How to split iPhoto library

my library is too big. What is the easiest way to split? Has to be simple to access.

Larry,
I have been searching a solution to my problem and came across this post. My circumstances and imac is almost identical to dougfromfruitvale to which you responded:
"Back up your iPhoto library, Depress and hold the option (alt) and command keys and launch iPhoto - repaid permissions and then repeat and rebuild your iPhoto library database" which Doug found helpful!
I am a bit more nieve it seems, I was wondering if I might find some more specific instructions to these instructions. My photos are backed on the cloud (i assume as I utilize photo stream) as well as a time capsule. I get pressing alt and command while launching, but what is meant by repaid permissions, repeat and rebuild iphoto library database. The last step seems particularly daunting!
Thanks so much

Similar Messages

How to split iPhoto library and NOT loose metadata?

My iPhoto library gets too big (30GB); hence I'd like to split it and make two separate libraries, one for 2008, one for 2009.
How can I do this WITHOUT loosing all the metadata and file structure: e.g. the albums, the MobileMe gallery, the Faces and Places data etc.???
Any solutions, suggestions, pointers are welcome. Thanks.

Splitting the Library will not save you any disk space, and will, in fact, use more as the database and support files will be duplicated. Also, it's less convenient as you can only access one Library at a time. If you're worried about disk space you can run a Library from an external disk.
That said:
Duplicate the Library in the Finder.
Open the first one - lets say it's the 2009 one - and remove all the 2008 elements from it.
Then Open the second one and remove all the 2009 elements from it.
Result: two libraries, intact for the respective years.
To choose a Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
Managing Multiple Libraries - including moving pics/albums/rolls and metadata between them - is greatly facilitated by using iPhoto Library Manager
Regards
TD

How to make iPhotos library available to other users

how to make iPhotos library available to other users

To give others selective access to your iPhoto library, you have the option of using iCloud Photo Sharing, if the privacy implications don't bother you. The images will be stored temporarily on Apple servers.
If you want to give full read/write access to more than one user, see the support article linked below.
iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users
There is a way to share the library without moving it to a secondary volume. If you really need to do that, ask for instructions.

How to tranfer iphoto library to G/drive mini

How to tranfer iphoto library to GDrive mini/. Can I keep in 2 spot - one in computer and one in Gdrive mini. I recently lost photos from the old hard drive. It's no longer on the computer.

There are some wireless external hard drives that can be used with the iPad.
The Kingston Wi-Drive, which costs $50 for the 16 Gigabyte, and then $30 more for every 16 gigs more. It works by you turning it on and then accessing the files on it from an app that you download on your iDevice. You can access music, movies, and other stuff. No connections or anything, it works like a WiFi connection, you connect to it from the setting on the iPad under wireless networks.
Then there is the Seagate GoFlex, which some would recommend over the Wi-Drive. But this one costs $199 and had 500 Gigabytes of storage. It works the sameway as the Kingston: no wires, runs over its wireless connection. You can actually fit up to 300 HD movies on it.
Another option:
Expand your iPad's storage capacity with HyperDrive
http://www.macworld.com/article/1153935/hyperdrive.html
On the road with a camera, an iPad, and a Hyperdrive
http://www.macworld.com/article/1160231/ipadhyperdrive.html
Mac - How to Move the iPhone & iPad iTunes Backup folder to an External Hard Drive
http://osxdaily.com/2011/03/05/how-to-move-the-iphoneipad-itunes-backup-folder-t o-an-external-hard-drive/
Windows - Change iPad default backup location
http://apple-ipad-tablet-help.blogspot.com/2010/07/change-ipad-default-backup-lo cation.html
Windows - Changing IPhone and iPad backup location
http://goodstuff2share.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/changing-iphone-and-ipad-backup- location/
 Cheers, Tom

