Can I back up multiple drives ?

[hempomatic]

Try this. Next time it won't eject, use CMD-Tab to see what apps are running. Quit them all (but Finder, that one won't quit and will immediately restart). Then see if you can unmount the drive.

It also might be Spotlight indexing the drive that has it open.

As for the fingers-crossed situation, I would suggest that if these images are important to you (I know they are) I would have a duplicate of the library on a different drive and use something like Carbon Copy Cloner or ChronoSync to keep them in sync. I lost several thousand images when my hard drive died AND my backup drive died the same day, so now I have 4 copies, all on different drives (one is a RAID array) connected different ways (USB, Network, Internal) because I'm paranoid about it.

For once I'm ahead of you Jake . I closed every program except Finder. I also changed the smaller library and made it the "system photo library" based on the following. The remote drive library is definitely NOT the system library.

From the Apple Support Community:
The system Photos Library is always in use as long as you are signed into your user account. The background processes started by Photos are always expecting the system photos library to be available.

In addition, they are suggesting leaving it plugged in all the time. WHAT?

If possible, keep the volume connected cited at all times (this is highly inconvenient when using a MacBook Air and not a Desktop computer.

I guess that leaves Spotlight as the culprit? Can Spotlight be turned off to prove theory?

 

[MacInWin]

No, Spotlight cannot be turned off, but I don't think it is the culprit. If there are background processes that Photos starts that expects the library to be available, those process are the ones holding up the eject process. I suspect that one of them is the function that identifies people and things in your image set so that you can search for them in Photos.

I just looked at my own system and I see two processes that I suspect are associated with Photos--photoanalysisd and photolibraryd. Those are probably not the only ones, either, but those two are very likely to be holding up the drive, if I wanted to eject it.

I don't know what to suggest for you, other than the advice you alread found, which is to keep the drive with the library attached. Another is to try shutting down the Mac, which closes all processes, detach the drive, and reboot. The shutdown, if it succeeds, protects your data better than a force quit.

 

[hempomatic]

No, Spotlight cannot be turned off, but I don't think it is the culprit.

I just looked at my own system and I see two processes that I suspect are associated with Photos--photoanalysisd and photolibraryd. Those are probably not the only ones, either, but those two are very likely to be holding up the drive, if I wanted to eject it.

I don't know what to suggest for you, other than the advice you alread found, which is to keep the drive with the library attached. Another is to try shutting down the Mac, which closes all processes, detach the drive, and reboot. The shutdown, if it succeeds, protects your data better than a force quit.

No, Spotlight cannot be turned off, but I don't think it is the culprit.

I didn't think it could, but my fingers were crossed.

I just looked at my own system and I see two processes that I suspect are associated with Photos--photoanalysisd and photolibraryd. Those are probably not the only ones, either, but those two are very likely to be holding up the drive, if I wanted to eject it.

LOL, of course. Something I have no want or need for putting the kibosh on the simplest of tasks. sigh

I don't know what to suggest for you, other than the advice you alread found, which is to keep the drive with the library attached.

Well ......that won't work for obvious reasons. A drive flopping in the breeze putting constant pressure on the USB port doesn't seem like the best idea for the drive port, drive or cable.

I guess that limiting the use of the drive and shutting down the computer after quitting Photos on the remote drive is the best route, assuming of course that doesn't interfere with the integrity of the files. I should probably turn the computer off more frequently than I do anyway. I'm not going to question the logic of that set-up, after all, Apple is better at building and designing computers than I am at trying to figure them out. Sometimes though, I just wish there was a simple no frills computer with a limited number of applications that troglodytes like myself could figure out.

Thanks again Jake.

 

[MacInWin]

Well ......that won't work for obvious reasons. A drive flopping in the breeze putting constant pressure on the USB port doesn't seem like the best idea for the drive port, drive or cable.

Is that your use case? I mean, when I am doing things in Photos, I am seated at a desk or table, with lots of surface area so I can take notes of what I am planning to do and to check them off as I do them. Even when I travel, taking a couple of small external drives with me is fairly easy. I have two Samsung SSDs that are each smaller than a pack of cards, for example. One is even "ruggedized." But when I use Photos, I still find a sturdy surface to work on.

But if you are using Photos while riding on your motorcycle...

I guess that limiting the use of the drive and shutting down the computer after quitting Photos on the remote drive is the best route, assuming of course that doesn't interfere with the integrity of the files.

Shutting down puts some additional "authority" behind the eject drive function. Shutting down will, for example, kill both of those daemon processes I listed, plus any other background activities that might hold up your effort to eject it. In that shutdown, the file integrity is protected pretty well, so I think that is a very small risk. And you DO make backups, right?

 

[ferrarr]

You may be able to log out of your user account, then disconnect the drive and log back in after. But that's a lot more effort.

I believe if you don't want the external drive indexed for Spotlight, you can remove the drive from the process. In System Settings go to Siri & Spotlight. At the bottom click on the Spotlight Privacy button. Click the add button (+) and select your drive you are using for your Photos library. I don't know if this will help with the Force Eject issue you have been experiencing, but it will definitely stop the indexing of your photo database.

 

[hempomatic]

Is that your use case? I mean, when I am doing things in Photos, I am seated at a desk or table, with lots of surface area so I can take notes of what I am planning to do and to check them off as I do them.

But if you are using Photos while riding on your motorcycle...


Shutting down puts some additional "authority" behind the eject drive function. Shutting down will, for example, kill both of those daemon processes I listed, plus any other background activities that might hold up your effort to eject it. In that shutdown, the file integrity is protected pretty well, so I think that is a very small risk. And you DO make backups, right?

