Moving an iPhoto directory

I want to be able to move a user photo directory from one computer to another. I assume that I would just copy the users "photo" folder and put it's contents on the other machine.
I wish there were some way to specify a network folder that iPhoto would recognize. THen users would not save locally. I cannot find a way to do this though.

CG_teacher
To move a library, simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old machine to the same location on the new Machine. Then launch iPhoto. That's all.
You can put a library on an external drive:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library Folder as an entity from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Be cautious before putting the library on a Disk not formatted for Mac OS X (JOURNALLED) - iPhoto performs best on disks formatted that ay.
Regards
TD

Similar Messages

Moving contents of iPhoto Directory

My iPhoto directory is very large at ~70GB. How can I move the ocntents of this? I see only one file of any size and that is "IPhoto Library".
Thank you!

To move a Library to an external disk:
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.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Regards
TD

How do you restore a passport ilibrary file to a Mac iPhoto directory?

My objective was to move photos and movies to an external hard drive. I was successful in moving DVD projects. Now I have movies that it cannot find some the pictures and clips which are in iPhoto events. I probably messed up by moving iPhoto events to the HD which created the disconnect when I deleted them from the Mac library. In attempting to fix this I copied the iPhoto library to the HD and attempted to restore the library version from 11/6 which was before I started all the moving. When I copied the library file from passport to the mac hard drive it did not go into the iPhoto directory. iPhoto did not find it when I attempted to link to it but I was able to manually find and link to the mac hard drive library of 11/6. Plus iMovie still does not recognize the photos in projects so I'm as broke today as I was yesterday.
Before starting this I researched in the Apple Community including buying the iPhoto library manager app. Obviously I've missed something!!
(I'm running OSX 10.9.5, iPhoto 9.5.1 and iMovie 10.0.5)
1. Is there a way to restore the passport library to the Mac iPhoto directory? Or is this not necessary?
2. How can I relink the movies to their photos and clips in the iPhoto library? Or am I toast?

Sorry bu we can not see you or your computer
How exactly did you do this move?
The correct way (the only way actually) is to be sure the external drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and then
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
As to your specific questions
1 - that totally depends on knowing exactly what you did and how you moved the iPhoto library - if you followed the above instructions exactly then you can simply drag it bace as a single entity
2 - Again with no details no one knows - moving the library correctly using a default "managed" library (the iPhoto preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library is in its checked state) changes nothing - if you made the poor choice of having a referenced library(The iPhoto advanced preference to "copy imported items to the iPhoto library" has been unchecked) which is strongly NOT recommended. then you can not relink with iPhoto (Aperture can) and you will have to move the library back to the main drive so the path to the referenced originals is the same as when they were imported
LN

I accidentally moved my iphoto library to Macintosh HD in Finder, now it's not working anymore. How can I fix this?

Hello everyone,
I hope someone can help me.
I wanna copy my pictures to an external hard drive. Therefore I was trying to format my Seagate 1TB external drive (so it works with the Mac), but my Disk utilities is not working as it should (don't know why). I can't open it. If I try "Show packet contents", I do see that it has some kind of content, but I don't know what to do with the content haha. So I was trying different things. Accidentally I moved my iPhoto library to Macintosh HD in Finder (instead of my external drive). Now I have 2 problems: I can't open my iPhoto anymore (can't excess the pictures) and my external hard drive is still not formatted (so I can use it for my MacBook Air 2010)... Who knows whats the best I can do, is there a way to fix this?
Thanks in advance,
Hanneke

Solved! I transferred iPhoto library to Trash and just transferred them back to Pictures in Finder. The problem with my external HDD: I just restarted the Mac and suddenly Disk Utilities did work. I don't know what happened, but it works again; me happy

I have moved my iPhoto to an external hard drive. so now I have to have the external hard drive connected to my laptop to view the photos. Now when I want to import photos into iPhoto from my media card, I don't have room to connect both devices.

I have moved my iPhoto to an external hard drive. so now I have to have the external hard drive connected to my laptop to view the photos. Now when I want to import photos into iPhoto from my media card, I don't have room to connect both devices at the same time as the usb ports are side by side. How do I import my photos from the media card to the external hard drive now?

First transfer the photos to a folder on your MacBook using Image Capture in your Utilities folder. Then move them to iPhoto.
BTW, you might want to invest in a cheap USB hub.

