Question about backing up Referenced Iphoto Library

I was wondering about the best way to back up a referenced iphoto library.
At this point in time I have my referenced iphoto library and my "master" photo library (a folder that contains all of the actual photos) on one external drive. I would like to back up both of these files to another external drive (on a monthly basis).
My question is, if I have both external drives on a the same time (both containing the Iphoto library & Master folder on each), and open up one of the reference iphoto libraries, which "master" photo folder will iphoto access? I want to make sure iphoto "references" the master folder I want it to.
I hope this question makes sense and appreciate any help.
Thanks.

Well that's for iPhoto 09 or earlier. In those versions the amount of space used was even greater with Referenced Libraries... (all those aliases take up space too...)
The installation consists of your Master Photos, plus thumbnails, Previews, database files and caches. In a managed Library the Masters are stored within the iPhoto Package File. In a Referenced Library the Masters are stored outside the iPhoto Package File. That's the only difference. So the total amount of space used in the Installation is... The same. Masters plus thumbnails, Previews, database files and caches.
Running a referenced Library offers no extra functionality, no extra capability and significant pitfalls. And it takes up the same amount of disk space.
For more on the pitfalls:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3062728?tstart=0
Regards
TD

Similar Messages

Copied vs. Referenced iPhoto Library

I'm new to iPhoto, have two Canon cameras, 20D (DSLR) and SD850 (pocket Elph). I use Adobe Lightroom for my 20D photos and love it. But I use the SD850 for snaps everyday, carry it with me wherever I go and grab shots of life. For this I thought it might be faster easier to use iPhoto to manage my photos but didn't want to exclude the opportunity to use the same photos into Lightroom.
At first I wasn't aware of a "copied" vs. "referenced" mode. In fact to be frank, I think the definition of "copied" mode is counter-intuitive... to me copied means leave the file where it was placed on the disk and copy it into the iPhoto catalog database. But I digress... So I was in copied mode by default. Apple doesn't exactly make the "referenced" mode easily discovered, the docs don't mention it that I could find. I finally found it in these forums.
So after a few sessions of using copied mode I switched to referenced and loaded one card session of about 20 images. I then opened the "package" and looked in the Originals folder. All the images were there, no aliases, and each image was about 3MB, indicating a full image, not an alias. This was true for all the pictures.
My questions:
1. Why does the referenced mode still copy the image files into the Original folder?
2. What are the upsides and downsides between the two methods? I've read a few threads and it sounds like using referenced mode isn't a good idea, too many things that can go wrong. So in my case how else could I use the copied mode and still use the photos in Lightroom?
3. Is it easy to Export images back out of iPhoto library? Do they come out as they went in (JPG) and with/out changes? metadata? captions? I'll assume it would be like starting over in Lightroom with each photo re-modifying the images for changes, re-captioning, etc.
As for why I don't use Lightroom for everything... I would except iPhoto is more compatible with iWeb for fast web postings, blogging, etc. and iPhone display. If only Lightroom could do more... maybe it will in 2.0.

1. Why does the referenced mode still copy the image files into the Original folder?
I don't know, but I would try trash the com.apple.iphoto.plist file from the home / library / preferences folder and reset things to the way you want them and test again.
2. What are the upsides and downsides between the two methods?
a. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
b. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them
c. 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.
Frankly, there are two issues using iPhoto and Lightroom. Both want to manage the files, and Lightroom adds metadata that can cause problems too. But most of all, neither application is aware of the other (unlike iPhoto and Aperture, for instance). Personally, I would go for one or the other.
3. Is it easy to Export images back out of iPhoto library? Do they come out as they went in (JPG) and with/out changes? metadata? captions? I'll assume it would be like starting over in Lightroom with each photo re-modifying the images for changes, re-captioning, etc.
Yes it is. If you want the Original file, just go File -> Export and under 'Kind' select 'Original'. If you want the changes or metadata you can export including those in the same dialogue.
If only Lightroom could do more... maybe it will in 2.0.
My own impression is that Adobe is trying to create a 'enclosed eco-system' for its' apps, where they are tightly integrated with each other and ignore the OS and others. You might like to explore Aperture 2.
Regards
TD

Backing up my iPhoto library

My iPhoto library contains about 10,000 images of plants and flowers and these have carefully been arranged into folders by genus and species. I would like to back-up this Library to an external hard drive and then delete many of the images to free up some space on my hard drive. My question is "Will the folder structure be maintained in the backed-up copy of the iPHoto library, or will it disintegrate into 1000s of individuals jpegs in no order?" If I can, indeed, do this, what would be the best way to make the back-up, i.e. how best to move the images from my Powerbook to the external drive?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've invested a lot of time in setting up all of these folders, and I would hate to mess things up. I do, however, desperately need to free up some space on my hard drive. Thanks.

