How To Collect all Photographs in Fotos Library on Catalina?

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Level 1

16 points

How To Collect all Photographs in Fotos Library on Catalina?

Someone has passed away. This person has left a Mac running Catalina (macOS 10.15.7). On this Mac is a Fotos Library. But as well – as far as I see – hundreds, if not thousands, of JPEG files on other places. I do not know, whether those JPEG files are pictures, which are duplicates from photographs in the Fotos Library.

Therefore, I would like to collect all JPEG files, which are on this Mac for import into the Fotos Library. But I do not want to import duplicates or triplicates into the Fotos Library.

How can I do that?

Then I want to copy the Fotos Library from the Mac with Catalina onto an Mac running Sequoia. Can I use the Fotos Library made with Catalina on Sequoia?

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Nov 10, 2024 11:04 AM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

210,615 points

Nov 10, 2024 2:34 PM in response to vatolin

Referenced Library

1 - first launch Photos and look in the Settings/General pane to see if it's a "Managed" or "Referenced" library:

If it is a "referenced" library select all photos in the library and use the File ➙ Consolidate menu option to make it a "managed" library. Now you will have all of the photos that were linked to the library physically in the library.

2 - now you will be able to import the library into an existing Sequoia library.

HOWEVER, that will not bring in the albums and other organizational effort you put into the library. You CAN use the paid version of PowerPhotos to merge the older library into the newer one and maintain the albums, titles, and other metadata. What won't be brought over are Smart Albums (brought in as regular albums) and projects (brought in as regular albums). The differences can be seen in this user tip: Merging/Importing iPhoto/Photos library into Another Photos Library: PowerPhotos vs Photos.

Managed Library

1 - either import into a new library or user PowerPhotos as in #3 above.

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