HT5037 How to use iPhoto Library Upgrader

How to use iPhoto Library Upgrader

Hello Terence,
sorry that I come here with a completly different thema but I follow your answers since long and they are always excellent! And I do not know who could help... as I can not find the solution in Apple Support Communities.
I am very afraid with my MacBook Pro: midd. 2012
Prozessor: 2,3 GHz Intel Core i7
4GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Intel HD Graphics 4000 384 MB
Software: OS X 10.8.5 (12F45)
Kernel-Version: Darwin 12.5.0
iPhoto 11, Version: 9.4.3 (720.91)
iPhone 4s, 64GB Version:7.0.2 (11A501),
Symptoms:
1. I have notice three days ago that Spotlight allways answers I should go to the web when I look for data in my computer. It seems that Spotlight can not find anything from my computer.
2. Timemachine has no data before the 28th. January 2014 (!?) No idea why this happens
3. In Finder window when I go to "Alle meine Daten"(= All my data) there is absolutely nothing there...it means 0 objekts are there.
4.In Systemeinformationen (=Systeminformations) if I go to Software and then to Programs... there is nothig there because the Plug-In do not react quick enough (Das Plug-In hat beim Sammeln dieser Informationen nicht schnell genug reagiert). I am asking me which Plug-In it is and where to find it...
5. On my iPhone the Photo-stream suddenly shows only 110 fotos from Dezember on, but in My MacBookPro the iPhoto Stream shows of course the lasts 1000 ones...from 25.01.2013 to 03.02.14 as it did allways before.
I am not going to sync anything until I discover what is going on...
6. On my Contacts suddenly appeared the link address of a "game" in my own card ( both in iCloud and Lokal AddressBook)... and I have never ever played an online game (!?). So I deleted this two links as I discovered them some days ago...
I do not know what is going wrong here but I'm afraid to loose all my data in the computer, so I am making a secure copy in an external drive right now...
Could it be a virus inside... a software problem may be...?
The mayor Problem is how to get the programms to work (Spotlight, etc), or how to repair them.
I'm trying to find something wrong in the Protocols I have here, for example
- the Repair protocol for users from 27.01.2012 ( /Users/Begona/Library/logs/fsck_hfs.log).
- the Datasystem-Reppairprotocol from 01.02. 14 (/var/log/fsck_hfs.log)
- the Installationsprotocol from 04.02.14...
but I am really lost.
Thank you very much for reading this, help would be high appreciated
Begoña

How to open iPhoto Library copied from Macbook onto external HD, on my iMac ?

How to open iPhoto Library copied from Macbook onto external Hard Drive, on iMac? "Not enough storage??" is message that appears.

How much free storage do you have on your iMac's system drive and on the external hard drive?
And how have you been trying to open the library? Do not import the library into iPhoto.
You simply connect the hard drive with the library and double-click the iPhoto library on the external drive to open it in iPhoto. That will work, if you are using iPhoto 9.6, the only version of iPhoto, that is compatible with MacOS X 10.10.
Or hold down the alt/options key while double clicking the iPhoto icon. This will bring up a library chooser panel. Select your library on the external drive.
If the iPhoto Library has been created by an older version of iPhoto it will need to be upgraded to the new version, and that may require temorary additional free storage on your system drive and the drive with the library.
If the library has been created by iPhoto 7.1.2 or earlier, you need to install and run iPhoto Library Upgrader, see: iPhoto '11: About the Library Upgrader

Best way to "split" iPhoto library?

Usually, at the beginning of the year I create a new, clean library for iPhoto. This helps me keep my library size managable. Well, this year I forgot to do it and now my iPhoto library contains pictures from 07 and 08. Is there an easy way to split my iPhoto library? How do I create a new library with my 08 pictures? There must be a way to do it. I know what events I want to move to a new library I'm just not sure how to go about doing it.

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
iPhoto Library Manager will copy Events and well as Albums, for further information consult the Help on the app or contact the Developer.
I have an external network drive to store the libraries so I also want to experiment with sharing those libraries with my wife
Users have consistently reported problems when using a disk not formatted for OS X (such as a NAS) with iPhoto. These issues include problems sharing, problems saving changes and others. I would not recommend using iPhoto on any disk not formatted for OS X.
Regards
TD

Split iPhoto library to solve sluggishness?

Hello, we have 23000 pictures in our iPhoto library. It seems like iPhoto is particularly "burdened" by all the photos (i.e. sluggish at times). At least that's our theory.
We're wondering, provided our theory is correct--if splitting the library into multiple libraries, and then setting iPhoto;s default library just to the most recent pictures would solve its sluggishness?
Would that help, or would anyone have other ideas how to give iPhoto a break from having to load 23000 pics every time we load it?
many thanks!
--sluggish in Dallas

i split the library by creating a new one and them importing the pics I wanted to have ready access to in a streamlined library.
problem is, all my ratings didn't come across in the import. what did I do wrong? I even check the prefs file to ensure ratings and other metadata would be included in the import, but no dice.
any ideas?

How to share iPhoto library among users on same iMac without using an external drive?

How can I share my iPhoto library with another user on the same iMac for use with iCloud. I do not want to use an external drive.
Thanks

For iPhoto 09 (version 8.0.2) and later:
What you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to the Users / Shared Folder
(You can also use an external HD set to ignore permissions, a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.

