Transferring iPhotos library into Photos?

[LeadFarmer]

Looking for some help please for viewing an old iPhoto library that is on an external HD.

I have an old MacBook that I don't use, as it's on its last legs. It has an iPhoto library that's maybe 400gb. I copied the library onto an external HD as a back up.

I then bought an M1MacBook to replace it, which runs the newer Photo library. I keep it's Photo library completely separate to the old iPhoto library.

When connecting the external HD to my M1 and open the iPhoto library, my MacBook tries to auto transfer/merge the iPhoto library into its Photo library. I dont want to do this as there is 400gb of images whereas my M1 only has 250gb HD.

It seems that to open the iPhoto library on a MacBook, the MacBook itself needs to run iPhoto? I understand I can create a new Photos library on the external HD, and then copy the iPhoto images into it. Is that correct, and how do I copy the images over?

[ewolg]

Had the same thing with my new iMac coming from a 2012 iMac.

The only way I could find was to double click on the iphoto library which will open Photos and try to import them. It doesn't work but spits out a file that you have to root through until you find a file called Masters. Inside there are your photos in year order. Go back to Photos and Import then find the year (do it one at a time). They'll import and then click shift click on the photos you want for each new Album (create new album) Takes time but mine is working fine now.

[LeadFarmer]

ewolg said:

Had the same thing with my new iMac coming from a 2012 iMac.

The only way I could find was to double click on the iphoto library which will open Photos and try to import them. It doesn't work but spits out a file that you have to root through until you find a file called Masters. Inside there are your photos in year order. Go back to Photos and Import then find the year (do it one at a time). They'll import and then click shift click on the photos you want for each new Album (create new album) Takes time but mine is working fine now.

Thanks, the problem I have is I don't want the old iPhoto library to be imported into the Photos library, which my MacBook automatically tries to do. Reason being the iPhoto library has 400GB of photos, yet my M1 MacBook hard drive is only 250GB. So want to keep the two libraries separate, but im having problems even opening iPhoto because as you say, my MacBook tries to merge them straight away.

[ewolg]

I understand but it goes through the 'process' of importing to Photos but it wont complete. It creates this other file that you need to open and find the Master folder where you can then import year by year. Then delete it once finished.