Just bought a 2tb external hard drive with the intention of moving my iPhoto data files on it. I have so much of my 500 gigs being used up by images and video. Questions: Will this foul up my iPhoto app? Do I need to point iPhoto to this new location?

Just bought a 2tb external hard drive with the intention of moving my iPhoto data files to it. I have so much of my 500 gigs being used up by images and video. Questions: Will this foul up my iPhoto app?
Do I need to point iPhoto to this new location?
Thanks!

Are you running a Managed or a Referenced Library?
A Managed Library, is the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing. The files are then stored in the Library package
A Referenced Library is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. (You unchecked the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.
Assuming a Managed Library:
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.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Regards
TD

I moved my iPhoto library to a external hard drive to free up space on my iMac per instructions, but the library is still on my iMac so I don't have much room left. How do I get rid of the all the contents of my library on my iMac so just on backup drive

As per Apple instructions, I moved my iPhoto library to an external hard drive so that I could free up space on my full iMac. However, I was not told the last step in the process -- How do I get the iPhoto library off my iMac so I free up that memory?

And after deleting the old Library, you should start up iPhoto while holding down the Option key in order to force iPhoto to let you select your iPhoto Library that is on your external hard drive. If you start up iPhoto the usual way, it will just create a new, blank iPhoto Library in your /users/yourusername/Pictures folder on your iMac's internal hard drive.

I moved my iPhoto libraries from one hard drive to another and have to manually locate the photos, every time!!!

I moved my iPhoto libraries from one hard drive to another and now every time I open a library I have to manually locate the photos. After locating the first file, it works well and remembers the location of the files of all the events, even when the folders containing the actual photos are in several different locations.
The problem is that when I close and open iPhoto, it does not remember where the files were and I have to locate at least a file, all over again.
Does anyone knows if there is a way of making iPhoto "remember" or saving the location of the files?

By default, iPhoto will store its library file under ~/Pictures. To select a library manually in iPhoto:
Ensure that iPhoto is closed.
Hold down the Option key and click on the iPhoto icon in your Dock or launch it from the Applications folder.
Click on Choose Library.
Locate and select the library you wish to use.
Close iPhoto and re-open it. Does it remember the library that you selected?
For more information on moving your iPhoto library, see http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1229.
Hope that helps, have a great day.

Why is the iphoto directory no longer a directory?

I wanted to go digging through the iphoto directory, but now it is one LARGE 17 GB file that I cannot dig into...
I wanted to go into the directory to find the video files I am having trouble with (I can't export them from iphoto), but it is no longer a directory, so I can't do this...What's up with that??! Help!
Does this mean I can't downgrade back to iphoto 6 - because it is no longer a directory?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. To add to Terence's post:
2. File -> Export: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
Now, when you export a file to the desktop iPhoto will write the following metadata to the file for use by other applications: title, keyword and comments. So it benefits you to access the photos as iPhoto designed.
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 written 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. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Moving from iPhoto to Aperture with limited drive space

My biggest concern is the lack of space on my MacBook Air.
I have already purchased and download Aperture.
In the Import window I see the "move files" radiobutton and the "copy files" radiobutton under the "Store Files:" dropdown, but they are disabled.
As I understand if I just import my IPhoto Library, it will duplicate the files into the Aperture Library, and that wont work since my current library (iPhoto) is way bigger than my freespace in disk.
Buying external drive is not an option now since I im saving to buy a NAS that will solve my space problems in the near future.
What i would like to achieve is just to move all my iPhoto Library to Aperture Library. I wont use iPhoto anymore.
Can someone help me with this? Im really looking forward to use Aperture....