Hi King Jules,
If your library is small enough to fit on one DVD, then that is what you would do. I don't think your library of 10,000 image will fit on one DVD. It will fit on your iPod if your iPod has room. In your signature it says you have an extra hard disk.
To burn your library to discs you will have to take your library apart, burn the parts, then put the library back together.
To make it easier to do...
Drag the iPhoto Library to the desktop
Drag out each year folder from that library to the desktop
Put in a blank disc, follow directions to burn the 2005 folder
Put in blank disc and follow directions to burn 2004 folder
Put in blank disc and follow directions to burn 2003 folder
The last folder to burn would be the iPhoto Library folder with one of the smaller years folder inside it.
After all are burned, put the Year folders back into the iPhoto Library folder.
Drag the iPhoto Library folder back into the Pictures folder.
You should now just be able to launch iPhoto and it will open your library.

I am trying to back up my iPhoto library to a WD Passport external hard drive and wondering how to do this

Hi. I am putting my Mac desktop into storage for almost a year and I want to back up my iPhoto library onto a WD My Passport to keep with me and also if I can on to the Airport Time Capsule.
How can I do this successfully? I have about 15,000 photos on the desktop. Or would I be best to us iCloud? Is it expensive? How do I tell how big my iPhoto library is?
How do I know my backups have worked?
Thanks for any help I might receive.

Apple have specific instructions for moving the library.. follow it and make sure the library is working by then opening it from iphoto.
iPhoto '11: Move your iPhoto library to a new location
http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/01/25/how-to-safely-move-your-macs-iphoto-li brary-onto-an-external-drive

IPhoto library to Referenced iPhoto library

I am having difficulty transferring my iPhoto library (located on the internal HD) to my Referenced iPhoto library (located on a 3TB Ext. HD). I have most of my photos located in the Referenced iPhoto library. For some reason it started saving to the iPhoto library. I am now trying to transfer all the photos located on the iPhoto library to the Referenced iPhoto library. This seems more difficult than necessary, especially for someone who isn't "a simpleton". ::Sigh:: Help anyone please.....

Clearity is critical
End goal is when I click open on iPhoto for it to show me my photos on my external drive.
But your desire is not clear - iPhoto does not "show photos" unless they are imported into the iPhoto library - do you have photos on an external drive you wish to view? Then import them into iPhoto.
Do you have multi[ple iPhto libraries including one or more on the extrernal drive? Then to switch libraries you sue the switch library command under the file menu (iPhoto '11) or depress the option key and launch iPhoto and use the resulting select library window
When you click to open iPhoto is always opens the last opened library
and
I am trying to accomplish this by taking the photos in my iPhoto library (internal HD) and transferring them into the Referenced iPhoto Library (3TB external HD).
Again exactly what and how you are doing this is critical to getting teh correct answer - you can not sucessfully take photos form an iPhoto library and do anything with them - you must export photos from the iPhoto library to use them else where - and in you are importing them into a referenced library( once again you did not answer my question - is this a library when you have unchecked the iPhoto preference to copy imported items?) you are going to have major problems - this is strongly not recommended
In the event I need to pick up and go (fire, break-in etc.) I want to just be able to grab my external HD and go.
All you need to do this is to have your iPhoto library on the external drive - the EHD must be formatted Mac OS extended journaled) and you simply drag your iPhoto library from the internal drive intact as a single entity to the external drive, depress and hold the option key and launch iPhoto using the select library command to set the new default location
it is that simple
LN

After editing a RAW image in PE13 I can't get it back into my iPhoto library. If edited in iPhoto first and sent to PE13 for adjustments, it can be sent back to iPhoto library. Ideas?

After editing a RAW image in PE13 I can't get it back into my iPhoto library. If edited first in iPhoto, and sent to PE13 for adjustments,
I can get it back into my iPhoto library. Ideas?

Thanks for answering my question. I always have had RAW checked to an external editor which is PE13 on my Preferences panel in iPhoto.
I probably didn't make myself clear. When I send an ORIGINAL RAW untouched, unedited image to PE13 and do the editing and the
adjustments- (it looks great) and then try and SAVE it and forward it to my iPhoto library, it will not be sent. On the other hand if any editing
at all is first performed in iPhoto and then sent to PE13 for adjustments, and I SAVE it, it asks if I want to Replace this new edited image with
what already exists in my iPhoto library, I click REPLACE, the little wheel spins, I go to iPhoto and the new image is there. PE13 does
accept an original RAW image for editing because it will save it in PE13 in the RECENTLY EDITED column. Ideas? I need to keep my iPhoto
library intact. Ideas? Thanks.

