Transfering iPhoto Library via DVD

Hello! I searched long and hard before posting this, but I couldn't find a good answer.
I bought a new macbook and I want to put the iPhoto '08 library from my iMac on it. I burned the events to a couple DVDs and imported them on the macbook, but there were several problems. All of the originals came up as new photos in each event (not just stored behind their modified) and it did not transfer the hidden photos. Moreover, all of the modified pics were placed in new events with the same title as the event on their originals! What a mess. I deleted the whole lot of them and created a new, unpopulated library.
It seems as if I need to transfer over the entire iPhoto library, not just the pics. It is 16GB. Should I buy a firewire cable, borrow and external HD or what? Will this even work? I want to copy the EXACT library over.
Thanks in advance! I love my new black macbook, can't wait to get some pics on it!

Where are you copying it to? Try to the desktop first. If that doesn't work try to the root level of your destination Mac, the same directory as the Applications folder. You may have to be logged in as an administrator to do that.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) 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 created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), 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 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Similar Messages

Backing up iPhoto Library to DVDs

Hello,
I'm planning to back up all my files and reinstall Leopard. However, I'm a little worried about backing up my iPhoto library (~22 GB). I don't have an external hard drive so burning to disc is the only way.
I want to retain _all my events and both original and modified photos_. Which method is right for me: using iPhoto's built-in Burn feature or manually copying sections of the iPhoto Library to DVD?
Thanks!

Chris:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. Be sure you don't select much more than 4GB of photos as reported by iPhoto in the Information pane at the bottom of the left window in iPhoto to burn because iPhoto adds a lot of overhead, i.e. the modified and thumbnail files, and various database files that can bloat each burn. You don't want to get into the burn and get the not enough space message. You can see this
Since all of the disks that get created have the same disk name, keep a written record of the contents of each disk and number the disks with a pen so it will be easier to locate what you need.
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 created 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 and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Backing up iPhoto Library to DVD: too big

I want to back up my iPhoto library to DVD so I can have an "off-site" copy. However it is 17GB, and won't fit on one DVD. What's the best way to back up to multiple DVD's? I do have Toast 8, if that's the best way.
Thanks!

Use the Disk Utility in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder to create a 20GB disk image, copy the entire library to it, compress it, and then use this tool to segment the image. You need all the segments to recover anything.
(40485)

Burning iPhoto Library to DVD

I had a lot of new photos and wanted to back up my iPhoto Library. I burned the library it to a DVD in iPhoto. Over 2600 photos. All seems to have gone fine, but it took over 1/2 hour. Is that about right? I didn't expect it would take nearly so long (although I really don't know why I think that).
In the future, am I okay not burning the whole library---just the newly added photos not on the DVD I burned today? I did lose the whole library a few months ago and gratefully had backed it up.
Thanks.

It mostly depends on the speed of your DVD burner and the media it is using, but does not sound unreasonable to me!
I agree with the first response that an external HD is a good idea. I have and older "mobile disk" external hd case which has firewire 400. It works great with a 120 gb WD HD, and runs cool.
Periodically, I use "Super Duper" to clone the HD every month, and every week copy the iPhoto library over to it as an additional file. If my iMac hd fails, the HD could be used as a external boot drive and I would only be a week out in updates. If the iMac needs a new HD I could either install the one from the external case or duplicate it to a new HD in the iMac.
I have just started using RAW images and keep them in a separate folder from iPhoto. Once, I have gone through these RAW images and exported the "keepers" to iphoto as JPEG's the original RAW files are periodically transferred to a DVD for archiving. I always have the original image to work with, like keeping the "negatives" from a film camera.
Well...that's my strategy anwyay...and I am sticking with it!!!
Ed

Restoring iPhoto Library from DVD

I having been backing up my iPhoto 5.0.4 library to DVD peridodcially using the Share command. The library is on 2 DVD's, is in the iPhoto Library format with other data files as well. If I want to restore the library to one of my Macs, how is this done so that I don't wind up with an entire library of grayed-out photos?
Thanks -

