Trying to transfer iPhoto library from MacBook to iMac.

I am trying to transfer one iPhoto library from my MacBook to desktop iMac to create more harddrive space on laptop. I successfully transferred photos to external harddrive. When I plug harddrive in to iMac, the iPhoto icon appears and the pictures are there, but I am not able to select it in order to import the library. I was able to drag the icon to the desktop and the pictures are there - but when I try to dump in to iPhoto - it only gives me the option to launch and replace a new library. I am seeking to combine the two libraries. I would be so grateful for any guidance this community has! Many thanks in advance!

Hello:
You need to export the photos and then import them to the new library.
Barry

Similar Messages

Transfer iphoto library from MacBook to iMac

I need to know the best way to move my iphoto library from my MacBook to my iMac. I have over 4000 pictures on my MacBook, and I tried to upload them to MobileMe but it takes forever the way I am doing it. (I am probably not doing it correctly, I have to click on and select each jpeg file to upload it.) I am getting very frustrated! I am sure there is an easier way to do it, I just don't know how. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
To move an iPhoto Library to a new machine:
Link the two Macs together: there are several ways to do this: Wireless Network, Firewire Target Disk Mode, Ethernet, or even just copy the Library to an external HD and then on to the new machine...
But however you do choose to link the two machines...
Simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old Machine to the Pictures Folder on the new Machine.
Then launch iPhoto. That's it.
This moves photos, events, albums, books, keywords, slideshows and everything else.
Regards
TD

I tried transferring my iphoto library from my old macbook onto my new macbook pro (via external hard drive), but when i open the new iphoto, it seems to have transferred ALL images ever used on my old macbook. so i tried to just del

i tried transferring my iphoto library from my old macbook onto my new macbook pro (via external hard drive), but when i open the new iphoto, it seems to have transferred ALL images ever used on my old macbook. so i tried to just delete all those images so i could try a different approach to transferring, but the new iphoto won't let me do anything and every time i try to delete anything it crashes (since the image amount is so high). please help!!
MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), iphoto '11, version 9.4.2

To move an iPhoto Library to a new machine:
Link the two Macs together: there are several ways to do this: Wireless Network,Firewire Target Disk Mode, Ethernet, or even just copy the Library to an external HD and then on to the new machine...
But however you do choose to link the two machines...
Simply copy the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the old Machine to the Pictures Folder on the new Machine.
Then launch iPhoto. That's it.
This moves photos, events, albums, books, keywords, slideshows and everything else.

I tried transferring my iphoto library from my old macbook onto my new macbook pro, but when i open the new iphoto, it seems to have transferred ALL images ever used on my old macbook. now iphoto won't let me do anything to fix!!

i tried transferring my iphoto library from my old macbook onto my new macbook pro (via external hard drive), but when i open the new iphoto, it seems to have transferred ALL images ever used on my old macbook. so i tried to just delete all those images so i could try a different approach to transferring, but the new iphoto won't let me do anything and every time i try to delete anything it crashes (since the image amount is so high). please help!!

See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1229?viewlocale=en_US - I doubt that it will solve your problem, though. You may want to post on the iPhoto forum - that's where all of the iPhoto experts hang out.
Good luck,
Clinton

Just got an imac and am trying to transfer itunes library from Dell pc via home share method. All goes well but directions say to click the import button. I don't see an import button anywhere. If I close itunes on pc it also disappears from imac.

Just got an imac and am trying to transfer itunes library from dell pc using home share method. All goes well until the end when directions say to click import button. I don't see one anywhere. If I shut down itunes in the pc the library also disappears from the imac. Am I doing something wrong?

ronaldfromoaklyn wrote:
All goes well until the end when directions say to click import button. I don't see one anywhere.
check the lower right corner of the iTunes window
if you don't see this while the homeshared library is loaded, home sharing hasn't been set up properly.
If I shut down itunes in the pc the library also disappears from the imac. Am I doing something wrong?
no.
that's expected behavior.

I am trying to import aperture library from macbook to new imac the import window sees the external harddrive but does nt see library. I can open library as a refernce library but cannot import onto hardrive as managable files Tried to do as a backeup t

I am trying to import aperture library from macbook to new imac the import window sees the external harddrive but does nt see library. I can open library as a refernce library but cannot import onto hardrive as managable files

I may be misreading what you are trying to do but you don't import libraries via the import window. You use File->Import->Library..
If this doesn't resolve your problem post back with more detail of what you are doing and what is happening.
regards

HT4889 If I transfer iphoto library from a hard disk to a new iMac will all my events and albums stay unchanged?

If I transfer iphoto library from a hard disk to a new iMac will all my events and albums stay unchanged?

They should, yes. You should have a full and complete backup as well, of course.

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

Transfer iPhoto library from old to new computer

How can I transfer my iPhoto library from my old laptop to my new iMac? I have a firewire cord.

