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User profile for user: rnvrnv
rnvrnv Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Mac Photos: Library for iCloud and external drive

Hi all,

I am new to Mac in general and hoping someone can help with me.


I have photos from iPhone in Apple Photos app that I sync with iCloud between my Mac & iPhone. I also have lots of older photos in my external drive. What I would like to do is to include these images in the same photo library but without downloading the pictures in my Mac. images in my external drive is simply too many to have it in my iPhone and sync.


Could be I need to create a separate photo library for this. In such case how do I create a new photo library but keep the photos in the same location (in external drive)?


appreciate your help,

rev

MacBook

Posted on Jul 1, 2020 11:59 PM

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User profile for user: Yer_Man
Yer_Man
User level: Level 10
163,602 points

Posted on Jul 2, 2020 11:05 AM

I would like to have location of the pictures untouched or made copy of it.

You can do this, easily. It's called having a Referenced Library. Photos Menu -> Preferences -> General. (Uncheck the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.


So far, so easy. One tip:


Don't do it. You're just opening up a world of pain for yourself. Photos does not have the tools run in this mode. Here are some of the gotchas


https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250002591


Bluntly, if you want to run in this mode my best suggestion is to use another, more powerful, application.







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User profile for user: Yer_Man
Yer_Man
User level: Level 10
163,602 points

Jul 2, 2020 11:05 AM in response to rnvrnv

I would like to have location of the pictures untouched or made copy of it.

You can do this, easily. It's called having a Referenced Library. Photos Menu -> Preferences -> General. (Uncheck the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.


So far, so easy. One tip:


Don't do it. You're just opening up a world of pain for yourself. Photos does not have the tools run in this mode. Here are some of the gotchas


https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250002591


Bluntly, if you want to run in this mode my best suggestion is to use another, more powerful, application.







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User profile for user: rnvrnv
rnvrnv Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Jul 2, 2020 2:32 AM in response to Yer_Man

thank you Terence,


the disk is not formatted to Mac OS. what I would like is to have the pictures location as it is. I do not know exactly how apple photos work. what will the photo library contain. also pictures?


I would like to have location of the pictures untouched or made copy of it.


regards,

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Mac Photos: Library for iCloud and external drive

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