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How To Empty Photo Library Mac

Summary

Download EaseUS iPhoto recovery software and apply provided methods here to recover deleted iPhoto Library with photos on Mac. If the attempt to restore iPhoto Library from time machine failed, don't worry and EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is ready to help.

Mar 18, 2020  By default, photo libraries are stored in your Pictures folder. If you can't find the library, follow the steps to choose a library; the path to the selected library's location appears in the Choose Library window. Next, move the source library to the Trash. Then choose Finder Empty Trash to permanently delete the files. Dec 21, 2015  I deleted (and then permanently deleted) all my photos from iCloud Photo Library on all devices and then disabled iCloud Photo Library. When I re-enabled iCloud Photo Library, iCloud storage showed 0 photos and 0 videos (because I deleted everything) but. Dec 18, 2018  Just as mentioned above, once you upgrade your Mac from iPhoto to Photos, there will be a second photo library. So if you want to free up more storage space, you need to empty iPhoto library or delete it directly. For people who choose the first one, here are steps you can follow. Step 1: Open 'Finder' and search for your iPhoto library. With the upgrade to Photos, many Mac users have been left with a duplicate iPhoto library on their Macs. Here’s how to delete iPhoto library and clear out some clutter. IPhoto used to be the standard photo editor and photo management system on Macs, at least for the average computer user.

How can I recover accidentally deleted iPhoto Library on Mac?

'How can I recover deleted iPhoto Library on Mac? I need some suggestion or guidance. I feel so stupid because I accidentally erased my iPhoto Library to Trash and had emptied the trash securely a few days ago..

Deleted photos from MacBook but storage space not reclaimed. Ask Question Asked 4 years. Photos does not reclaim disk spaces immediately after you empty the Recently Deleted folder. Can my Mac save photos from iCloud Photo Library, but not upload to it? May 07, 2015  A window will pop up with a number, which in my Mac’s case was over 236GB between a number of different photo libraries — Apple’s Photo Booth, Aperture, iPhoto, and Photos, just to. Jun 07, 2015  Because the migrated library takes little additional space, you don't need to delete the original library. So don't do it, even if you're tempted to. You can still use your original photo library with iPhoto (version 9.6.1, as of this writing) and Aperture (version 3.6) after you've migrated it to Photos.

My friends told me that I can restore the deleted iPhoto Library from Time Machine. But I completely don't understand how to use this app on my Mac. Can anyone help me retrieve my lost pictures from the deleted iPhoto Library that I had empty securely from the trash plus guidance to activate Time Machine? I need those photos back.'

According to Apple's support community, when a user deleted iPhoto Library, there's still a chance to restore lost photos and even the app itself. Read on and follow the provided solutions you'll see how to effectively restore lost photos after accidentally deleting iPhoto Library. (Methods below also can be applied to restore deleted photos and Photos Library on the latest Mac computers to restore with installed new macOS.)

Workable SolutionsStep-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Recover deleted iPhoto LibraryMethod 1. Recover without Time Machine..Full steps
Method 2. Recover from Time Machine..Full steps
Fix 2. Rebuild iPhoto Library on MacPress and hold Command and Option keys and click on the iPhoto icon, When a dialog appears..Full steps

Part 1. Recover deleted iPhoto Library on Mac

It's easy to understand that your data always matters more than your apps and hardware. So your first step after deleting iPhoto Library on Mac should be restoring lost photos. And the best way is not to restore from the Trash.

Mostly, according to Apple's support community, when you delete the iPhoto Library from Mac, the chance to restore photos from the Trash is very small. Here are two methods that you can follow and restore deleted iPhoto Library with photos on Mac.

Method 1. Recover deleted iPhoto Library photos on Mac without Time Machine

If Time Machine was not running and you emptied the trash securely after deleting the iPhoto Library, it is impossible for you to perform Mac deleted recovery from Time Machine. If you can't recover deleted iPhoto Library on Mac from TM, you can try EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac for help.

EaseUS Mac data recovery software allows users to recover multiple types of files including the deleted iPhoto Library with simple clicks. It can offer you the most robust recovery capacity in all data loss cases. Now you can free download the trial version and evaluate what it can recover.

Keep Noted:

  1. 1. This software is a trial version that you can use to scan and preview all lost photos without payment. You can pay to restore the lost photos after making sure this software indeed work.
  2. 2. To avoid unexpected data loss, you should immediately start using Time Machine and backing up useful files after following the below photo recovery process.

Step 1. Select the location where your valuable photos were lost and click Scan button.

Step 2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will start immediately a quick scan as well as a deep scan on your selected disk volume. Meanwhile, the scanning results will be presented in the left pane.

Step 3. By Path and Type, you can quickly filter the photos you've lost earlier. Select the target files and click Recover Now button to get them back at once.