@ Terence
Thanks for the advice Terence!
I tried connecting my MacBook Pro (source) and new Mac Mini (destination) via my local wireless network using the Shared Screen feature. I dragged my iPhoto library from the Photos folder on the finder in my MBP into the Photos folder in the finder on my Mac Mini and the transfer began. Things looked good, if sorta slow. But, when I came back to see how the copy was progressing after about an hour the download bar displayed, "Download failed." Not sure why. 60GB of photos too much for wireless transfer? I don't think my network went down during this time. Whatev.
I decided that this wireless process was too slow anyway and so transferred the entire iPhoto library on my MBP to a separate hard drive (another option you proposed). That took about 10 minutes via firewire 800. I then connected that hard drive to my Mac Mini and dragged the iPhoto Library on the hard drive into the Photos folder in the finder on the MIni. In another 10 minutes or so I was done and my Mini had a complete (and as far as I can tell perfect) copy of the photo collection that was on my MBP about 20 minutes earlier.
Both machines running OSX v10.8.3 and iPhoto v9.4.3.
It was a good day to copy pictures.

Urgent Problem: Transfer iPhoto Library from iPhoto 4.0.3 to iPhoto 8.1.1

On my G5-Desktop (OS-X 10.4.11 I had created with iPhoto 4.03 a very voluminous library (about 3.7 GB) with a large amount of albums. My attempt to transfer it to iPhoto 8.1.1, located on MacBook pro ( OS-X 6: Snow Leoparf) failed: I have followed the instructions of Terence (many thanks!) by copying the file "iPhoto library" from the "old" Mac to the folder "Pictures" on the "new" one. Clicking on it I got the message, that it cannot be opened and that I have to start a newer version of iPhoto. Starting directly iPhoto 8.1.1 showed me a lot of mpg-pictures spread all over storage-media, BUT NOT the albums and pictures of the original library. The library was still untouched in the correct place.
I cannot imagine that apple has not provided a transfer-method....
BUT WHO CAN HELP ME TO FIND IT ?????

I would guess that the copy from the old machine to the new one has gone wrong.
Try doing it again and then - on the new machine - Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and point it at the copied library.
Regards
TD

Trying to transfer Itunes Library from Windows to OSX.

I'm trying to move my library from my old Windows PC to a new MacBook Air. I've seen the information on "just transfer the itunes folder" which sounds fantastic... But will that work as simply for a cross OS transfer. Especially, since the directory structures are radically different.
Any thoughts on how to make the transfer? I can always import things and hopefully save and import playlists... but that will take AGES...
Any help would be appreciated.

These pages may be of some help:
How to move an iTunes library from a PC to Mac
Networking with a Windows PC
Don't forget by the way if you have purchased any tracks from the iTunes Music Store to deauthorise your old PC if you are disposing of it so you don't use up your 5 allowances: About iTunes Music Store Authorisation and Deauthorisation

How to transfer iPhoto Library from Panther to Lion

Hello MacBook Pro Users!
I just got a new MacBook Pro, and would like to transfer my iPhoto Library from my old Mac, Panther OS, to the new Lion OS.
I have the iPhoto library copied to an external hard drive. I'm not a real pro at this, so any advice is really appreciated!
thanks.
safLINY

The iPhoto library is a database and must be treated as a single enity. Assuming you drug the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the EHD, then connect the EHD to the new computed and drag the iPhoto library to the pictures folder and launch iPhoto
LN

How do I transfer iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Air and retain the Albums?

I just transferred my iPhoto library from an old Mac to a new Air by dragging the entire Library from my Pictures folder onto an external HD and then dragging from there onto my new Air. Transfer effected fine and all images now appear in iPhoto on the new Air. One problem: the Albums that were present on the left hand toolbar in iPhoto on my old machine are no longer there, so I have 50,000 images with no organization. Events are still there organized by date so that is something, but the Albums are not there and that is what I primarily relied on. Help please??

The left hand pane is the source pane. Were both Macs running the same version of iPHoto?
Try rebuilding the library with the option to Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
OT

Permissions Error message trying to restore iPhoto Library from Time Machine

I've tried several times to restore my iPhoto library from Time Machine. After 45 min. when it's almost finished, I get an error "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access "iPhoto Library". Anyone know how to fix this?

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
Connect to the TC via Ethernet cable if at all possible.
Try repairing your backups, per #A5 in [Time Machine - Troubleshooting|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Troubleshooting.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

Trying to restore iPhoto library from TimeMachine - "not enough space" even though there is

Hi all, I'm trying to restore my iPhoto library from the timemachine backup which is roughly 200gb in size.
Timemachine is on an external hard drive, of course.
Main laptop hard drive has roughly 408gb left. Whenever I try to restore the 200gb iPhoto library backup from timemachine, it says I don't have enough disk space... I am so frustrated.. I don't want to lose all my photos from the past 5 years ..
Please help.
I am using the newest Lion, everything is updated.

moving stuff to trash doesn't remove it from a drive. It puts it in a hidden .Trash folder on that drive. you have to empty trash to reclaim space. even easier would be to reformat the drive if you have a lot of stuff to erase.

Trying to transfer iPhoto library from MacBook to iMac.

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for