Hello Richieto,
I have already purchased and download Aperture.
In the Import window I see the "move files" radiobutton and the "copy files" radiobutton under the "Store Files:" dropdown, but they are disabled.What i would like to achieve is just to move all my iPhoto Library to Aperture Library. I wont use iPhoto anymore.
Set the "storeFiles" selector to "in their current location".
Have you seen this support article. Moving from iPhoto to Aperture - How to move http://www.apple.com/aperture/iphoto-to-aperture/how.html
If you follow these instructions, you will import your iPhoto Library by referencing - that means, all images remain in your iPhoto library; your iPhoto Library will remain unchanged, but Aperture references the files in in the iPhoto Library. This will save disk space; your images will be stored only once: Set the "Store Files" selector to "in their current location".
If you decide to do it this way, make sure you have a working backup of your iPhoto library. Also remember at all times that your master image files now are managed independently by two applications, that do know nothing of what the other app does and are not synchronized. So you must not move the iPhoto library, and you must not delete any images that are shared by both applications. Other than that this way to import from iPhoto will be the best deal, if you need to be frugal with disk space.
What i would like to achieve is just to move all my iPhoto Library to Aperture Library. I wont use iPhoto anymore.
Once you are happy with the way Aperture handles the images you can copy your iPhoto library to a backup location and consolidate the master image files (File -> consolidate) by moving them from your iPhoto Library into the Aperture Library. This will delete them from iPhoto and store them inside the Aperture Library package. Then delete the iPhoto Library after testing that the consolidation was successful.
I im saving to buy a NAS that will solve my space problems in the near future.
Just a caution - you should not use the NAS to store the Aperture library - an Aperture library needs to bestored on a local volume formatted MacOS X extended.
Regards
Léonie

HT202807 I have a MB Air 128gb and a Time Cap.802.11AC. My HD is maxed out because of 30GB of photo storage after migration to 10.3.3 Photos. Please recommend an external drive best for connecting to TC and moving the iPhoto Lib off my HD

I have a 13" mid 2011 MB Air 128gb and a Time Cap.802.11AC. My HD is maxed out because of 30GB of photo storage after migration to 10.10.3 Photos. I have reduced apps and files as much as possible so the only thing left is to move the photos. Please recommend an external drive compatible for connecting to my TC 802.11ac and moving the iPhoto Lib off my HD which will free approx 15 gbs. of space. I don't plan on using it for any other purpose so a small capacity drive will suffice. I know the "optimization" is supposed to adjust for this condition but I don't trust that assertion.I only have 2gb free space remaining.

I don't plan on using it for any other purpose so a small capacity drive will suffice.
If you really only want such a small capacity drive.. what about just buying a 32GB or 64GB USB memory stick.
You should still have a back up to the internal hard disk of the AC TC.
Or just buy a WD Passport.. don't waste your money buying 500GB as it is only a bit more to buy 1TB and a bit more again for 2TB.. For future use if you do buy a USB hard disk buy 2.5" type.. and buy 1TB or if the budget stretches 2TB..

Why "Corrupt File or Preview Doesn't Recognize format" msg. after moving the iPhoto folder?

Hello,
I've moved my iPhoto Library from my Mac HD to an external hard drive (WD My Book 1) and now there are no pictures in the iPhoto application when I open it. I have a collection of over 3000. When I click on a .jpg photo within the iPhoto Library I get the message: "Corrupt File or Preview Doesn't Recognize format".
I've been told that this has something to do with moving the iPhoto library from one location to another and that I have to do something to have Tiger recognize iPhoto in its new location.
I moved the iPhoto library from my Mac HD to one of the My Book Ext HDs. But there also was a back up of iPhoto Library on the 150 GB Acomdata Ext HD taken from the Mac HD that wasn't moved. That back up was done on a scheduled backup using Carbon Copy Cloner. However, when I looked for the iPhoto Library on Acomdata, all that was there were the seven item that don't, I think, make up any kind of a library:
Dir.data
iPhoto.db
iPhotoLock.data
Library.iPhoto
Thumb32.data
Thumb64.data
ThumbJPG.data
Could someone please help me with this? I thought I had backup and also that I had moved the library carefully.
In addition, there are other files that I've moved from the Mac HD to the external that aren't opening either, such as movies (.flv "The movie could not be opened), .rtf files ("File does not exist." and .pdfs ("File error. couldn't open the file.")
Thanks,
Rafael

