Many of us have been snapping digital photo so long — or even scanning forcible ones — that we have the equivalent of multiple giant shoeboxes of photos . With aging computers or extraneous drives , we may be at risk of exposure of losing some older sets and desire to consolidate them for access and backup .
One Macworld reader recently had her older Mac pop off and take geezerhood of photos with it , but she fortunately had a Time Machine backup . She wants to unite those old photos with a current set that starts where the previous photos finish . The solution is tricky , and will be tricky no matter what you do .
Restore or copy your media
The first order of line : restore or copy your sure-enough metier if it ’s not on the same drive or a drive connected to the same Mac at which you need to consolidate everything .
If you ’re using Time Machine , do n’t reestablish your iPhoto Library or Photos Library to your Home directory , because this may overwrite your new effigy and depository library . rather , take after these instructions :
Launch Time Machine , which is in your Applications folder . If Time Machine appears in your menu legal profession , select its picture and flick onEnter Time Machine .
Navigate to your home plate directory ’s Pictures folder .
pilot back in sentence to the last DoS of your iPhoto Library or Photos Library that you want to regenerate from . For an older machine , it may be the very “ late ” version .
Control - click the library single file to chooseRestore “ pic Library,”and then — critically!—select a goal other than where the current iPhoto or Photos Library hold out .
ClickRestore .
Now with at least two program library , you need to figure out how to merge them .
Upgrade iPhoto Library
If one library go out back to iPhoto , you involve to start by upgrading it to Photos :
Quit Photos if it ’s running .
Launch Photos while hold down the Option tonality .
Click theOpen Otherbutton and select your iPhotos Library file .
Wait for the process to fill out .
Because pic uses a special kind of link when upgrading an iPhotos Library instead of copying the single file in the subroutine library , you do n’t ask much extra storage to complete this physical process . Only new thumbnail and other reenforcement files create by Photos consume additional space .
Merge with PowerPhotos
The easiest way to flux your old and new files and remove overlap duplicate is with third - party software program : PowerPhotos from Fat Cat Software($29.95 ) . That may be above your budget , but it ’s the best tool for working with Photos program library , and contains the merge feature film not get hold in Apple ’s app .
ChooseLibrary > Merge Libraries , take the library you want to merge , and then choose a kind of selection related to Diamond State - duplication . I extremely recommend reading the documentation .
PowerPhotos offers a merge features missing from Apple ’s Photos .
When you ’re complete , you ’ll have a individual Photos Library with all your media , and can shape whether you require to cancel or archive the libraries you no longer need .
Merge with iCloud Photos
A 2d strategy require a little more planning , but does n’t summate any cost if you ’re already using iCloud Photos to synchronize all your images . In effect , you require to swap your current main Photos program library which is synced with iCloud Photos , with your Old library . iCloud Photos will flux the two depository library by uploading your erstwhile range and download your existing ones .
In fact , Applespecifically mark that this behaviour will occurin case you do n’t want it to !
If you designate a new library as the System Photo Library and then bend on iCloud Photos , the photos and picture in the new library will merge with those already in your iCloud Photos .
Warning!As always , I pep up you to verify you have a complete musical accompaniment of all media before create changes in case something irregular bechance .
Here ’s how to proceed :
Quit Photos if operate .
Select the elder subroutine library .
InPhotos > Preferences > GeneralclickUse as System Photo Library . picture will warn you about how this will affect iCloud Photos .
In the iCloud predilection , check the iCloud Photos box . you could prefer to either use optimized or full - resolution paradigm .
Photos will now proceed to perform a two - way sync . When it ’s complete , you will have a concluded mix set in iCloud , on your other colligate gadget , and on your Mac .
The final steps involve cleaning up :
Your set out Photos library — even if an ascent from iPhotos — is now yourmainlibrary . That ’s the one you require to preserve .
you’re able to opt to archive to an international drive or fully delete your late independent subroutine library , as its message are no longer necessary .
you could delete or archive an iPhoto Library that was upgraded to utilize in Photos without worrying about whether any file cabinet will be deleted that are take for picture — any Indian file references in both blank space are retained within the Photos Library when you delete the iPhoto Library .
This Mac 911 clause is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Eliza .
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