Transfering iPhoto library

Hi. I'm currently using iPhoto 5.0.1 on an iMac running OS X-10.4.9. I will be getting a new iMac in the future and am wondering how can I transfer my iPhoto library from this Mac to the new Mac and iPhoto? Thanks for any assistance.

Click on the Pictures item in the Finder's sidebar and move the iPhoto library there to the corresponding location on the new Mac.
(49199)

Similar Messages

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

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 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 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

Transfering iphoto library from old computer to new

for whatever reason, i'm not able to transfer my iphoto library from my old powerbook g4<iphoto2/os10.3.9> to the new powerbook g4<iphoto5/10.4.3>. it starts the copying process but then freezes or gives an error message. any thoughts?

Hi rusch,
If there is an Albums folder with aliases in it in the iPhoto Library folder, then take that Album folder out and trash it. It is not used by iPhoto 5 anymore.
Hopefully that might help.
Lori

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.

Trouble transferring iPhoto library from a time machine back up.

Hi!
I recently upgraded to the new OS and decided to do a clean install as my mac book pro is running a little slow. I did a time machine back up to save my files. When i went to put my iphoto library back it would not work as i needed the newest version of iphoto (i think i had the same one from when i got the laptop in 2009!). So i updated to the newest version and was able to retrieve the photos. The problem is i now have multiple copies of photos some with good and some with poor quality. I also have multiples of many photos and thousands of 'faces' grabbed by iphoto. Now with almost 40,000 photos its almost impossible to sort through. Any ideas how i can get my old, organized library back?
Thanks so much!
Erin

You need to restore the library from the TM backup by opening TM
and doing it from within TM:
OT

Transferring iPhoto Library from old Mac to new Mac

I'm trying to transfer my iPhoto library from my old mac to my new MacBook Air. My old mac (black macbook purchased July 2008 - MacBook4,1) is running OS 10.5.8 and the OS can't be upgraded. My iPhoto (ver 7.1.5) library needs to be prepared using the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool in order to transfer the library, but my OS doesn't support the program. It says the upgrader tool 1.1 requires OS X version 10.6.8 or later. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Connect the two Macs together (network, firewire target mode, etc) or use an external hard drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity from the old Mac to the pictures folder of the new Mac - download and run the iPhoto library upgrader (it installs in the utilities folder of your Applications folder - double click it to run it), launch iPhoto on the new mac and it will open the library and convert it as needed and you will be ready move forward.
LN

Transfering iPhoto library to External Harddrive

I am trying to transfer my iPhoto library to my External Harddrive, but it says it is going to take one day. I dont feel like USB 3.0 should take one day to transfer 50gb of pictures... Any fix to this problem?

Ignore it
The finder is a very poor estimated of time - it will change radically as it progresses - and however long it takes is how ling it takes - there is no way to change that
Is the external drive formatted Mac OS Extended (journaled)? - to use the iPhoto library it must be that format
LN

Transferring iPhoto Library from MacBook Pro to iMac

I am trying to transfer my iPhoto library from my MacBook Pro to my iMac. My software is up to date on both computers. I put my MacBook Pro into firewire mode and tranferred over the iPhoto Library package file. I put it directly into my iPhoto library folder. I double clicked on the file and iPhoto opened, but it said that the file can not be read. Is this because on my laptop I have iPhoto 7.1.5 and on my desktop I have 6.0.6? I have also migrated from the iMac to the MacBook Pro a few years ago, could that be causing a problem? I called Apple about it and they said there is no reason this should not be working.

Is this because on my laptop I have iPhoto 7.1.5 and on my desktop I have 6.0.6?
This is exactly why. iPhoto 6 cannot read the iPhoto 7 Library. No version of iPhoto can read a later version's Library. The app is backward compatible, not forward compatible.
Regards
TD

Transfering iphoto library to harddrive?

How do I transfer my iphoto picture library to an external harddrive and then remove them from my computer to free up space? I have iphoto 9.1 installed.
I still want to be able to work with them though in Photoshop Elements.

First copy the iPhoto Library file to the location on the external drive where you want it. Next hold down the OPTION key then open iPhoto. You will have a dialog for choosing the library file you wish to use. Locate the one you've moved to the external drive, select it, click on the Open button.
iPhoto will now use the external library file. You can delete the one on your internal drive. Be sure you have a backup of it before deleting it, just in case.

Transferring iPhoto Library from iPhoto 6 to iPhoto 8

I wish to transfer all my photos from my eMac using iPhoto 6 to my new iMac using iPhoto 08. I want to be able to maintain both the originals and modified versions of all the photos.
How can I do this please?

Robin
Simply copy the iPhoto Library Folder from the Pictures Folder on the old machine to the same location on the new machine. Then start iPhoto. It will tell you it needs to make changes to the library and it will. That's it.
Regards
TD

Transfering iPhoto library

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for