What is the best way to back up an iPhoto Library to an external hard drive?

I have a very large photo library, and I manage all of my photos with iPhoto. I want to back some of them up to an external hard drive, but still have them accessible from iPhoto (when the hard drive is plugged in). I thought it would be as easy as dragging the photos from iPhoto to the external hard drive, but I found out the photos are actually stored in the "package contents" of the iPhoto library. There are several folders in the package contents folders, and it is very confusing.
Should I use time machine to back up my iphoto library? If not, what should I use?

That's exporting photos, not splitting a 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.
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

Can someone tell me the proper way to back up my iPhoto library

I want to back up my iPhoto library on an external hard drive. Do I have to go into Pictures and then iPhoto library to copy it over the external hard drive? Can I not just drag photos and albums directly from iPhoto? My concern is that when I go into albums via Pictures folder and then iPhoto library, you don't see all your photos in the albums. I never understood this.
Please help...

Lori,
If you go to ~/Pictures/iPhoto Library, the iPhoto Library is the iPhoto Library folder am am telling you to backup. This Library/folder contains all your images and the data files that iPhoto writes that stores all the album, slideshows, books, etc. info. To keep all this intact, you have to backup/copy the entire iPhoto Library folder.
Previous versions of iPhoto had an Albums folder with aliases to the images in the albums. This Album folder was in the iPhoto Library folder in the Finder. iPhoto 5 does not use this Album folder and therefor it is no longer updated. You will find that there are just iPhoto 4 created albums in it.
iPhoto 5 now stores the Album information in a data xml file. The Albums folder within the iPhoto Library folder is no longer used. At some point, usually after a rebuild, you will no longer have that folder in the Finder.
If you need to access photos from an album it is very difficult for a third party application to navigate the iPhoto Library in order to find the photo you need. You will have to know the date of import in order to find the photo.
There are some third party applications that can read the xml file and can navigate the iPhoto library and show you the Albums. Hopefully more applications will be revised to read this file.
Until then you will have to Share/Export the photos to the desktop. You can then navigate to the desktop to use the photos (example: web uploading from online photo site)
If your application supports drag and drop, you can drag the photo from an open iPhoto Library window into your application.
For email you can also use the email icon within iPhoto to open a message with the highlighted photo attached.
You can also use spotlight to find images in an Album...
This is what I have done using Spotlight to find my images that are in iPhoto albums without opening iPhoto..
In iPhoto, select the album, then select all, go to Photos/batch change.
Change the comments to text. In the text field I put the name of the Album.
Do this for each album.
Close iPhoto.
Open Spotlight and put in the name of the Album ( you have to remember the names of the albums or have then written down)
In the spotlight search results. click on "show all"
Under "Images" click on the "xx more" to show all the images in the album.
Make sure you have it in icon view, the icon view box is the last one on the blue images line.
Now you can control click on the image to "reveal in finder", open in iPhoto or Mail, etc.
I am not sure if this is going to make you happy and it is a little more work, but you can find images in albums and even view them in a slideshow (by clicking the play arrow at the end of the Images highlighted blue line) using Spotlight, all without opening iPhoto.
One important thing to know is you can set up a graphic program to be an external editor (when you double click an image in the library} such as PhotoShop or PS Elements. You set up that within iPhoto Preferences. Just make sure you save the image flattened and with the same name. The edits will then be relected in iPhoto when you hit "save".
Two Apple kbs for you to read
Don't tamper with files in the iPhoto library folder
About the iPhoto Library folder
Lori

Few Questions About Backing Up Files

Okay, I'm pretty new to this, and have checked the support pages, but I do have some questions about backing up my files.
I'm running out of room on my computer's hard drive, and am wondering if burning the library to CDs will allow me to quickly restore my library on my computer when I sync my iPod.
I know that when an iPod syncs with a comp, it will lose any songs that aren't on the library list. (If I deleted some songs to free up room, I'd lose those songs on my iPod when I synced it up.) Is there a way to prevent that from happening? Some way to save a headache continuously restoring my iPod's library every time I want to add a new song or recharge it?
I'm on Windows XP, if that matters.