How to share iPhoto library with other ID

i'm sure there is similar post/response to this but been trolling the message boards and can't find a similar situation.
the scenario goes like this.
- single macbookpro 10.7.2
- user1 is primary/admin user in which is owner of laptop
- pictures are in iPhoto v9.2 under user1
- user1 does all the pic uploads/edits/etc as the primary user of the macbook
- user1 is not a hardcore photo editor type and just primarily uses iPhoto for basic cropping and organization/viewing
- pics sync to user1 iPhone/iPad(iOS5) via PhotoStream and sync'ing of albums
- wife has her own iPhone, separate apple ID and uses user2 on the same macbookpro above that user1 is using
what we are trying to get done...
- wife wants to be able to see albums on her iPhone and also have ability from laptop/iPhone to select pics to upload into her facebook as needed
- bonus would be if wife can also view my/user1 PhotoStream
looking for any assistance on how to get this done painlessly with least possibility in corrupting iPhoto library in which user1 uses and avoid having to create/copy all pics into user2 iphoto library and waste HD space.
if it is easier to re-send a link to someone else that has conquered similar challenge, pls send across. much appreciated.

The thing is, the whole point of having separate accounts is to keep your data seprate from hers. So, any attempt to overcome this can be kludgy.
For iPhoto 09 (version 8.0.2) and later:
What you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to the Users / Shared Folder. (I would note that some Lion users are finding Permissions issues with this.)
(You can also use an external HD set to ignore permissions, a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.

How to save iPhoto library (currently on partition of external hard drive) on to iMac's internal hard drive

I have my photos stored on an external hard drive (Maxtor). The external hard drive has been split into two partitions, with the photos in one and the rest in another. This was because my (very) old Mac did not have space in its internal hard drive and I set it up so that the photos were only saved on to the external drive.
Now I have a new iMac (with OS x 10.8.2 Mountain Lion) with more space, I'd like to save the photos on the internal drive and back them up on the external drive.
I have tried various things such as saving the iphoto library on the desktop and then dragging and dropping it into the iPhoto icon, holding down the Option key. None of this has worked and I only have 'fingernail' copies of the photos - the 'volumes' only appear to be on the external hard drive. When the external drive is not connected it says that the volumes cannot be found.
I have tried saving a new version of the iphoto library with a different name and directing the computer to that but that did not work. Perhaps it is an issue with the volume, or the library the computer/iphoto is selecting?
Am not sure what to do next. Do I somehow need to set up my external hard drive differently as it still seems to be configured to only save photos on there, or save iphoto library in a different place? Any help would be much appreciated.

I have tried various things such as saving the iphoto library on the desktop and then dragging and dropping it into the iPhoto icon,
Never do this - this imports one iPhoto library into the new one which does not work and creates a massive mess
holding down the Option key.
If you depress the option key and launch iPhoto you get a select library window - you use this to select a different iPhoto library or if you have moved the existing iPhoto library to select its new location
When the external drive is not connected it says that the volumes cannot be found.
This is a symptom of a referenced library which is strongly not recommended - in the iPhoto preferences is the preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library" checked (default) or have you unchecked it?
I have tried saving a new version of the iphoto library with a different name and directing the computer to that but that did not work.
What does not work about this?
the way to move an iPhoto library is to simp;y drag it intact as a single entity to the new location and to depress the option key, launch iPhoto and select the new location
However if you have a referenced library then you need to post back for more information
LN

Why/how is my iPhoto library larger than the hard drive it is stored on?

I store my iPhoto library on a 2TB external hard drive. The library file itself claims to be 2.65TB and created 12 years before I purchased the computer (see pic). I have confirmed this on other computers.
I know my library to actually be closer to 680GB as I've been using it for a long time. When I click 'get info' on the drive itself, it shows it is around 945GB full which makes sense as there are other files also stored there.
Could someone please explain how a 2TB drive can hold a 2.65TB file? Then, could someone help me restore it back to its actual size? I would like to back up my library but can't easily move such a massive file. I am also worried about its stability as I presume something is corrupt in there.
Thanks in advance.
p.s. When you look at the image below, you may notice other libraries (the one in question is highlighted). I have had MANY troubles with crashing libraries and gone through MANY rebuilds to get my library to where it is now; complete and working but oddly sized (and not appropriately backed up!). If I could easily and safely migrate all my photos, their originals, their edits, the places and faces etc to another program I would definitely consider it because iPhoto and Aperture are simply not behaving as I'd like them to.

I am unsure if it has been formatted MacOS but it is a My Passport for Mac so I imagine it was initially set up correctly - especially as it has worked well until now.
You can check that by selecting your external drive in the Finder and using the command "File Get Info ⌘I " on the drive. The General section of the info panel will show you the File System.
I have never seen that symbol in in iPhoto. In Aperture it is marking photos that have been downloaded from Photo Stream or Flickr or Facebook. Are you syncing your library with any of these services?

