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Apple Computing Products:
macOS - Notebook Hardware
Use of external HD for photos
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<blockquote data-quote="Rod" data-source="post: 1855485" data-attributes="member: 204485"><p>If you still have your Photos library on your MBA maybe you would like to just redo the process.</p><p>I see you mentioned 22,000 images at one point so no doubt you have better things to do than check all your images one by one.</p><p>The process is fairly simple but requires a bit of management.</p><p>In your Pictures Folder (side menu in a Finder window) you will see your Photos Library. It is a Data Base and contains everything you see when you open the Photos app other than the app itself.</p><p>You should drag an drop that into your external hard drive (EHD). That will copy it to the EHD and may take some time. I like to right click on both the original and the copy Get Info and compare size.</p><p>Now you need to name the copy just adding a 2 will suffice eg Photos</p><p>Library 2.</p><p>Now with your EHD still connected open the Photos app holding the Option key down. You will see a window with both libraries as options to open, you can also choose which is the default library here.</p><p>Here is where the management part comes in. If you open the Photos app without the EHD connected it will either open the original library or failing to find it, create a new library. Next time you launch Photos that will be the library it opens even if the EHD is connected. So you will always need to check by launching Photos with the Option key held down.</p><p>Assuming your copy on the EHD is complete and intact you can now delete pics from the "on board" original library or if you have a backup eg Time Machine delete the original library completely.</p><p>Obviously this works seamlessly with a desktop computer where the EHD is permanently connected but requires a bit more effort with a portable.</p><p>You will inevitably end up with pics in your on board (local) library especially if you use My Photo Stream as I do. This means you will need to move pics regularly from one library to another.</p><p>The Photos app can only open one library at a time so it's always a two step process. Eg Photos Library > Desktop > Photos Library 2 (EHD).</p><p>This works but it's tedious if you have large numbers.</p><p>Alternatively you can resort to the one app I know of that can open more than one Photos Library at a time and move content between them. It's not free or perfect but it does what Photos doesn't. It's called Power Photos from Fat Cat Software.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Sent from my iPhone using Mac-Forums</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rod, post: 1855485, member: 204485"] If you still have your Photos library on your MBA maybe you would like to just redo the process. I see you mentioned 22,000 images at one point so no doubt you have better things to do than check all your images one by one. The process is fairly simple but requires a bit of management. In your Pictures Folder (side menu in a Finder window) you will see your Photos Library. It is a Data Base and contains everything you see when you open the Photos app other than the app itself. You should drag an drop that into your external hard drive (EHD). That will copy it to the EHD and may take some time. I like to right click on both the original and the copy Get Info and compare size. Now you need to name the copy just adding a 2 will suffice eg Photos Library 2. Now with your EHD still connected open the Photos app holding the Option key down. You will see a window with both libraries as options to open, you can also choose which is the default library here. Here is where the management part comes in. If you open the Photos app without the EHD connected it will either open the original library or failing to find it, create a new library. Next time you launch Photos that will be the library it opens even if the EHD is connected. So you will always need to check by launching Photos with the Option key held down. Assuming your copy on the EHD is complete and intact you can now delete pics from the "on board" original library or if you have a backup eg Time Machine delete the original library completely. Obviously this works seamlessly with a desktop computer where the EHD is permanently connected but requires a bit more effort with a portable. You will inevitably end up with pics in your on board (local) library especially if you use My Photo Stream as I do. This means you will need to move pics regularly from one library to another. The Photos app can only open one library at a time so it's always a two step process. Eg Photos Library > Desktop > Photos Library 2 (EHD). This works but it's tedious if you have large numbers. Alternatively you can resort to the one app I know of that can open more than one Photos Library at a time and move content between them. It's not free or perfect but it does what Photos doesn't. It's called Power Photos from Fat Cat Software. Sent from my iPhone using Mac-Forums [/QUOTE]
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Apple Computing Products:
macOS - Notebook Hardware
Use of external HD for photos
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