Photos on External Hard Drive

Hi, I am new to iPhoto.
I already have a few hundred photos on an External Hard Drive which I would like to view and organize in iPhoto. I am a little confused as if I copy them to the iPhoto Library will this copy the files so that I have 2 copies of each photo or will iPhoto just store the location of each photo?
I don't want to have copies of photos on my External Hard Drive and then copy them all to my Internal Hard Drive taking up space.
Thanks

Grim Rebel
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
By default, iPhoto will copy the files into it's own library. While you can set iPhoto to not do this, it is best left to managing the files. In your scenario I would allow iPhot to copy the files, then move the library to the external disk - then, when you're happy that all is working well, delete the files you've had there.
To move a Library:
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.
If you want to run the Library as a referenced library: Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.
Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. It will create an alias to the Original file, a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version.
However, you need to be aware of a number of potential pitfalls using this system.
1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
Always allowing for personal preference, I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organisers.
If you're concerned about finding the files, that can be easily done from the iPhoto Window.
There are three ways (at least) to get files from the iPhoto Window.
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
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.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
To upload to MySpace or any site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. If you're using Gmail you can use THIS
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser. Or, if you want to access the files with iPhoto not running, then create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use THIS
Also, for 10.5 users: If you use the extended Open or Attach dialogue (with Column View) you can scroll to the bottom of the Shortcuts and find the Media browser there. Select any pic you want from there.
Your choice, obviously, but best to be aware of all the ramifications. By all means post back if you require more info.
Regards
TD

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Most Simple Back Up
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But a couple of possible problems: Canon Cameras don't show up in the Finder. So you'll need to stick the card into a USB Card Reader for get them on there
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Regards
TD

I have external hard drive and I cant make changes in it, such as deleting photos or adding photos to external hard drive from macbook pro. could anyone please help me. I don;t know what to do...

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That's the way.
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I'm hoping this is where my issue resides!!
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The iPhoto Library is a Time Machine backup, and so cannot be used as the main library. Relaunch iPhoto with <option> key held down to choose another   library.
You can have an iPhoto library on an external drive and use it from different machines
and you can have a Time Machine backup
The two can not be on the same volume - and iPhoto can not access the TM backup - it must be restored to use it
LN

Need to move photos to external hard drive but can't find them in library

When we bought our Mac in 2005, we moved all of our photos from our PC onto the Mac, so I had pictures dating back to 2003. All of the photos we've taken since 2005 have been imported through iPhoto and show up in the library when we open iPhoto. However, through the library, I can't see any photos prior to 2005. I know they're on the system somewhere, because our screen saver is a slide show, and photos pre-2005 show up.
My question is twofold:
1) Where do I find those pre-2005 photos?
2) I am out of space on my hard drive and want to move the majority of our photos to the external hard drive, but would like to keep a year's worth of photos on the hard drive. How do I move most of them to the external drive but keep some on my hard drive?
Thanks for any help!

Were these pre 05 pictures imported to iPhoto too?
If so then your database may be damaged:
Try these in order - from best option on down...
1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.
2. Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
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In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, you might like to make a copy of the library6.iPhoto file whenever you have made changes to the library as protection against database corruption.
2) I am out of space on my hard drive and want to move the majority of our photos to the external hard drive, but would like to keep a year's worth of photos on the hard drive. How do I move most of them to the external drive but keep some on my hard drive?
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk. Make sure the disk is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
Now you have two full libraries.
3. On your internal, delete the pics you don't want from iPhoto there.
Now you have a full Library on the External and a smaller subset on the internal.
4. To choose between Libraries: 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

