Best Option Long Term Photo Storage

[MacInWin]

One last question on this subject. Why can't I just use the SSD the way it is without formatting it? I just tried it and pictures download to it and I can move them around without any apparent problems.

Most of the time drives come formatted for Windows, usually in NTFS format. macOS cannot write to NTFS natively, it takes third party software. So, most of the time we need to format the drive to something macOS can read and write. If you don't need to share with Windows, that is APFS, the macOS preferred format. If you need to share the drive with a Windows PC, exFAT is usually the best pick. Both can read and write to that.

Secondly, if the software you installed did what @chscag suggested, encrypted it, then the drive can only be read by ONE Mac, yours. If you ever want to share it with another machine, you would need it un-encrypted.

So, for both reasons, we suggested reformatting.

But, you can just use it as it is as long as you are happy with the restrictions. Your call.

 

[IWT]

One last question on this subject. Why can't I just use the SSD the way it is without formatting it? I just tried it and pictures download to it and I can move them around without any apparent problems.

Of course, it's your choice.

By re-formatting the whole drive, you get rid of the software which comes with that disc including what they like to call security; which can mean access denied.

Any multipurpose Disk/Drive needs re-formatting before use.

No one would deny that the decision is yours, but you asked for a reason

Ian

Apologies, I missed Jake's reply. He said the same thing.

 

[chscag]

One last question on this subject. Why can't I just use the SSD the way it is without formatting it? I just tried it and pictures download to it and I can move them around without any apparent problems.

You can do that if you wish. As long as you do not invoke the encryption software, you should be okay. Most of us would remove the software if it's not going to be used. Removing the software will also free up more space on the SSD.

Be sure to read reviews about that drive before you decide to use it for long term storage.

 

[timkins]

When I looked at U tube to format the SSD I got totally confused with the manner to format. Go to disk utility then high lite this and then high lite that and then do something else completely and on and on for 38 minutes. I am 79 years young but get completely lost in the translation to format the disc.

 

[IWT]

@timkins

Open Disk Utility (found in Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility)


Once open, click on View > Show all devices



Click on the top part of the SSD (not any of the indents).



Click on Erase.



You can leave it untitled. Choose APFS and Guid Partition

Then Click on Erase. Job done

This is from one oldie to another

Ian

 

[timkins]

OK, I followed the instructions for the erase that IWT sent. Went well. Now when I hi light the original photos in my albums and then drag them to the SSD the photos show up. The originals in my computer show a small snapshot of the photo but when they are on the SSD they show up as an ICON. How do I get them to show up as a small snapshot on the SSD?

 

[MacInWin]

In Finder, on the top bar is this:



If I understand properly, you want the icon view, which is the four squares. So, navigate to the SSD in Finder, then click on the four squares and the images should show as a preview icon.

 

[timkins]

In Finder, on the top bar is this:

View attachment 35613

If I understand properly, you want the icon view, which is the four squares. So, navigate to the SSD in Finder, then click on the four squares and the images should show as a preview icon.

Did not work. All it gives me is; img_number.jpg When I double click on it the photo appears but when I close it goes back to the name.

 

[MacInWin]

Did not work. All it gives me is; img_number.jpg When I double click on it the photo appears but when I close it goes back to the name.

What is above the image name when you click on the four squares? It should be a miniature of the file contents for images. What are you seeing there? Here is what I mean:

 

[timkins]

I am trying to figure out how to take a screen shot to show you what is going on.

 

[MacInWin]

An app called "Screenshot" is in the Utilities folder in Applications. Here is how it works: Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac

 

[timkins]

I got the 2 screen shots. The one with the small photos is in my hard drive on the computer. The one without the small photos is on my SSD.

 

[MacInWin]

The picture with the images looks like it was taken from Photos, the app, where the bottom picture looks like it was in Finder. Two different things entirely.

 

[timkins]

The picture with the images looks like it was taken from Photos, the app, where the bottom picture looks like it was in Finder. Two different things entirely.

