Peter writes:
How do I backup the Photos Library so the folders remain organized in the external hard drive just like I have it in the Mac?
What is the easiest way to export whole iphoto library or set of iphoto albums? I use my mac as primary hub for pictures editing, cataloging etc., but then I would like to export them for use with PC. I found 'export files' option but that requires me to export album one by one and also I need to create album directories. The real answer is that you can get to your photos easily on a Windows computer and copy them easily to any folder (directory) you want. People who say you cannot do it are wrong. On a Windows computer the iPhoto library will appear in Windows Explorer as a Folder with the same name as the iPhoto library. When you open that Folder you will find.
- Step 1: Open your iPhoto library and select the photos or photo albums you need to export. A yellow border will appear on the files you’ve selected. Step 2: once selected, move to the top-left corner of the screen and click on “file”, then click “export” in the scroll-down list.
- Part 2: 4 Method Help to Transfer Photos from iCloud to PC Easily 1. Transfer Photos from iCloud Photo Library to PC via Windows File Explorer. Actually, any new photos and videos you add to the iCloud Photo Library will be automatically downloaded to your PC, no matter it is Windows 10, 8, or 7.
- Kindly follow the steps below to share photos using Photo app. Open Windows Photo App. Move the mouse pointer on the picture and click the checkbox on the upper-right corner of the picture. Select the pictures you want to share by checking the box on the pictures. Click on the Share icon (next to Cancel) and select from the share.
I read this question and almost replied, “That’s easy!” But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it’s an intricate question, because of how Apple has its own organizational structure that’s invisible in the Photos Library, independent of how you sort images in the Photos app. And because there are several possible answers to the same question.
The first question is, really, what is your ideal outcome for this copy on the external drive?
- An exact duplicate of the library. Quit Photos, if it’s active, find the Photos Library, and copy it. The Library includes 100 percent of everything that Photos needs. Done. But that’s probably not what Peter was asking.
- Copy the file structure of the folder in the Photos Library. You can Control-click the Photos Library and select Package Contents, and then access all the folders that form the library. However, Photos organizes images and video into chronological folders— nested by year, month, and day—inside Masters (originals) and Previews (modified versions). This is probably not what Peter wants, either.
- Copy Moments, Albums, Smart Albums, and other organizational structures in the Photos app. Unfortunately, while Apple lets you select multiple images to export at once (via File > Export), you can’t export these album and other structures as folders. You could open albums one at a time, select all the photos inside, and then export them to a folder you create with the same name, but that’s manual and tedious, and doesn’t automatically update.
I’ve recommended PowerPhotos ($30) before, a utility by Fat Cat Software that can merge, de-duplicate, and selectively copy Photos libraries, along with other tasks.
But it can’t (yet?) provide that sort of clean export operation Peter wants.
Ask Mac 911
We’re always looking for problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com including screen captures as appropriate. Mac 911 cannot reply to email with troubleshooting advice nor can we publish answers to every question.
Peter writes:
How do I backup the Photos Library so the folders remain organized in the external hard drive just like I have it in the Mac?
I read this question and almost replied, “That’s easy!” But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it’s an intricate question, because of how Apple has its own organizational structure that’s invisible in the Photos Library, independent of how you sort images in the Photos app. And because there are several possible answers to the same question.
Export Photos From Photo Library To Computer
The first question is, really, what is your ideal outcome for this copy on the external drive?
Export Photos Library From Mac
- An exact duplicate of the library. Quit Photos, if it’s active, find the Photos Library, and copy it. The Library includes 100 percent of everything that Photos needs. Done. But that’s probably not what Peter was asking.
- Copy the file structure of the folder in the Photos Library. You can Control-click the Photos Library and select Package Contents, and then access all the folders that form the library. However, Photos organizes images and video into chronological folders— nested by year, month, and day—inside Masters (originals) and Previews (modified versions). This is probably not what Peter wants, either.
- Copy Moments, Albums, Smart Albums, and other organizational structures in the Photos app. Unfortunately, while Apple lets you select multiple images to export at once (via File > Export), you can’t export these album and other structures as folders. You could open albums one at a time, select all the photos inside, and then export them to a folder you create with the same name, but that’s manual and tedious, and doesn’t automatically update.
I’ve recommended PowerPhotos ($30) before, a utility by Fat Cat Software that can merge, de-duplicate, and selectively copy Photos libraries, along with other tasks.
But it can’t (yet?) provide that sort of clean export operation Peter wants.
Ask Mac 911
We’re always looking for problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com including screen captures as appropriate. Mac 911 cannot reply to email with troubleshooting advice nor can we publish answers to every question.