On the Mac you want to restore the library to open iPhoto and create a new library (or use the existing one if that's what you want to do) and insert the DVD. The DVD will show up as a disc icon directly under the main library icon in the Source window. You then expand the disc icon and drag the roll icons onto the library icon. This will copy the rolls into the library on the Mac. If you burned by album you can select them and drag to the Source window (I believe that will copy them as an album - not sure because I haven't backup via albums). In either case you'll be able to copy your photos into the "new" library and maintain the organizational information. However, you may not retain the keyword correlation as that's been a reported bug in burning to disc with V5.
Hope this has been of some help. Good luck.
OT

Hitting a problem when transferring iPhoto library to External Hard Drive.

Hi
I am running a 3 year old MacBook with iPhoto 08, my hard drive is nearly full mainly with photos so I have just purchased a G-Drive Hitachi 500GB external hard drive, with a view to storing my iPhoto library thus enabling me to create some space on the computer hard drive.
I did some online research and transferred my iPhoto library as follows:-
I quit iPhoto and went into my pictures folder, located by iPhoto library file and dragged it to my external hard drive, after it had copied I went back into my pictures folder and re-named the original library 'iPhoto Library.Old', I then opened iPhoto by holding down the 'alt' key and was given the prompt to choose a library to open, I selected 'iPhoto Library.Old' from the pane and my pictures loaded up.
This is when I came across a problem, I was under the impression that once the library had been transferred the the EHD in this way that the pictures/events on the EHD would remain in place. I deleted a few of my events on my computer HD, but when I checked the EHD they had vanished from there too.
No photos are lost as I have them all backed up to CD, on line albums etc, but I am puzzled as to what I am doing wrong and how I get the photos on the EHD to stay put.
My Time Machine automatic updates are off, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I seem to have hit a brick wall with this one.
Thanks
Ruth

Hi Terence
I have just opened the internal iphoto library to delete some photos, without the EHD being attached, when I plug in the EHD and open the iphoto library from there the pictures that I have just deleted on the internal library have gone from the EHD. I am obviously doing something wrong but I cannot fathom out what. My internal library has a different name ie 'iPhoto Library.Old' but both internal and external libraries seem to be still acting as one.
I hope I'm making sense ?
Regards
Ruth

Can only access G5 iPhoto library via Adobe Photoshop

Just tried to add 5 photos from a jumpdrive to my iPhoto library and now the library is inaccessible. Photos are still there--they open via Preview or Adobe Photoshop CS2--but the library itself (iPhoto app) is BLANK. 7 years of photos (reference and documenting my paintings) gone. I have just copied, via Finder, the last few folders from 2011 to the portable hard drive, so the photos are backed up. My question: how to restore the iPhoto library so that application is useful?
G5 (non-Intel) OS 10.4.11

Make a temporary, backup copy (if you don't already have a backup copy) of the library and apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
Select the options identified in the screenshot.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
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
In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
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 but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
What version of iPhoto are you using?
OT

Transfering iphoto library on external hard drive to new MBPr - new MBPr won't display thumbnails

Hello -
I have a 2008 MBP, now running Lion. Because of space, I recently transferred the iphoto library of (18,000 plus photos) to a Seagate Backup Plus drive. It works fine. It is running iPhoto '09 (8.1.2) - although perhaps it was running an earlier version before the Lion upgrade?
I recently bought a new MBP retina. I thought transferring the iphoto library would be a simple matter of plugging the Seagate into the new computer, then selecting that library as the library to use when opening iphoto. The MBPr is running iPhoto '11 (9.4.2)
However, when I do that, I get a bunch of blank thumbnails. I can tell it's my library, because I see all the Event names (although they seem to be out of order). But the thumbnails are black. When I click on one, I get the triangle containing exclamation point icon. Also, it only contains 7,457 photos.
Ejecting the Seagate and plugging it back into the old computer works fine. Not sure what I am doing wrong.
I downloaded Library Manager and tried to rebuild and got this message: Rebuild complete. No photos were imported. 7457 errors occurred during the transfer.
Perhaps I'm missing something obvious. Thought of taking the iphoto library file from the Seagate and simply copying it into the MBPr's Pictures file, but wanted to confirm that this was the right course.
Any help would be most appreciated!
Thanks
Matt