Retrieving old photos from external hard drive without replacing current library

Hi everyone,
This problem has probably been discussed before but I have not been able to find a definitive answer. Hopefully I can find a solution to this problem here.
I am having trouble with my workflow in iPhoto. Right now when I place an SD card full of digital photos into my Macbook Pro, I import all of them directly into iPhoto. I use iPhoto to organize my photos and do simple edits and changes. However, recently I have begun to fill up my 250GB hard drive with photos and HD video, so I use an external hard drive to backup my computer before deleting unneeded items. Obviously, the purpose of backing up is to be able to go back and retrieve those items. With items saved in Documents>Photos, they can be easily organized, and then retrieved later from whatever date they were saved on the external drive, adding them back to the existing photos currently on my computer. However, iPhoto is a great tool, so I prefer to use it instead. But I notice that saving an iPhoto library onto a backup drive is not the same as saving a folder full of pictures. When I try to open an iPhoto library from my external hard drive, it tells me something about not being able to open it, or replacing my current library with the old one just to view my pictures. I simply want to find old photos saved within iPhoto, and add them to my existing library. Does iPhoto really only allow you to open one library at a time, and not browse them and add them together? If so, then just saving photos outside of iPhoto in Documents seems like a better workflow for retrieval, but at the cost of not being able to utilize iPhoto's capabilities.
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iPhoto can only open one library at a time.
Here's one way to do what you want:
1. Quit iPhoto.
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the external drive.
Now you have two full copies of the Library. To choose between them: Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
3. On the Internal Library, remove the pics you don't want with you all the time.
Now you have one full library on the external and another smaller sub-set on the Internal.
A couple of comments:
a. The external disk needs to be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
b: When you're removing the unwanted pics from the Internal Library you need to delete them in batches of about 100 or so. Trashing more at one time can cause problems with the database.
c: Managing Multiple Libraries - including moving pics/albums/rolls and metadata between them - is greatly facilitated by using iPhoto Library Manager

Photos on External Hard Drive, Catalog on Internal; New Computer

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The entire process of making a backup, including backups of photos, via the PSE Backup Catalog command, makes moving catalogs and photos as successful as possible. Doesn't depend on what version of PSE you own.
If you are using PSE5, and the drive letter of the external HD remains the same, you can simply move the catalog file to the new computer. You can put the catalog anywhere you want on the new computer, and then double-click on it the first time to open it. Really doesn't matter where you put it.
i But
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Importing photos from external hard drive.

I had stored my photos on a external hard drive from power book G4(which had iphoto4.0.3).
I recently purchased IMac G5. I cannot import my photos into G5(has iphoto5.4) from external hard drive. I get a message saying you have installed a new version of iphoto.
How can I get my photos back on the new machine?
Thank you in advance.

Shyman
Had another idea. Since you were not upgrading a computer to iPhoto 5 - which would upgrade your existing iPhoto Library Folder (database) and since you, I presume, already have a working iPhoto 5 Library Folder -- perhaps we have to trick iPhoto into doing the upgrade.
Quit iPhoto5. Move to the desktop or rename the existing iPhoto 5 Library Folder.
But also move or delete the existing iPhoto 5 preferences file:
You will find it in your Home directory:
(Home/your account) >Library>Preferences>com.apple.iPhoto.plist
Remove or trash the preference (.plist file) and restart iPhoto.
This will get iPhoto 5 to launch like it was the very first time. With only the backup in your Pictures Folder it will try to open with it and do the upgrade.
Peter

Want to move photos to external hard drive

Here is my situation.
I have used iPhoto before abd gave more than one iphoto library on my hard drive. I want to move all of my pictures onto an external drive so I have them all in one place. I then want to delete all the photos on my hard drive so I can free up space.
How can I do this? How cam I get all pictures on iMac and another connected external drive to this new external drive which is empty of any files right now. After which I want to delete all the photos on mac PC in order to free up space.
Thanks and I look forward to your reply.
...Bruce

you can move your library to the external drive - 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
Once you have done this all photos you import will go to the iPhoto library on the EHD so any photos that are not in an iPhoto library are simply imported to iPhoto
If you have photos in multiple iPhoto libraries then iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - is the best and easiest solution for merging libraries and moving photos between libraries
LN

Can I keep photos on external hard drive and still use iPhoto?

I have virtually no space left on my eMac's 80GB hard drive. For a long time, I have kept my sizable iTunes library on an external hard drive connected to the eMac. It takes a bit of extra time to open up the iTunes library and to upload music from newly purchased CDs, but generally the external hard drive and eMac perform well together. My question is: Can I do the same with my photos (put them on the external hard drive) and still use iPhoto to access them and edit them? I have checked some of the Apple knowledge base documents, and there seem to be warnings against this. I am currently using iPhoto 6.0.6. I have purchased iPhoto 7.0 (with iLife '08) but haven't put the new software on the computer because there is not enough space. I would like to straighten out this space problem and get the benefits of the new software. (I have backed up quite a few of the photos onto CDs, but I like to have them handy--therefore on the eMac or on a hard drive connected to the eMac.) Thanks ahead to anyone with some good ideas on this topic.