Best and easiest solution is to buy an external hard drive. Then simply drag and drop your iTunes folder from your internal onto the external and copy the entire library.
Patrick

How can I back up the iPhoto library when iPhoto won't open and I can't simply copy the iPhoto library packet because "some of the data in the packet cannot be read from or written to"?

How can I back up the iPhoto library when iPhoto won't open and I can't simply copy the iPhoto library packet because "some of the data canny be read from or written to"?

Regarding not being able to open iPhoto. As a test launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and create a new, test library. Were you able to create a new library?
If so then your current library is damaged and needs to be repaired.
Apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
Since only one option can be run at a time start
with Option #4 and then #1 as needed.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
1 - download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 - click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option.
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - Click on the Create button.
Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
OT

How do I back up my iphoto library on one external harddrive to another?

I have successfully created one external hard drive back up from iphoto library. I am trying to back up this first hard drive with an additional hard drive, so my iphoto library is saved in two external hard drive locations. As of right now every time I go to back up the iphoto library on my first harddrive onto the second, it recopies the entire library (which takes a deeply laborious amount of time!) Is there a program that would recognize which photos have not been transferred and select accordingly? Apparently time machine does not operate between two external hard drives. Any feedback would be wonderful!

If you've set up Time Machine to back up your computer to it and haven't moved the library off the internal drive, it's already been done.
If you've set up Time Machine to back up your computer to it and have moved the library off the internal drive, ensure the drive holding it isn't excluded in the Time Machine pane of System Preferences.
If you haven't set up Time Machine, either turn it on or drag the iPhoto library from the Pictures item of your home folder to the Time Capsule manually.
(77724)

How do I get my new external hdd to back up my iPhoto library that is on another external hdd?

How do I get my new external hard drive (Apollo Expert) to back up my iPhoto library that is on another external hard drive (Apollo M100)?

What backup software are you using? Assuming TimeMachine then in the TM preferences ==> options make sure the EHD is not in the excluded list
For other software look in the manual or contact support for that software
LN

How can I import photos from iPhoto-library to edit in Photoshop CC? - and save it back to the iPhoto-library?

How can I import photos from iPhoto-library to edit in Photoshop CC? - and save it back to the iPhoto-library?

How to access iPhoto images for use in Photoshop
1. In the Finder, navigate to Users > [user name} > Pictures > iPhoto Library.
2. Control-click the iPhoto Library file and choose Show Package Contents.
3. A Finder window opens that shows the contents. The Masters folder (or called Originals folder) contains all of the photographs that are in iPhoto.
Photoshop cannot access this folder, but if you make a duplicate of the folder, the dupe will be accessible -- so:
4. Control-click the folder named Masters (or Originals) and choose Duplicate.
5, Drag the duplicate folder which is named "Masters copy" or “Originals copy” from the iPhoto Library Finder window to the Desktop.
6. Open images in Photoshop from file on desktop.
7 Rename the folder and move it elsewhere (probably to the Pictures folder), if desired.

"Referenced" iPhoto Library becoming bloated...?

Hello,
My iPhoto library is "referenced" (ie. iPhoto does not copy the images when importing) to my RAW image library which is manually organized outside the iPhoto library. I do zero edits, etc. to the images within iPhoto (I do all editing via Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop).
At the same time, I've only just created a new iPhoto library (again, a referenced library) and have just completed importing 8+ gigs of shoots from this year (all RAW images). Again, I have done zero edits on these images and haven't even opened them in Adobe Camera RAW or Photoshop.
Yet, this referenced iPhoto library is now sitting on my HD at a size of 3GB. I understand it still stores the JPG previews in the iPhoto library, but 3GB? As well, when I open the library (via "Show Package Contents") I see a large number of "modified" images (as well as the original JPG previews and aliases to the linked images).
First off, any ideas why I have so many "modified" images when I haven't done any modifications? And second, any ideas why my library is 3GB in size when it's only a referenced library?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kristin.

Do you have auto-rotate on your cameras? If so, this is just a flag, the files are not rotated. However, on import, iPhoto sees the flag and reads it as an instruction to rotate the image, which it does - hence a modified version of the pic.
Solution? Rotate before importing or turn off auto-rotate on your cameras.
Regards
TD

Where to post question about backing up new G580 laptop

I'm new to Lenovo products and this forum and would like to know where I am to post a question about backing up a new G580 laptop.
I would appreciate any help.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hi kec234, welcome to the forum,
the best place would probably be in the Lenovo 3000 & Essential notebooks board; it's the correct board for your system and who knows after searching through it you may find an existing thread on the same subject??
Regards
Andy ______________________________________
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Question about backing up Referenced Iphoto Library

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