How to move photos from one iPhoto library to another?

Moving your photos from one iPhoto library to another is a common task for Apple users. You may need to consolidate multiple libraries into one, move your library to a new computer, or simply do some spring cleaning. While it may sound daunting, moving an iPhoto library is a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through the steps to safely and successfully move your iPhoto library to a new location.

Back Up Both Libraries

Before moving any data, it's crucial to back up both your current and new iPhoto libraries. This provides a safety net in case anything goes wrong during the transfer process.

To back up your libraries:

• Connect an external hard drive with enough storage space for your libraries.
• Locate your iPhoto libraries on your computer. The default location is in your Pictures folder.
• Simply drag and drop the iPhoto Library file onto your external hard drive. This will create a complete backup that you can restore from if needed.
• Repeat the process for both your current and new library locations.

Having dependable backups ensures you can always get your photos back if there are any issues.

Consolidate Your Photos

If you have multiple iPhoto libraries you want to combine into one new location, first consolidate your photos into one library file:

• Open one of your iPhoto libraries and select all photos.
• Drag and drop the images into your other library. iPhoto will copy the original files.
• Repeat this process until all your photos are consolidated into one library.
• When finished, double check that all images were successfully copied over.

Consolidating first makes the overall transfer process simpler with just one library to move.

Transfer Using External Drive

The easiest way to transfer your iPhoto library to a new location is by using an external hard drive:

• Connect your external drive and create a new folder for your library.
• Locate your existing iPhoto library file and drag it over to your external drive folder.
• This will create a copy of your library on the external drive.
• Once copying is finished, eject the external drive safely.

This copies your entire library in one step for easy transportation.

Transfer Directly in Finder

You can also move your library without an external drive:

• Open a new Finder window and navigate to your current library.
• Drag and drop the library file to your new location on your computer.
• This will copy your library to the new destination.
• Once copying finishes, your library will now reside in the new folder.

This lets you transfer the library directly computer-to-computer.

Import Library Into iPhoto

With your library copied over to its new location, you now need to import it into iPhoto:

• Open iPhoto on your computer. Do not have any library currently open.
• Go to File > Import to Library.
• Select your copied library file from its new location.
• Click Import. iPhoto will open and load your library.

Importing adds your library into iPhoto in its new home.

Update iPhoto's Preferences

The final step is updating iPhoto's preferences to point to the new library location:

• With your newly imported library open, go to iPhoto > Preferences.
• Click General and then Change Library.
• Select your library in its new location and click Open.
• This updates the default settings so iPhoto continues to open this library.

Updating preferences prevents issues opening your library going forward.

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to ever lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. Simply  Download PicBackMan  (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If you receive an error during import, quit iPhoto, relaunch, and try importing again.

• If your library won't open, hold Option while launching iPhoto to Choose Library which will load.

• Check your backups if photos are damaged or missing after the transfer.

Take precautions and follow these steps carefully for a smooth iPhoto library transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I move only some photos to a new library?

To move just a portion of your photos into a new library:

• Create a new iPhoto library and set it as your system photo library in Preferences.
• In your original library, select the photos you want to move.
• Drag and drop the selected photos into the new library window.

This will copy just those images you selected into the new library.

Will my album organization transfer over?

Unfortunately your album structure will not carry over when moving an iPhoto library. You'll need to recreate your album organization manually after the transfer. Photos inside albums will transfer successfully.

Can I merge multiple libraries into one?

Yes, you can consolidate multiple libraries together. Open each library, select all photos, and drag and drop into a single destination library to combine everything together into one unified library.

How long will the library transfer take?

Transfer time will vary depending on library size, computer speed, and connection type. Small libraries may take minutes while larger ones can take hours. Copy your library overnight if needed.

What is the best way to backup my library?

The recommended way to backup is to copy your entire iPhoto Library file onto an external hard drive. This creates a bootable copy you can restore from if anything happens to your original library.

Does transferring the library impact my photos?

As long as you maintain backups, transferring the library will not alter or damage your original images. Follow the steps correctly to keep your photos intact.

Conclusion

Moving your iPhoto library to a new location or computer is straightforward when you follow the proper file transfer and import steps. Be sure to back up your libraries first for protection. Consolidate multiple libraries if needed. Then use either external media or direct Finder transfer to copy the files over. Import the library into iPhoto and update preferences to complete the process. Maintaining regular backups provides peace of mind if you encounter issues. With a little care, you can easily transition your iPhoto library and keep your photo collection safe.