Storing Library on an external drive

I am using iPhoto 6.0.2 on a MacBook Pro (Mac OS 10.4.9, 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 3 GB Memory, with a 100 GB hard drive). My iPhoto LIbrary is 28.3 GB, which is taking up a LOT of hard drive space. In fact, I only have 6 GB free right now. I can't free up a lot of space, as I don't really use the laptop for document storage. Instead, my son set up a network file server with two mirrored 250 GB drives.
On this file server I have two genealogy folders (ancestors' pictures and scanned documents) -- one is 8.95 GB and one is 22.6 GB. I would like to get these images into iPhoto so that I could assign keywords and make them a lot easier to locate and label. Also, since the new version of Reunion (my genealogy program) works with iPhoto, it would simplify that as well.
I don't want to put the iPhoto library on the file server as this is not easily accessible when I travel.
What problems can I expect? Will this make my Photo Library too large to manage? Will it slow things down? Will I run into trouble using an external hard drive for my photos? I know it will be a bit of a nuisance -- I'm a teacher and I already have 100GB drive I use strictly for work. Sometimes it's a pain plugging in when I want to work, but the plus side is I can use it on either of my laptops or my computer at school. Will iPhoto cause any unique problems? Would I be better off to create multiple libraries? And is that even possible?
Backing up is not an issue as I also have an external Maxtor drive -- I have it set up to back up the school drive every time it's plugged in and could do the same with whatever drive I decide to use for photos. I am pretty fanatical about keeping decent backups -- at least on a monthly basis. I just plain have too much data to lose it all!

Joyce
I'll try and take these in order.
In fact, I only have 6 GB free right now.
OS X needs about 10 gigs of HD space to function correctly. It uses this space for Virtual Memory, Temporary Files etc. Without this space the machine will slow down, apps will begin to crash and there is a much increased chance of File Corruption. You need to make space on your HD and you need to do that first.
Do I understand you correctly? You have a too little disk space as it is, and then you want to add more pics to your library, but don't want to put the library on the server?
You cannot put the files on the Server into your current iPhoto as you don't have enough room. As you say you want to be able to locate and label these files, but don't mention a need for them to be available when you travel, then create a new library on the Server (hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. Choose Create and place the library on the Server. Don't forget that you'll need to press the option (or alt) key on launch to switch between libraries) iPhoto Library Manager is an invaluable asset when managing multiple libraries.
Multiple libraries are an inconvenience. You can only have one open at a time. But it seems to me that it's your only option, or a lot more disk space.
Finally, Old Toad, the most generous contributor to this forum, has developed a number of tutorials for using iPhoto in different scenarios. One of them details how to use iPhoto in an 'Alias' Mode, which would allow you to store the pics off your main HD but they would be viewable while away from the storage. There are some caveats with the system, but it might be appropriate. Have a read of it here:
http://web.mac.com/toad.hall/iWeb/OldToad%27sTutorials/Tutorial%20Index.html
Regards
TD

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Quit iTunes.
On the external drive;
1 - Create new folder called iTunes (or whatever you want).
2 - Move your music folder into this.
3 - Go to the the C: drive iTunes folder.
4 - Copy the iTunes library.itl file into the iTunes folder on the external drive.
5 - Start iTunes holding the Shift key.
6 - Select Choose existing library and select the iTunes library.itl file you just copied to the external.

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I have some data on storing (moving) iPhoto 2 to an external HD. Does this apply to iPhoto 8? Can there be more than one Library stored? Any practical suggestions on doing this?
Thanks
Mike

Mike,
The process is very similar. Drag the iPhoto Library +package file+ (previous versions have a regular folder) from your Pictures folder to your external hard drive, and it will be copied there. Hold down the Option key as you Launch iPhoto, select "Choose Library" and navigate to the new location. iPhoto should open the library in exactly the same condition as before you moved it. It will continue to open the library from the new location by default unless you tell it otherwise.
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Regards.

How do I store my iTunes library on an external drive and can I still access it as I would if it was still all sitting on the mini mac?

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1. Drag the library to the external drive, launch iTunes with the Option key held down, click on Choose Library, and point it there.
2. Get a second. Having the backups on the same drive as the original data won't help when that drive fails.
(66929)

ITunes keeps creating a new iTunes Library instead of going to my actual iTunes Library on my external drive.

