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User profile for user: misaru
misaru Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

How to transfer photos from Time Machine backup on external HDD to new Mac

I got a new MBP and when I was transferring Time Machine backup from external HDD while setting up, it froze and I ended up going to Genius Bar and having reinstalled OS. After the OS was reinstalled, I was told by Apple associate, something on my saved data on external HDD is corrupted and I have to manually copy what I want on my new machine.


Now I want to transfer all photos to new machine. I don't even know what and where to I have to transfer. Do I have to transfer whole Photo Library (that icon)? I tried to open old Photo Library without transferring and the message says:


Repair Library Permissions

This photo library is locked or you do not have permissions to make changes to it. Photos can try to repair the permissions.


I have no idea what to do. If someone can give me an advice, I'd appreciate it.


Thanks.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Aug 24, 2020 11:34 AM

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User profile for user: PhillipU
PhillipU
User level: Level 2
470 points

Posted on Sep 3, 2020 12:11 PM

You shouldn't try opening anything directly from a Time Machine backup. So it's expected that it didn't work for you.


A Photo Library is a single file (technically it's something special called a package) and you should treat it as such and only ever copy it in its entirety.


Generally, if you're trying to get a photo library from a Time Machine backup made on a different machine and you're not restoring a machine in it's entirety using the Migration Assistant, you're going to follow these steps:


  1. Plug in the Time Machine drive
  2. Open the backups.backupdb folder
  3. Open the folder for that other machine
  4. Open the "latest" shortcut folder
  5. This will let you browse the backed up volumes (drives) as one might expect
  6. Locate your photo library
  7. Copy it to your new Mac
  8. Try to open the copy from your Mac


If you use iCloud Photos, you're then going to need to set this library that you just copied over as your system photo library in Photos > Preferences > General and verify that iCloud Photos is enabled on the iCloud tab of the same Preferences dialog.

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User profile for user: PhillipU
PhillipU
User level: Level 2
470 points

Sep 3, 2020 12:11 PM in response to misaru

You shouldn't try opening anything directly from a Time Machine backup. So it's expected that it didn't work for you.


A Photo Library is a single file (technically it's something special called a package) and you should treat it as such and only ever copy it in its entirety.


Generally, if you're trying to get a photo library from a Time Machine backup made on a different machine and you're not restoring a machine in it's entirety using the Migration Assistant, you're going to follow these steps:


  1. Plug in the Time Machine drive
  2. Open the backups.backupdb folder
  3. Open the folder for that other machine
  4. Open the "latest" shortcut folder
  5. This will let you browse the backed up volumes (drives) as one might expect
  6. Locate your photo library
  7. Copy it to your new Mac
  8. Try to open the copy from your Mac


If you use iCloud Photos, you're then going to need to set this library that you just copied over as your system photo library in Photos > Preferences > General and verify that iCloud Photos is enabled on the iCloud tab of the same Preferences dialog.

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How to transfer photos from Time Machine backup on external HDD to new Mac

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