How to Move a Mac Photo Library to External Storage

by Joey Williams Consultant

In case the Photo library is becoming hard to manage in the Mac USB hard drive, then move the Photo library into the external hard drive. This procedure will help you to manage your photos and empty the storage on the Mac. Here are the steps listed below to know how to move a Mac Photo Library to external storage.

Steps to Copy Your Photo Library

Here are the steps given below that will help you copy the Photo Library to an External hard drive in the Mac. You need to follow the instructions listed below:

• Pair the external hard drive to the Mac through Universal Serial Bus, Universal Serial Bus Type-C, or Thunderbolt.

• Go to the “Finder” option.

• Go to the “external hard drive” located in the “Finder” option.

• Make Sure that you should not shut down the preceding window because you will need that window later.

• Press the “Go” option.

• Move to the file which is named as “Home.”

• Choose the “Pictures” file.

• Choose the previous library.

• Place that previous library into the external hard drive located in the “Finder” option.

Steps to Disable the iCloud Sync on the Old Library

The users need to separate the “Photo Library” on their Mac by going to the iCloud before they start opening the “Photo Library” on the “external hard drive” window. Follow the steps given below to disable the iCloud sync on the old library. Here’s how:

• Go to the “Photos” option located on the Mac.

• Open the “Photos” window

• Choose the “Preferences” option.

• Press on the “iCloud” option.

• Go through the “iCloud Photo Library.”

• Tap “Remove from Mac” option for deleting pending items which had not been downloaded by going to the iCloud library.

• Click on the “Quit” picture button.

Steps to Create Your iCloud default Library

The users need to create the new “Photo Library” as their default Mac library. Just follow the steps mentioned below to create your iCloud default library:

• Go to the “Photos” option which is located in the Mac.

• Open the “Photos” window.

• Choose the “Preferences” option.

• Press “Use as System Photo Library” option.

Steps to Pair the New Library to iCloud

After making the external hard drive library as the Mac default library, but it is now paired with the iCloud yet. In case you want to know the steps to pair the new library to iCloud, then just follow the instructions given below:

• Go to the “Photos” given in the Mac.

• Open the “Photos” window.

• Choose the “Preferences” option.

• Tap on the “iCloud” option.

• Go through the “iCloud Photo Library.”

• Tap the “Download Originals to this Mac” button.

• Let the Mac start downloading the pictures from the iCloud.

Steps to Getting Rid of the Old Library

Ensure that the “Photo Library” should be already copied and working on the “external hard drive” before following the instructions mentioned below. Here are the steps to get rid of the old library:

• Go to the “Finder” option.

• Press the “Go” pull-down menu.

• Move to the “Home” file.

• Choose the “Pictures” file.

• Choose the previous library.

• Place the previous library into the “Trash” folder for deleting that library.

• You need to remove all the items from the “Trash” folder.

• Go to the “Finder” option.

• Ensure that you do not shut down the window because this window will help you later.

• Choose the “external hard drive” option.

• You have to right-click on the “Photos Library” which you had copied earlier on the “external hard drive.”

• Choose the Make Alias” option.

• Pull the “Make Alias” option into the file which is named as “Pictures.”

• Give the title to the “Make Alias” for deleting the “alias” title from the name.

Joey Williams is a Microsoft Office expert and has been working in the technical industry since 2002. As a technical expert, Robert has written technical blogs, manuals, white papers, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup.

Source : Mac