I assume it's OSX extended, since it's a "Backup Plus for Mac" and billed as being "Mac OS and Time-Machine® ready out of the box," but I could be wrong. It does seem to work fine with my older MBP.

Transferring iPhoto Library from 10.3 to 10.8

My folks recently upgraded from an eMac running 10.3 / Whatever Cat to an iMac running 10.8 / Mountain Lion. I have transferred the old iPhoto Library to the new computer, and renamed it slightly (but did not replace or throw away the new iPhoto Library that came with the iMac.) That new library has nothing in it. I have downloaded and used the iPhoto Upgrader but have not yet done the part where it updates the photos for hours when you open the library with iPhoto itself.
Apparently in iPhoto 11 you could just keep two libraries forever, but this is not desirable in my parents' case. So my questions are:
1) do I want to import the old library or simply replace / throw away the new library by putting the old one in the Pictures folder? (It used to be that importing an old library folder was a bad idea, is that still the case?)
B) if I replace the new iPhoto Library folder, will iPhoto store photos in a slightly odd way? For example, when I upgraded to a small MBP after my first Macbook died I transferred my old iTunes library. But because of that, all my music is actually stored in the "Music" file under "iTunes Media" and nothing is actually in the "iTunes Music" folder. Not a problem really, but not all that clean either.
3) in either case, will the dates of the photos remain as they are?
I'm know other people have similar questions, but most of the time they're transferring from a more recent version of iPhoto, so I just want to be sure before trying anything. The photos are backed up elsewhere, so no pressure.
I appreciate the advice.

1. Throw away the new empty Library and put the transferred one into the PIctures Folder. Then Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
NOTE: there is no importing involved here. Just moving into place and starting iPhoto.
2. What does "slightly odd" mean? Note that there are changes between iPhoto 08 and later, and iPhoto 1 and 6, in particular how the files are accessed. For help accessing your photos in iPhoto see this user tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491
3. Yes.

Transferring iPhoto library from old MacBook Pro to new Yosemite Mac Mini

Please can someone help me figure out how to do this correctly? My old Macbook (4-5 years old) died and I ended up buying a Mac Mini the other day. The store backed my old iPhoto library up for me on an external hard drive. I simply transferred the library across to the new Mac and opened up iPhoto. However, everything is out of sync- no albums etc, plus for some reason tons of photos with people in them now have been duplicated with just close up head shots. Something I have never created. Strange.
I followed the instructions when prompted with this message....'The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.' But just as I think it has been upgraded, I then get this message 'The photo “edit1.jpg” could not be opened, because the original item cannot be found.' So I press cancel, but then it reappears for so many photos that I just give up.
What to do?! Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Dd you download and run the iPhoto Library Upgrader?
And did if then open and upgrade the library?
The Mac store did a complete back up of my old Mac on an external disk, but I have a feeling that maybe the library backup within this just isn't right.
There are two ways, your photos could be missing.
Either the iPhoto library has a corruption, iPhoto cannot find the photos inside the library. Then rebuilding the library can help, see Terence Devlin's post: iMac iPhoto Media library
Try both options 1 and 2 from the post, if the first did not solve it.
The photos may really be missing in the library, but still be somewhere in the home folder backup on your backup drive. First try connecting the missing files by rebuilding as described above. If still files are missing after that, search for them on your backup like this: When you get a warning, that xxxx.jpg is missing, search for that photo on your backup with Find Any File. If you are lucky, all photos are in the same set of folders: You can download Find Any File here: The trial is free: http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.htmlhttp://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.php
Find Any File can search inside packages, where Spotlight will not search.