How to copy iphoto library folder from Time machine to new hard drive

How do I copy my iphoto library and music library from my time capsule to my new hard drive?
I have a Macbook pro - 2.53 GHz - 4 GB memory. I just replaced my hard drive to 500 GB and upgraded to OX 10.9.4. I created a new user account and login password for the new hard drive. I copied my documents folder to external drive before the old hard drive failed, but I was not able to copy over my iphoto library or imusic library. My old hard drive was regularly backed up on my time capsule (1TB).
I used migration assistant to transfer my user account to the new hard drive (1 of 3 on the time capsule). The data transferred successfully, but at login the login name does not match the user folder. Nor do any of my passwords allow me to login to the transferred username/account. When I login to the account that I set up on new hard drive I can see the userfolder migrated in but the folders do not allow entry.
What can I do now at least to get my photos on the time capsule onto my current hard drive? Can I go into my time capsule like an external hard drive and simply copy over my iphoto library from the last back up of the old hard drive?

You probably tried to move a user account from your TC to your computer that was already active on the computer.. this is one of the no no's that pondini lists.
See how to migrate. http://pondini.org/OSX/MigrateLion.html
There is a huge amount of info there about transferring files.. that you must not have a user account of the same name as the one you migrate.. and how to transfer files between migrated accounts.
He also has specific info on moving itunes and iphoto stuff here.
Q15 http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
You might need to fix up permissions or reset the password for the account.
There is details here..
How to reset admin password iMac
I have had to do that myself.. once you reset the password you will be able to login to the account.

How to Restore iPhoto Library from BackUp?

My iPhoto library has gone blank, although its trash has the 4,555 images. And all organization, albums, keywords, photo names, gone. Recently my backup storage, where library kept, went blank. I got a new backup, and a pro restored most of old data, and transfered to new one. So, I have the Library on the new backup, and need to restore it in the iPhoto Library, rather than create a new one, which as I understand will lose albums, keywords, etc. A friend says that way to hold down a key when opening iPhoto that will have it look for old library and restore? Not in Help or elsewhere.
I had a MacBook Pro, when this first happen. Now have iMac and have iLife 09, but don't want to instal it until photo library restored.
Sounds basic, but how to restore.
Thanks,
Armando

Armando
The simplest way to restore is to put the Library in the Pictures Folder and launch iPhoto.
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' To select a Library.
Regards
TD

HT201250 How to recover iPhoto Library after format of hard drive?

I've recently reinstalled Lion onto my hard drive but I forgot to backup my iPhoto library. Is there any way of recovering this library? I also have an external hard drive that had Time Machine Backups but that hard drive has since gone through formats as well. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

SOLUTION : iPhoto folder recovered after formatting hard drive by mistake.
I was able for recover my iPhoto library ( intact ) after formatting the hard drive by mistake.
On top of that I formatted it in FAT32 format. My iPhoto folder was huge 100GB with file and movies of all sort of formats. I kept it on a secondary hard drive of 500 GB. one day I was formatting flash drive for somebody which was 500Mb, seems similar to my 500GB and I formatted my hard drive by mistake. I realized the mistake a week after the person called me and said there is nothing in flash disk and I find a single file on my hard drive. Needless to say the earth disappeared underneath me. All my pictures for 10 years , 8000 thousand of them, cherished memories all gone. But was I determined to find them back and I know they are intact somewhere. My biggest fear was that formatting on MS-dos format might have really deleted them , but they were there. and here is how I got them back.
First I tried the Data recuse 3 software. I got the photos back, but they were all jumbled up. Long numerical file names and original dates were gone. No way I could sort it out back to the way it was before . So my target was to recover the iPhoto folder intact.
- I bought an external hard drive with 1tb space to retrieve the data.
- The software which did the miraculous job is called " STELLAR PHOENIX MAC DATA RECOVERY" .
- I ran a deep scan all night and came up with many volumes. volume-1 was the MS dos , volume 2 was a mac system,
- I tried MS dos volume first and there was nothing on it.
- I tried the 2 volume with mac system. It got all my files and some other system file.
- I could see the iPhoto folder and click on that only to recover. After that I went for my doc and other files later.
- It took hours to retrieve my iPhoto folder intact, The folder size was right and file were there in master folder.
- I checked in FINDER , opening iPhoto with "show content " and all my picture file were there with original date.
- BUT when tried opening it in iPhoto , there was nothing. it keep showing the wait icon and nothing shows up. Empty iPhoto.
- I tired starting iPhoto , holding command -option and tried building and repairing database, nothing worked.
- Then I got this software " iPhoto library manager" .
- downloaded, installed it and pointed it towards my iPhoto folder.
- It asked for space to rebuild a new iPhoto library with existing picture and folder.
I had another external hard drive , I used it to make a rebuild iPhoto library.
and there I GOT IT. only took three night of pain.
IMPORTANT:
I never touched my original formatted hard drive. Don't write anything on it until you are sure you have recovered everything. open and see files with your own eyes.
- I recovered the iPhoto on another hard drive and then built it on another hard drive . Yes its pain in the neck but well worth fixing your stupid mistake of not making a back up in the first place.
I hope this helps all who are looking for iPhoto recovery and their lovely memories.

How to split iPhoto library

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