OKsprat Loc: Oklahoma

I'm not able to export photos from "Photos" to my external hard drive for backup. Every month or so (when I remember), I backup my computer to my Seagate Backup Plus 2TB external hard drive, and just noticed that ever since upgrading "IPhoto" to "Photos" none of my pictures are being transferred. I tried to go in and export them manually but I was unsuccessful there as well. I have a MacBook Pro 2011 model with a 2.3 ghz i5 processor. I upgraded to Yosemite v. 10.10.3 last fall without any trouble that I'm aware of. Please help save me from my technical ineptitude.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

What do you mean exactly when you say you were "unsuccessful" by exporting them?

OKsprat Loc: Oklahoma

I went to File; Export; Export X items; then a window opens that lists various things such as type of picture (JPEG), File name, etc. then I click on the Export tab which takes me to a menu of places to export to. After selecting seagate backup drive, I click export. After a few seconds I get a message that says: Export Results: Export complete with errors: 0 files have been exported to backups.backupdb; The export operation failed to create files for all, the first is listed: "IMG_1205.JPG Could not write file to destination (1,016)"

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

So have you tried to write a single file to your desktop?

If you can, then try and write several files at the same time to your desktop.

IF both of those work then there is some problem with your offline drive.


Also, when you use "backup" on Mac...you can tell it which folders to back up...pics included.

OKsprat Loc: Oklahoma

Thank you for your help.

I WAS able to write a single picture to my desktop.
Maybe I am doing something wrong when trying to export to my external hard drive.

How do I tell my computer which folders to back up?

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Now.

Can you drag or copy/paste that file from the desktop to the drive?

IF so...then try and export those images to the drive.

OR

Just go to the folder where those images are stored and copy and paste them to the drive.

As for the back up; it appears that your entire drive is included so the picture files are included by default.

There IS an "exclude these locations" in Time Machine preferences; is it possible that you have the pictures folder excluded.


Also, where do your pictures reside?

OKsprat Loc: Oklahoma

I was able to copy/paste that photo successfully.

I then copied the remainder from my Photos app to my IPhoto app. Then I was successful using copy/paste to transfer those to my backup hard drive.

Apparently my photos were stored in IPhoto up until I upgraded to Yosemite/Photos, now they are stored in Photos when I download them from my memory cards.

Thank you very much for walking me through this.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

No problem, glad to help!

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

But I don't understand. Isn't this an Apple product? From what all the fanboys and fangirls say, it's supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. And being a Mac, it's not supposed to require ANY technical skills whatsoever. What gives?

All kidding aside, why are you just saving exported files? Why not the original, full-sized images? Why not use a backup program like Backblaze, Chronosync, or Carbon Copy Cloner - better than what you are trying to implement and it can run every evening and back up new and modified files.

LarryFB Loc: Depends where our RV is parked

You really need to back up your entire computer hard drive using Time Machine. It's part of the operating system and works great.

sueyeisert Loc: New Jersey

I constantly back-up using time machine to an external drive.

Jamackay

I have issues with Photos as it does not allow (apparently) the backups of two people, separately, under different logins. I have backed up my wife's and my iPhones and iPads this way for years. Now it wants one big Photos file.

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

Gene Can you say more about the back up programs you mentioned thanks
Joe

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

LOL, a wise crack from someone who is obviously a "fanboy" of an OP that requires you to be an expert to do practically anything… but is trying oh-so-hard to be a MAC and is getting more MAC like in every release. ––From someone who uses both platforms every day, every hour.

Whenever you have a problem with either platform, put your issue in plain English into google and you'll get pages of answers… if you have a mac, you be able to figure it out, if windows, call IT.

I entered: (moving images from photos app yosemite to an external hard drive)

Got this and many others.
http://www.imore.com/how-use-photos-os-x-ultimate-guide

Where I would start- I see you main question as one of the main headings

Frankly, my first inclination would be to make hidden files visible, you may already have the image there if you tried more then once… there is a lag time as the files are not small. Images are visible to the application, but not if you just look in the folder. Most of these programs have a failsafe feature that won't copy an image that has already been backed up. Keeps you from duplicating images without realizing it. However, if it is a clean drive, I would think you'd see that something is taking up room or not.

I don't use the Photos App, but I recall iPhoto made stored images invisible to reduce clutter, and to prevent people from haphazardly moving image files that would screw up the program from knowing where you moved them to, and making a total mess of things. All these programs like you do do stuff within the application or it has no way of doing its organization magic and keeping track of changes. Like hiding the ball behind your back from the dog… you just confuse him! LOL

To make files visible follow these directions… You'll be using terminal. Don't copy and paste any extra spaces is all… its quite easy and powerful.

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2014/08/04/how-to-show-hidden-files-folders-finder-mac/

or

http://blog.bertvanlangen.com/articles/toggle-hidden-files-finder-os-x-10-10-yosemite/

In the end, I bet you'll find it will be a checkbox in a preferences panel you need to click… or something equally simple. BUt i am sure you'll be able to fix it on your own… being a MAC ;)

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Just a suggestion here, go into Photos and click on "All Photos," then click on the first photo, scroll down to the last photo, hold down the shift button on the keyboard, and left click on that last photo. That will highlight/select all your photos between the first one you selected and the last one. When you plug in your Seagate, an icon will appear on your screen. When you open it up, there should be an icon for where you store your photos. You should be able to click on your selected photos in "Photos," and drag them all over to the 2TB device at the same time. It'll take some time for them all to migrate over, but it should work. It's worth a try, anyway.