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Move iMovie files to external hard drive

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Slydude

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My niece became a Mac user about a year ago. She needed a computer for junior high and also wanted to experiment with iMovie a bit. She is now running out of space on the smallish flash drive and is down to less than 2 GB of free space. She hasn't experienced significant slowdowns yet but I taught her well and she knows this situation cannot continue.

I had her run Grand Perspective last night and it looks like the two largest space hogs at the moment are iMovie's library and the iPhoto/Photos library. She has an external drive drive (1 TB) so what I'd like to do is move this files to the external drive. Can folks who use these two programs more than I do suggest a best practice method of moving these files and causing as little disruption/confusion when further editing is done. Keep in mind the following:

1. Don't have the exact machine/OS specs since I forgot to confirm that last night. Don't think it is El Capitan.
2. iMovie is the most recent version I think.

She has a Time machine backup.
 
MightyGem

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For iPhoto and Photos drag and drop the Library files onto the external drive. Open iPhoto/Photo while holding down the Alt/Option key. A window will pop up with options to Choose or Create a Library. Just navigate to the Libraries on the external drive and select. In the future, the applications should go straight to the external Libraries. When she's happy that the external Libraries are working correctly, she can the delete the ones on the Mac.

If she bought her Mac new a year ago, then she'll have the latest iMovie. As above, drag the iMovie Library file to the external. To avoid confusion later, rename that file External iMovie Library(or similar).

Open iMovie. Go File Menu>Open Library>External iMovie Library. If she then selects the original iMovie Library in iMovie's Sidebar(hence the rename), she can then go File Menu>Close Menu, she can the close the Library on her Mac. Once again, when she's happy that the Library on the external drive is working fine, she can delete the original on the Mac.
 
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Thanks for the info. Most of what I was finding in searches was for iMovie '11 and older. I know her version is newer. You may have helped me retain my status as family computer genius.
 
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MightyGem said:
For iPhoto and Photos drag and drop the Library files onto the external drive. Open iPhoto/Photo while holding down the Alt/Option key. A window will pop up with options to Choose or Create a Library. Just navigate to the Libraries on the external drive and select. In the future, the applications should go straight to the external Libraries. When she's happy that the external Libraries are working correctly, she can the delete the ones on the Mac.

If she bought her Mac new a year ago, then she'll have the latest iMovie. As above, drag the iMovie Library file to the external. To avoid confusion later, rename that file External iMovie Library(or similar).

Open iMovie. Go File Menu>Open Library>External iMovie Library. If she then selects the original iMovie Library in iMovie's Sidebar(hence the rename), she can then go File Menu>Close Menu, she can the close the Library on her Mac. Once again, when she's happy that the Library on the external drive is working fine, she can delete the original on the Mac.
Click to expand...

I'm new to most of this...but what had me confused for awhile is that when you have an external drive engaged that has copies of iMovie files on it, when you go into the libraries it shows BOTH the libraries that are on the external drive and on the computer. That really had me going for awhile until I realized one was on the external and the other on the computer. Even viewing the libraries using the computer's iMovie app also showed both libraries. I didn't expect that. Once I disconnected the external, then of course only one library appeared. For awhile I was determined to try and merge the two until I realized they were in separate locations....Like I said...I'm pretty new at this yet.
 
MightyGem

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when you go into the libraries it shows BOTH the libraries that are on the external drive and on the computer. That really had me going for awhile until I realized one was on the external and the other on the computer.
Click to expand...
Hence the reason for renaming the Library on the external drive.
 
IWT

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You may have helped me retain my status as family computer genius.
Click to expand...

Sly, I'm sure that will never be in doubt:D

As you are, like most of us, an ambassador for proper backups, you might remind your niece that once she has moved her iPhoto/Photos and iMovie library to an EHD and deleted the originals to free up space, she no longer has any BU. So she will have to clone or otherwise BU her EHD.

But you knew that already, Boss;D

Ian
 
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Good thought. I think she is keeping good backups but I will ask just to be sure.

She hit me with a different iMovie question a few days ago. I'll probably be posting something about that later. Google has no been too forthcoming.

Edit: I remember her saying she has a Time Machine backup (see post 1). I might look into whether her computer is one of the ones that now has replacement drives available. She really needs a larger drive.
 

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