how to export photos from mac to external hard drive

#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive how to#
#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive for mac#
#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive full#
#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive portable#

Step 3: Make your new library your system default

Press Remove from Mac to remove any undownloaded low-resolution items from this library.

(If you don't use iCloud Photo Library, you can skip these steps.) Step 2 (if you use iCloud): Turn off iCloud sync on your old libraryīefore you open your copied Photos library on the external drive, you have to disassociate the library on your Mac from iCloud. Don't unplug your drive or turn off your computer during this process. Depending on the size of your library and speed of your drive, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, so be patient. Your library will begin to copy over to your external drive.

Click the Go menu and navigate to your Home folder.ĭrag it to your external drive in the other Finder window.

Don't close your previous window (open to your external drive), as you'll need it shortly.

Open your external drive in that window.

Connect an external drive to your Mac via USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt.

#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive how to#

How to move your current Photos library to an external drive and use it as your primary libraryĪs with creating a new library, moving your library to your external drive is a multi-step process.

#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive for mac#

Best Shock-Resistant Hard Drives for Mac.Want some recommendations for specific external hard drives? We've got those, too. Hard drive speeds are important, too: The faster a drive's write speed, the quicker your images will copy the faster a drive's read speed, the easier it will be for you to view images or video and edit them, too.

#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive portable#

If you're buying a portable hard drive, consider SSD: It's very pricey in comparison to a disc-based drive, but if you know you'll be frequently moving around - especially if you plan to move around with the drive connected - you want a drive that can take a little rumble and tumble without skipping or failing.If you're buying a stationary hard drive, buying a disc-based hard drive is great, but buy good brands - don't try and save $50 on an off-brand hard drive.With the iPhone able to save 4K video, our space needs aren't shrinking anytime soon: The bigger hard drive you can afford, the better. Get a drive that's at least 1-2TB in space, preferably 4TB.But if you're considering getting a new drive for this endeavor, here's what I suggest: What next? If you already have an external drive, you can always use it for storing your Photos library (and save on cash). Okay, so you've decided to move your Photos library over to an external drive. If you use an automated backup service for your computer, you'll have to set up a second set of rules for backing up your hard drive.You don't want to spend the money on an external drive.Unless you purchase a speedy drive, working externally is almost always slower than working on your default hard drive.You don't want to accidentally create duplicate libraries that can't be connected to iCloud Photo Library (because your offsite library is connected).You use a laptop frequently and can't afford an SSD, and you don't want to risk breaking your disc-based hard drive by constantly moving it.You don't want to have to worry about always having your external drive connected to view and edit your images.You don't have a big enough library to warrant moving it off your Mac.Here are some reasons you might not want to use an external drive: That said, there are some downsides, too.

#How to export photos from mac to external hard drive full#

If you're working with space constraints on your primary computer, it's one of the easiest ways to back up your full iCloud Photo Library.

You share a computer with other users and you have limited drive space.

Your library isn't huge, but you'd prefer to save space on your Mac for other files.

You frequently swap computers and want to work on your images from any Mac.

You have a giant Photos library (and, if you use iCloud Photo Library, you want to ensure you have a secondary backup of everything in that library).

There are a number of reasons why an external drive might make sense when you're working with Photos for Mac: Why you should (and shouldn't) use an external drive with Photos for Mac

How to create a new Photos library on your external drive.

How to move your current Photos library to an external drive.

Best external drives for storing photos.

Why you should (and shouldn't) use an external drive with Photos for Mac.

Here's how to do it, and some reasons why you should - and shouldn't! - consider it for your needs.

There is an alternative: Moving your Photos library to an external drive (or creating an entirely separate library and syncing it with iCloud).