winesmile
Yes it is, but you cannot access the at the same time as iPhoto can only open one library at a time.
So, a solution might be to have the entire library on the external, and to carry the smaller subset on the laptop.
To do this, follow the instructions above to move the library, but instead of deleting the library on the laptop (in the final step), put the pics from the earlier years into the iPhoto trash and empty it. (iPhoto Menu -> Empty Trash. Hint: Don't so them all at one go! Better a few a a time.)
Now you have the full library on the external (and if you want to access the full library, use that) and the 07 & 08 years on your laptop.
To switch between libraries, simply hold down the option (or alt) key when launching.
As you add photos to the Library you can use iPhoto Library Manager to move pics and albums /events between libraries, and so keep them up-to-date with each other.
Please note this is the only way to sync the libraries, there is no app that can do this automatically.
Regards
TD

I can not locate my photos on external hard drive to get them into iphoto

I backed my laptop up on an external hard drive, then installed snow leopard and to get my laptop to run faster I did a fresh install of OS X. Once I got everything done i put my stuff back on laptop and everything looks good except my photos. I have no photos, I am trying to figure out if somehow they never made it to the external hard drive or if I just can't find them on there to get them back on my laptop. I am not that great with computers and I am sure my terminology isn't exact but I am trying my best to figure this out. Thanks for any help

I believe I had leopard and I was having issues getting errors of system not being supported. I contacted Apple and was advised I needed to upgrade to snow leopard. My laptop is from 2009 and I haven't done anything to it till now. The apple rep also stated I should do a fresh install when putting snow leopard on so my laptop would run faster. Apple rep told me to get a external hard drive to put my info on it so the fresh install would reset everything to like it was brand new. I had someone help me with getting everything on the EHD.. doing the right format and such and then once that was done I put in the CD for snow leopard and hit install. Which brings me to now, with everything but my pictures. I have the EHD plugged in... now what? What do I do? I have looked in the EHD in iphoto and it was all standard images *not my pictures but images of a check mark or an arrow again not actual pictures. I don't see a folder pictures and i looked for images and found nothing. I have Applications, Included Free Designs, Library, System, User Guides and Information and Users, those are my options and non of those have a "pictures"
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Cannot retrieve photos from external hard drive

I had to upgrade my OS so that i could download the newest version of adobe photoshop. this upgrade also upgraded my iPhoto and erasing all photos. I do have photos backed up on external hard drive but cannot retrieve photos from the external hard drive.

this upgrade also upgraded my iPhoto and erasing all photos.
No update to the OS upgrade iPhoto too. So something else is going on there.
There are 9 different versions of iPhoto and they run on 10 different versions of the Operating System. The tricks and tips for dealing with issues vary depending on the version of iPhoto and the version of the OS. So to get help you need to give as much information as you can. Include things like:
- What version of iPhoto.
- What version of the Operating System.
- Details. As full a description of the problem as you can. For example, if you have a problem with exporting, then explain by describing how you are trying to export, and so on.
- History: Is this going on long? Has anything been installed or deleted? - Are there error messages?
- What steps have you tried already to solve the issue.
- Anything unusual about your set up? Or how you use iPhoto?
Anything else you can think of that might help someone understand the problem you have.

Using Macbookpro with Aperture photos on external hard drive

I have now just about filled up my macbook pro. So I am now moving my pictures folder to an external drive. I have never done this before but it looks straight forward. After the transfer I just restart aperature and help it find the library.
But here is the question. I would like to bring my laptop on trips, take pictures, manipulate them in aperture. Then when I get home I would like to put those photos into the external drive.
I am confused about how to do that?

Bob,
I am currently using MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz with 4 GB DDR2.
Since day one I have used an external portable hard drive that has all images stored on it.
No images are stored on the MacBook.
Currently I am using a portable LaCie 250 GB running with Firewire 800.
Nearly 10,000 images at the present time.
Use a USB 500 GB portable external hard drive for the Vault (backup).
Have had no problems working this way.
I am looking to purchase a larger portable LaCie (500 GB) soon.
Stu

Photos on External Hard Drive

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