That is correct. The picture with the images was directly from my Computers hard drive. I opened the SSD and dragged and dropped them from my computer into the SSD. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[MacInWin]

Not wrong, but you are comparing apples and oranges. Photos, the app, is designed to manage, edit and store your image files, so it is designed to show you the image content all the time. There are two ways to import to Photos, one is to actually copy the Image file into the database library of Photos, the other is to just point to the folder with the file and store just the edits to that file in the Photos library. You set which is being used in Photos preferences. It is an option on the general settings in Photos:

It's entirely up to you which option to choose. I choose to have that checked because then my images are stored in the app database and I don't have to worry about moving them about on the drive and losing the link. If you UN-check that box, then you have to leave the images at the same place they were when you imported, or Photos loses track of them. In either case, Photos is designed to show the thumbnail of the file for you, as it is photo application.

Finder, on the other hand, is just a tool to manipulate files, nothing more. So when it sees a file, it just shows the filename and puts up a default icon for that file type. In this case, the icon is the standard one for jpg files. What you can try to see if you can get thumbnails is to right click (or CTRL-click) on one of the files with the default icon, then click on Get Info and look for a section labeled "Open with:" At the bottom of the window is a lock icon, click on it, enter an admin password and then in the "Open with:" box make sure it says "Preview." Right below that should be a small Preview window where the image thumbnail may appear. If it works, then you can click on the "Change all..." button and let the system make the same change to every jpg file. That MAY get the icon in Finder to shift to the preview. If that works, you can repeat with any other image format you may have (png, tiff, etc) so that ALL images now show thumbnails.

Hope that works for you.

 

[timkins]

Thanks for all the replies but I am stepping away from this thing until I can better understand what I am doing. I am sure the rest of this forum is getting tired of my asking stupid questions. I am going to rebox the SSD and try this again at a later date. Again Thank You.

 

[MacInWin]

It is no trouble to try to help, so if you want to keep going, we are here to help. Ask questions, that's how we've all learned, by asking others. If you want to take a break, that is ok, too, but don't stop for us, we are here to help.

I will add that I discovered yesterday that on one of my drives my image files were showing the same icons as yours, the generic ones. But, as I moved my mouse pointer over them, they took on the thumbnail images of what was inside. So maybe you can try that on the files on the SSD to see if that brings up the thumbnails for you.

 

[timkins]

I am back. After watching some U Tube information I am getting the hang of things now. I opened my Photos App and went to the album I wanted to download to the SSD and then went to File in the upper left corner and hit export and then hi lited the SSD and hit enter and the photos transferred to the SSD as thumbnails. They transferred as single thumbnails NOT as an album. Which then requires me to make an album on the SSD and move each photo into the album. I am sure there is an easier way and I am working to discover what it is.

 

[MacInWin]

What is the end goal of this exercise? Exporting does just that, export the particular file(s) chosen. No organization, no albums, no folders, nothing. Just export. So, as you found out, you have to organize the files. Note that I am using the term "files" rather than "pictures" or "images" because that is what you export, a file that contains the images. So, what is it you want to accomplish? There may be a better, or worse, way to do things, once we know what it is you are seeking.

 

[timkins]

What is the end goal of this exercise? Exporting does just that, export the particular file(s) chosen. No organization, no albums, no folders, nothing. Just export. So, as you found out, you have to organize the files. Note that I am using the term "files" rather than "pictures" or "images" because that is what you export, a file that contains the images. So, what is it you want to accomplish? There may be a better, or worse, way to do things, once we know what it is you are seeking.

I currently have 198 "files" with close to 14000 photos in them. My ultimate goal is to export these files to an external SSD for safe keeping other than stored on my computer and the cloud. I have progressed from not being able to drag and drop the photos to the SSD to now exporting the photos to the SSD but the computer exports the thumbnails only NOT the album and that is ultimately what I want. The album with the thumb nails in it to the SSD.