Transferring iPhoto slideshow to DVD

I have some slide shows (about 150 jpegs, each about 4.4 mb) that I'd like to transfer to DVD. On the iPhoto slide show they display a very high quality resolution, and show for about 1 second before the next one. I want to maintain that level of quality and speed.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
ez

EZ:
Are you using the Ken Burns effect? If not I've found I get better image quality by creating the slideshow in iDVD instead of exporting from iPhoto. You will have to add music with a playing time to get the 1 second timing for each slide. so for 1 second on time for each slide you may have to set the music to be twice 150 seconds. I just ran a test with 50 slides and the dissolve transition and adding a track of 90 seconds gives me about 1 second on screen for each slide.
Exporting the slideshow from iPhoto creates a Quicktime movie file first and imports that. As I said, IMO the final image quality is not as good as creating from stills in iDVD. Also be sure to use top quality media (Verbatim-R is the unanimous choice of the iDVD gurus in the iDVD forum) and burn at the slowest speed possible, not more than 4X. Also do not burn the disk directly from iDVD but do a File->Save as Disk Image first so you can play the disk image with iDVD Player to confirm the encoding (and as I need to do - look for typos). You can then burn the disk image with Disk Utility.
The transition chosen makes that a little more difficult. Also you may experience a pause at slide 100 as each slide is a separate chapter in iDVD and they are renumbered back to 1 after every 99 slides.
All images, whether video from iPhoto or slides get resized to 640 x 480 for playing on TV. There's no other way around it.
NOTE: using more that 99 slides in a slideshow created in iDVD will result in a pause at slide 100. This is due to the fact that the DVD standard for chapters is 99 but iDVD 7 has allowed more than 99 slides/chapters by renaming slide 100 to 1 and going from there. If you use good media and burn very slowly there will only be a brief pause, similar to that in commercial movie DVDs when it switched from layer 1 to layer 2 as it plays. Some DVD players may have greater problems with that transition, particularly if poorer media and higher burn speeds are used.
You can ask this same question in the iDVD forum to get their perspective on it.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) 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 created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), 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 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.≤br>
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Transferring iPhoto Library to External Drive/Time Machine

Hi LarryHN and Terrence Devlin (and any others who can answer my questions);
I have successfully transferred my iPhoto Library for the first time to an new external drive (thank you LarryHN and Terrence Devlin for your awesome threads). Would I be able to do this again when my iPhoto Library on my laptop requires another transer without changing the first transfer?
However, another part of LarryHN's thread is that the iPhoto Library transfer to an external drive is not a back up, why is it not considered a back up? I am trying to utilize Time Machine (also for the first time) but they are recommending I use an external drive with nothing on it (as they would be wiped out). Luckily I haven't wiped out my iPhoto Library on my laptop and am willing to re-do that after I set up Time Machine.
I appreciate your recommendations!

If you're running the library on the EHD as your working library then it's not a backup, it's your working copy.
To have a backup you must have two copies of the the working library on different hard drive. so to use Time Machine you need a dedicated HD just for it. When set up TM will backup your MB Air hard drive and any other EHD connected to it.
If you need to run your library from an EHD because your MBA doesn't have enought room and you want to use TM to backup your files including the iPhoto Library you'll need to have 2 EHDs.
So where do you want to run the library: on your MBA or on the EHD?
If you intend to run the library on your MBA make sure it's up to date and then reformat the EHD as OS X Extended (journaled) with Disk Utility. Connect it to the MBA and launch TM. It will ask if you want to use that drive for you backup and click yes. From there it's automatic. The first backup will take a while so have your MBA plugged in to a power outlet and let TM do it's thing.
This website has the best information on TM available: Apple OSX and Time Machine Tips
An alternate solution would be to use a backup application that can make incremental backups like Synk Pro. It will copy only those new or modified files from your working library to the backup copy on the EHD. I use it and have it configured to do the copy as soon as I quit out of iPhoto to keep the writing to disk at a minimum. Synk Pro will backup any selected file or folder you select so it doesn't have to be the entire hard drive if you don't want it. Personally I think TM would be a better solution for you as it will backup other files that may be important to you, i.e. music, documents, movies, etc.
OT