My old computer died.
Luckily, my iTunes library is stored on an external drive.
My new machine is Windows 8 and my old machine was Vista, but I don't think that should cause any problem.
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When I point it to my external drive, and then import the library, it does it. All my music shows up -- after a long time, but it all shows up.
If I shut down iTunes or reboot, everything goes back to zero again.
The most disturbing thing about this is that I can't back up properly, because -- although in Preferences it's pointed at my external drive -- it's backing up my iPhone 5 to the local drive in Windows.
Any idea what's going on here?
I've gone through this process 5 times already and it's always the same.

There are two main components to the iTunes library. The media folder which you can adjust via Edit > Preferences > Advanced, and the database file iTunes Library.itl which is normally found in <User's Music>\iTunes. You can choose or create a new iTunes library by holding down shift as you launch iTunes.
In some cases third party software can interfere with the way iTunes updates its files meaning that either iTunes forgets the previously chosen location, or that the active database is deleted. AVG anti-virus and Sony VIAO Entertainment Platform typically interfere with the database. McAfee has been implicated in the corruption of iTunesPrefs.plist.
See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash for more details on how you might recover after the library vanishes.
You may get some improvment by hosting your entire library on the external drive not just the media. E.g. Create a library at X:\iTunes where X: is the drive letter, then move the media into X:\iTunes\iTunes Media before adding it to the library. This will make it easier to backup the library to a second drive and move it between computers when the time comes.
tt2

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Thank you
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The Question - one can only upgrade a Library on one’s computer, not on the external drive. How can I upgrade it if I can’t get it back into Aperture [3.5.1] on my MacBookPro in the first place ?
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Then select the library with the exported projects on the external drive and double-click it to open it in Aperture. This will upgrade the library to Aperture 3.5.1. Since upgrading can sometimes be problematic, I recommend to make a backup copy of the library before you try to upgrade the library.
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My MacBook Pro hard drive is almost full and I wish to store my Aperture Library on an external drive, how do I do this and is the use of USB2 suitable or do I need to use a Firewire external hard drive?

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USB 2 will work perfectly fine... just not as fast.
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Can I copy and store Aperture 3.5 library on an external drive ExFAT?

Hi
Can I copy and store Aperture 3.5 library on an external drive ExFAT?

No, as Allan Eckert said. Storing your library on and external drive is no problem, but it requires MacOS Extended (Journaled):
You may want to have a look a these support documents:
Use locally mounted Mac OS X Extended volumes for your Aperture library
and
Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3509?
The same goes for iPhoto Libraries:
iPhoto: Issues with FAT32-formatted drives

So, I have just about had it. For nine days now, I have valiantly tried to move my library to an external drive. At first, I attempted to move it to my 2TB Time capsule, iTunes didn't like its new home though and moved home without telling me.

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After admittedly only a quick read the one thing you don't say is how you are trying to make this move. Most people with moving library issues do it the wrong way. Plenty of web sites tell you how to do it the wrong way.
If the iTunes application is started before the drive with the library is fully mounted and awake iTunes will revert back to the internal drive.

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Is it possible to move an iTunes library from one external drive to another, or am I stuck with my original choice until I buy a new machine? If I can move it, can one of you clever folks explain how it could be done?

Paul Seymour1 wrote:
However, those are all dealing with old versions of iTunes that still contained the Advanced --> Consolidate Library command which is no longer part of the app. (I'm on iTunes 10.6.1.)
Consolidate is still part of iTunes.
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The article you linked to is old and it is (and was) a hacky way of doing it.
Just copy the entire /Music/iTunes/ folder to new location, hold Option (Mac) or Shift (Windows) when launching iTunes.

How can I download my iMac iTunes library to an external drive and reload the library to iTunes on a PC?

How can I download my iMac iTunes library to an external drive and reload the library to iTunes on a PC?

Hi Niel. Can you be move specific for those of us not tech savy? 1 - Can you provide steps to back up the library? 2 - How do you organize the library? 3 - When you move the entire iTunes folder, does it include iTunes paid for music along with downloaded music from CDs? Thanks

HT1373 How do I backup my itunes library to an external drive

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2) Why am I constatntly prompted to add my computer to iCloud when I have done so multiple times?
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Hello cijackson,
You posted your question in the iTunes for Mac Forum. You may get better results on the iTunes for Windows forum. Best of luck > https://discussions.apple.com/community/itunes/itunes_for_windows?view=overview

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OT

How do I move my itunes library to an external drive to free up space on a Macbook?

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Drag it from the Music item of the Finder's sidebar to an external drive, launch iTunes with the Option key held down, and point it there.
(59635)

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Storing Library on an external drive

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