Is that your use case? I mean, when I am doing things in Photos, I am seated at a desk or table, with lots of surface area so I can take notes of what I am planning to do and to check them off as I do them.

A DESK? LOL, nope, no desk. The LAPTOP is next to my recliner on a little end table. I reach over, put the laptop on my lap, where as its name implies, it resides during use. I grab the camera, plug it in, download, disconnect, and do my thing, comfortable with my feet propped up as god intended, eject the camera and place it on the end table. However, at this particular moment, I'm sitting on my patio on a most spectacular spring morning with .... you guessed it, the laptop on my lap. If the remote drive was attached, it would in fact be flapping in the breeze. On my recliner, it sits comfortably on the well padded arm. Not all of us have one of them fancy pants desks.

 

[hempomatic]

You may be able to log out of your user account, then disconnect the drive and log back in after. But that's a lot more effort.

I believe if you don't want the external drive indexed for Spotlight, you can remove the drive from the process. In System Settings go to Siri & Spotlight. At the bottom click on the Spotlight Privacy button. Click the add button (+) and select your drive you are using for your Photos library. I don't know if this will help with the Force Eject issue you have been experiencing, but it will definitely stop the indexing of your photo database.

The logging out and in again works, an extra step or two, but I can live with that as long as that doesn't corrupt the files.

I tried the indexing from Spotlight as you suggested, but that didn't seem to work. I didn't know however I could limit the use of ANY feature I don't want, need, or use, so that's always helpful.

Thanks Bob.

 

[pm-r]

No, Spotlight cannot be turned off, but I don't think it is the culprit.

Did Apple remove that function or option in later macOS versions, as previously one had the option to stop searching various volumes using the Spotlight Preference Pane > Privacy tab???



- Patrick
=======

 

[ferrarr]

Did Apple remove that function or option in later macOS versions, as previously one had the option to stop searching various volumes using the Spotlight Preference Pane > Privacy tab???



- Patrick
=======

No it has been in every version of Mac OS X/OS X/macOS.

 

[pm-r]

No it has been in every version of Mac OS X/OS X/macOS.

Thanks Bob.

I guess Spotlight cannot actually be turned Off per se, but it can be prevented from doing its thing on certain volumes which should amount to about the same thing as turning it off I would think.




- Patrick
=======

 

[hempomatic]

OK, I HAVE a solution of sorts. Somewhat inelegant, but functional. Velcro. It's a short 8" cable, so I just velcroed (verb?) the drive which is only about 2"square and 1/4" deep to the top of the computer. Remember, I'm a mechanic, NOT a programmer.

I can now leave it plugged in, and nothing is flapping in the breeze.

It may not seem it from some of my questions, but I do actually learn a lot every time I have one of these issues. Who knows, maybe someday I'LL be able to help someone here.

Thanks guys.

 

[pm-r]

Somewhat inelegant, but functional. Velcro. It's a short 8" cable, so I just velcroed (verb?) the drive which is only about 2"square and 1/4" deep to the top of the computer.

A neighbour did a similar thing with her MacBook Pro that I suggested to her several years ago, she got two SSDs that came with very short USB leads and use some velcro strips on the bottom top corners of her MacBook. Doing so provided her with the extra storage space he needed, and also props the MacBook up to use at a proper angle. Works very well for her.

Also basically a mechanically minded fix-it guy here.

PS: the short USB leads also use right-angle connectors at the end so the cables are very snug to the case. I think they might have come from OWC maxsales.com.





- Patrick
=======

 

[IWT]

maybe someday I'LL be able to help someone here.

I reckon you already have; but I'm certain your experience, despite your modesty, will help others.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

One last thought on the problem with ejecting the drive: I just read on another site that sometimes Finder can block the unmounting process if it has a window open to the drive. So, next time it happens, make sure that Finder isn't showing the drive at all, anywhere. It's a long shot, but...

 

[hempomatic]

Thanks Jake, I'll look into that.

 

[robertgarven]

I'm like the poster above I have several copies of my hard drive I think the real issue here is files are getting bigger and let's face it Apple hasn't been very accommodating when it comes to hard drive file size even though the technology is there to make them larger and cheaper. I think they wanna push everything to the cloud so they can have control of everyone's information. I don't have any cloud storage except for find my phone and I make duplicate copies and keep them a different locations. I think it's obvious to all of us but I have a thumb drive here in my hand that is 5K from long ago and I remember when I bought it this is insanely big now on my other hand I have one that is 85GB....

For years I had a super Duper backup and one of my iMac failed years ago and my Super Duper would not back up to my new iMac I bought. I don't know why that is but I followed all the directions and I backed it up weekly. Was very lucky that my Mac that failed was because of a graphics card, and somehow I connected the two together and they communicated and I saved all my information, that's when I started having at least three backup drives!!

 

[robertgarven]

I somehow created a double post is there anyway to delete a post?

Haa I'm even duplicating my post!!! haaa

 

[hempomatic]

Hey Rob, yeah, I'm not on iCloud either. I've had failures that took weeks or months to rectify, so these days, I back up my computer on Super Duper AND Time Machine on two dedicated drives. My Photos library is backed up separately. Regardless of Apple's motivation with iCloud, it's a 600 GB library and in addition to having what is basically DSL speed here in the mountains of western NC, the monthly cost is 10$ a month for 2 TB, peanuts for some I suppose but I need to watch my nickels and dimes. My initial question was based on having almost 4 terabytes of space available on each of the dedicated back-up drives. I've learned the hard way to ask here first before I screw something up.