Problems with burning iPhoto library to DVD

When I try to burn my iPhoto library to a DVD, iPhoto eventually always crashes.
iPhoto will prepare to burn and the window to select output drive, spee, etc. will com up. After clicking on "burn", iPhoto is always end.
What could be wrong?
Is my iPhoto library maybe corrupted?
If yes, can I do something about it?
Infos:
iBook G4, 640 RAM, HD 30GB (3.72 available), OSX Tiger, external LACIE d2 DUAL DVD+-RW DRIVE, iPhoto library: 3.53 GB
Thanks for any help!

Hi iRose,
Thanks for giving all your info. Your free space on your hard drive is not enough to do a successful burn of the entire iPhoto Library. Do you have an external drive? Is your drive supported for iPhoto burning? usually on the internal that comes with the computer is supported.
Try instead to burn the entire iPhoto Library folder in the Finder using your external burner.
Close iPhoto
I can't burn a Cd or DVD
The next info is from iPhoto FAQ on the Apple site
Question 5: Can I burn a CD or DVD to back up my iPhoto library?
Answer: Yes, you can easily back up your iPhoto library by using the CD burning capabilities of Mac OS X. Simply insert a blank CD into your internal or external CD-RW drive and copy the iPhoto library to the CD icon on your desktop. When you drag the CD icon to the Trash/Eject button in the Dock, you are given the option to burn the CD. Click Burn and the CD is created. To burn a DVD backup of your digital images, use iDVD and a SuperDrive-equipped Mac.
Lori

Problems transfering iPhoto library

Hi - I'm trying to transfer an iPhoto library from my laptop (Macbook, 2009) to an iMac (from 2008) by using an external hard drive. I copied my iPhoto library from the laptop onto the external hard drive and plugged the external HD into the iMac. I then copied this iPhoto library to the "Pictures" folder on the iMac. When I tried opening this library (I double clicked the library from finder), it opened an entirely different library... I then tried opening it straight from the external...same thing. I then plugged the external back into my laptop and tried opening the SAME LIBRARY, and it was the correct library i originally copied from my laptop. All the info for the file stays the same, it's just when I open it on the iMac, it seems to be a completely different library! (The library that does open on the iMac is one that was previously on it before I inherited it... which I thought had been deleted...) Help please! Thanks in advance!

When I tried opening this library (I double clicked the library from finder), it opened an entirely different library... I then tried opening it straight from the external...same thing.
Then you probably transferred the wrong library.
Look again on your laptop, which library you actually are opening on the MacBook.
Do you have the same iPhoto version on both machines? If the iPhoto library on your MacBook 2009 was created by a newer iPhoto version than you have installed on your iMac, the iMac may not recognize the Library and simply open aother library.
In this case, make sure you have compatible iPhoto versions on both macs.
Regards
Léonie

I have updated to a new windows computer, and after transfering itunes library via iphone, the app section of itunes is locked and I cannot access it. How can I fix this?

I have updated to a new windows 7 computer, and after transfering my itunes library via iphone, itunes has locked me out of the app section of my phone. I can not add or remove apps using itunes. Is there a way to fix this? I have authorized, deauthorized, restarted, rebooted, and reset both my computer and iphone. Anyone got any ideas?? Thank you!

The safest way to do this would be to copy your itunes library to an external drive. For the purposes of this excersize the new Laptop would be the external drive
Here is the support article
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1751
Then you could erase the iPhone and resync it without losing any content.
If this option is not open to you then this article contains ways to get your content off your iPod
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991

Transfering iPhoto Library via DVD

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