"The backup from Acomdata doesn't appear to be a complete library."
(How do you make a clip of lines you quote that has a different background color — avalible to Apple support discussions?)
I didn't make that clear. The IPhoto Library backup wasn't to the Acomdata. I backed up IPhoto Library to the two 1 TB WD EHDs ("StorageUnit WDnew" and "BU of StorageUnit WDnew") then trashed the one on Mac HD.
The backup you see on Acomdata (clone of Mac HD) isn't a complete library. It's nothing but a new library I started to create and it's to be ignored. I should remove it.
Below is a picture of the back up of IPhoto Library and other items to the first WD "StorageUnit WDnew". The backup on "BU of StorageUnit WDnew" is the same. These two aren't bootable. They only store information. The Acomdata is bootable and that's where I back up my Mac HD. IPhoto used to be on the Mac HD and I moved it to "StorageUnit WDnew". It's the same on "BU of StorageUnit WDnew".
Will "Rebuild IPhoto Library" be able to pull from the external HD?
Why can't I drag and drop folders or files into the volumes in the side bar?
Should I do anything with Ownership and Permissions before I Rebuild IPhoto Library?
Should I press "Apply to enclosed items.” button to set the new read and write settings?
I listed the equipment I use in My Profile in My Products again. I'd done that before. Also, my picture, also in profile, isn't showing up. See what happenns this time.
Thanks. I have so much important stuff in those pictures that I'm very anxious to retrieve everything.
Message was edited by: Rafael Montserrat1

I moved my iPhoto Library file, now it wont work !

Hi, i was trying to tidy up my Hard Drives folder structure and moved my iPhoto Library file, which was and still is 72mb, but now when i open it, it hasnt got any photos in it ANYWHERE the file size is the same,.
I might be correct in thinking that i havent actually lost the photos that were being displayed in iPhoto, because these are still on my hard drive !.
But what can i do to get iPhoto back to where it was please.
I have even restored the file back to its original location from a backup but that doesnt work either. it is simply saying, i have to upgrade and loose all my photos ????
tim

went to finder, selected 6 photos and put them in a folder in my Pictures folder.
opened up iPhoto again, the beach ball spun round a bit, but the new folder wasnt to be seen anywhere in iPhoto ?
Exactly
there is no automatic import - on photos you specifically import either from disk or from a camera are imported to iPhoto
Import them to iPhoto - drag to the iPhoto window or to the iPhoto icon in the dock or in iPhoto file menu ==> import
And
i have now ticked the box "copy imported items" i then closed down iPhoto
That is good but does not solve the problem for the photos that were imported while this was not checked -- at this time it is probably best to start over with a new managed library and import all photos again
which brings me nicely to my next query, it looks to me as if ALL the pictures that got initially imported into iPhoto were all in folders. so am i correct in thinking that the pictures in my pictures folder which are NOT in a folder, will or should only be seen in iPhoto if they were in a folder when they were/are imported.
I am not sure what you are saying
But when you import a photo it is iPhoto no matter where it came from - until you import it it is not in iPhoto - finder folders make no difference and have no bearing on iPhoto -- folders in iPhoto do not hold photos, just other folders or albums
You prebably should take the iPhoto tutorials - that will save a lot of time and frustration
LN

Moving from iPhoto to LR-4

I have been reading discussions all over the internet about moving from iPhoto 11 to LR4, understanding that I might lose the Albums and Keywords from iPhoto depending upon the method of transfer. I stopped in the local Apple store today and spoke with someone about Aperture. They suggested that I upgrade to Aperture and then use LR4 as my external editor.. Combining the two different software packages, to me, doesn't make much sense. Has anyone tried this method or has any thoughts about it. It would be greatly appreicated.
Lisa

It might be might own fault... I just saw that under preferenses photo stream I had Upload all new pictures checked. Doh. Oh well.

IPhoto directory (re-make)

I would like to know: do you people
1) Keep all your pictures in the Pictures directory and another copy in iPhoto,
2) Keep your Pictures directory empty (except for "iPhoto Library") and keep your pictures in iPhoto Library directory?
1 is you have 2 copies of each photo (Pictures directory and iPhoto directory).
2 is you have only 1 copy of each photo in the iPhoto directory.

If you import your photos into your iPhoto library then you'll have two copies, the original files you imported and the copies of those files that iPhoto created. If you plan to use iPhoto those original files can be deleted. Even in you have a problem with your library, the files will be safe in the Originals and Modifed folders within your iPhoto Library folder.
If you can copy those original files to other media that will go a long way in insuring safe keeping in case of a HD failure or a situation where you might have to erase and reinstall your system. Not likely but it happens. You can put about 4.2G of image files on a DVD so it wouldn't be too difficult to back them up. FWIW my primary source files total 27G and number about 17,000.

Moving an iPhoto directory

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