)), to get with the times.
My other resources include:
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- Retrospect 5.0 (most of my backups are encrypted Retrospect files on those three LaCie external drives, but there's some room on them)
- a $22 USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE adapter with AC power, to access whatever laptop drive might be without an enclosure temporarily
- a copy of Carbon Copy Cloner software
- I just ordered an upgrade to my ancient (OS9) copy of DiskWarrior
- A monster UPS battery backup and line conditioner that everything plugs into for this process
It has been a long time since I've DIY'd any undertaking this complex, and I'm looking for advice on what to do first, how to go about this.
Here's my setup:
Model Name: MacBook Pro 15"
Model Identifier: MacBookPro1,1
Processor Name: Intel Core Duo
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 2 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP11.0055.B08
SMC Version: 1.2f10
I'm guessing I should do it like this, PLEASE EDIT or make suggestions or tell me what I forgot to do before I do it!!
1. Back up everything to at least two external locations! Also, make a bootable copy of my current internal drive in its own volume, to at least one external drive that is formatted in HFS+ GUID partition style, with Carbon Copy Cloner (would Retrospect work well for this instead?).
2. Free up at least 20GB on the current internal drive (100GB). Hopefully 30GB.
3. Run Disk Utility on the current internal drive. Fix any problems. (Should I hit it with DiskWarrior instead?)
4. Format the new 750GB drive to HFS+, GUID partitions. (How long will that take? Can I do it with the USB-SATA cable adapter, sitting on my desk, or does it have to be in an enclosure? The adapter has AC power)
5. Run Disk Utility (or DiskWarrior?) on the new internal drive in its temporarily external position. Fix any problems.
6. Boot off the Snow Leopard CPU Drop-In DVD and install onto both drives. (Will this version of the DVD I have wipe all files when it installs to a disk???)
7. See how they run. Boot off the old 100GB internal drive, boot off the new to-be-internal 750GB drive. Panic if it's not going well.
8. If the current internal 100GB drive is rocking Snow Leopard and my familiar files and apps seem somewhat functional, use Carbon Copy Cloner to recreate the volume on the new larger drive. Then swap the drives physically. (Links to good step-by-step instructions on this part would be much appreciated here!!)
9. If the Snow Leopard DVD overwrote or snuffed out my familiar files and apps on the old internal drive, sigh deeply, then swap the drives physically. Use CCC (or Retrospect? or Migration Assistant?) to fetch my junk from the old internal drive's backup and plunk it on the new bigger internal drive (now installed).
10. See how it runs. Shake my fist at the sky over the planned obsolescence of technology paired with the seductive power of my iPhone. Grumpily upgrade the software that I actually create income with.
Please help! I am just faking it here based on a few message boards I've read. Will this actually work properly?
Thanks!

Howdy slowpoke43, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Please help! I am just faking it here based on a few message boards I've read. Will this actually work properly?
LOL, if your faking it you're the best!
1. Yes, absolutely... no CCC would be best in my experience/opinion.
2. Yes, the more he better... Free Space is no longer our Free Space, but OSX's.
3. Indeed, & if you have the correct version of DW, do that.
4. Yes, not long, A/C power is great.
How to format your disks...
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/partitioningtiger.html
(To Install OSX on an IntelMac the Drive it needs the GUID Partitioning scheme mentioned at the bottom.)
Thanks to Pondini, Formatting, Partitioning, Verifying, and Repairing Disks...
http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/DU.html
6. Yes, boot off the 10.6 DVD, & no Snow Leopard does by default what we used to call an Archive & Install, saves & updates all your info, APPs, Music, etc., it may quarantine a few things or not but will tell you.
7. Absolutely, but Panic won't be needed with your great preparation & Bootable Backups!
8. Not quite sure I understand, but run SL for a few days before you do anything.
9. Yeah, but again with you doing everything right from the gitgo, I can't picture that happening.
10. Yes indeed, the hangup with yours is that it only holds 2GB of RAM... a pain in 10.5 & up IME.
Again let me say... GONGRATS, I've never ever seen anybody so well prepared & informed despite your diffidence!

Importing a library from an external back-up drive

So I'm in a slight panic. I just upgraded to Leopard and wanted to keep it clean. So I backed up entire hard drive as a bootable backup onto an external drive and did a clean install of Leopard on the iMac. Now I could have sworn I went into the backup and poked around to be sure all of my photos were there. I recall them being in iPhoto's nested folder system by date. My first question is this.
1. Where do those files reside in the file structure? When I go to User/Myself/Pictures I just get this iPhoto library icon. I could have sworn that's where I used to find iPhoto's huge pile of nested folders all broken out by date. They've got to be there somewhere because I had to do a complete restore from this backup disk a few months back when my hard drive crashed.
2. Assuming someone can help me find these files can you tell me how I can import them into my new version of iPhoto? If I must I'll use Migration Assistant to pull the photos over but I'm trying not to do that because it seems to bring all sorts of other user junk over that I don't want.
3. I suppose another question is whether migration assistant merges data or if it writes over the data on the new system.
Aaack, can someone please help?
Thanks.

Benjamin
Where do those files reside in the file structure? When I go to User/Myself/Pictures I just get this iPhoto library icon. I could have sworn that's where I used to find iPhoto's huge pile of nested folders all broken out by date. They've got to be there somewhere because I had to do a complete restore from this backup disk a few months back when my hard drive crashed.
With iPhoto 7 (iLife 08) the old iPhoto Library Folder is now a Unix Style Package File. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves.
Assuming someone can help me find these files can you tell me how I can import them into my new version of iPhoto? If I must I'll use Migration Assistant to pull the photos over but I'm trying not to do that because it seems to bring all sorts of other user junk over that I don't want.
As Larry says, simply drag your iPhoto Library Folder to the Pictures Folder and launch iPhoto.
I suppose another question is whether migration assistant merges data or if it writes over the data on the new system.
It overwrites.
Regards
TD

Importing iTunes library from an external hard drive backup

Hi,
I would like to know how I can import my iTunes library from a backup on a external hard drive?
If that's possible, I would like to keep organisation of files, playlists, iphone settings...
I had a crash with my previous computer and I would like to keep all iTunes settings as before.
There might be already a subject about this but I did not found it.
Thank you for your help,
Simon

In Preferences/Advanced/General point iTunes to the folder on your external hard drive.
Check Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library. This will put all new additions on your external hard drive.
Now click File/Add to Library and point to the folder on the external hard drive. With 200 GB's of music you will think iTunes has frozen,. It hasn't. It will take several minutes to process everything.
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How do I import my library from an external disk to my new MBP hard drive?

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