After the restoring, you've restored the deleted iPhoto Library. One more thing that you should do to view your restored photos, which is to import the restored iPhoto Library into iPhoto Library folder on Mac:

Launch iPhoto > 'File' > 'Switch to Library' > Select the restored iPhoto Library > Click 'OK'.

There, you can view and reuse your photos again.

Method 2. Recover deleted iPhoto Library photos on Mac from Time Machine

As many users know, Time Machine is a backup program. With it running on Mac if you deleted iPhoto Library, this application will create a backup of the deleted pictures. You can launch Time Machine application and go back to the time before you delete the iPhoto Library, then restore the deleted iPhoto Library with photos:

(This also works to restore lost Photo Library.)

Step 1. Connect your Time Machine drive to Mac and run Time Machine from System Preference.

Step 2. Scroll the timeline on the right side, click the desired backup (the date of your last backup).

Step 3. How to show library in mac. Navigate to the backup of your iPhoto library (by default, your iPhoto Library locates in 'Home/Pictures/iPhoto Library' folder), click to select it and click 'Restore' to retrieve your data.

The time of restoring iPhoto Library depends on its size.

Part 2. Rebuild iPhoto Library on Mac

When the photo recovery process completes, but you find the restored photos don't show up in iPhoto or iPhoto doesn't respond nor work on Mac, don't worry. All you need is to rebuild the iPhoto Library.

The other practical trick that you can try is to rebuild iPhoto Library on Mac computer. Here are the detailed steps:

Warning
The rebuilding iPhoto Library process may result in data loss. Make sure that you've restored all lost photos with the methods provided in Part 1 and saved your data to an external storage device.

Steps to rebuild iPhoto Library:

Step 1. Press and hold Command and Option keys and click on the iPhoto icon.

Step 2. When a dialog appears with rebuild options, check the options of rebuild iPhoto Library and click 'Rebuild' to confirm.

Steps to repair Photo Library:

On new Mac computers with the latest macOS such as Catalina, Mojave, you can repair Photos Library and make Photos application work on Mac again

Conclusion

The Mac data recovery software - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to restore lost photos after accidentally deleted iPhoto Library is easy and effective for every level of Mac users to apply and try. When you don't have Time Machine backups of lost data, you can also apply it to restore data on Mac without Time Machine.

The two methods provided for restoring deleted iPhoto Library will effectively restore your lost iPhoto Library. If you have further file recovery issues on Mac computers, follow our Mac file recovery resource page for further help.

As we use desktop and laptop computers, we tend to fill up our hard drives with stuff we've collected over the years. It's like an attic, basement, or garage that slowly fills up over time. Some stuff gets used often, other stuff sits in a box and gets forgotten about. Eventually, though, the clutter becomes too much and you have to start getting rid of things. But how do you sort the import stuff from the trash? That's where Optimized Storage comes in.

Optimized Storage takes files you've been storing in iCloud and moves them off of your computer if your local storage gets too full. It also leaves behind an icon of the item that has been removed so that, when you finally do want to access it again, you don't have to go somewhere different to find it. You can just click on the file and it will download back onto your computer when it's online.

There are four features to Optimized Storage that you can enable separately or all together. You can use Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Trash Automatically, and Reduce Clutter.

How to access Optimized Storage

There are two ways to access Optimized Storage. The first is easy. Do nothing until your storage gets full. When it does, you'll get a notification asking if you want to optimize your storage. Click Yes to be directly taken to the Optimized Storage tool window.

To access Optimized Storage manually:

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
  2. Select About this Mac from the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on the Storage tab in the System Information window.
  4. Click on Manage.

    Source: iMore

This opens up the four Optimized Storage tools, which are on the right side of the window.

How to use Store in iCloud

Store in iCloud allows you to store older photos, files, and messages in the cloud, freeing up space on your hard drive. Messages stay on your hard drive until your hard drive starts to get full. When you're running out of room, photos, files, and messages will automatically be stored in iCloud and only recent attachments will stay on your Mac for quick and easy access.

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
  2. Select About this Mac from the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on the Storage tab in the System Information window.
  4. Click on Manage.

    Source: iMore

  5. Click on Store in iCloud in the Store in iCloud section of the window.

  6. Click on Store in iCloud again to confirm that you want to enable the feature to automatically store photos, files, and messages in iCloud when your hard drive gets full.

    Source: iMore

How to stop syncing Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud on your Mac

If you've tried out Desktop and Documents folder syncing in iCloud but decided you don't like it, you can stop syncing. If you disable syncing, Desktop files will no longer appear on a secondary Mac computer's desktop, but they will still be in a file in iCloud Drive, which you can move them out of. Your Documents folder will also still be visible in iCloud Drive, which you can also move.

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
  2. Click System Preferences in the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on Apple ID.
  4. Click on Options next to iCloud Drive.
  5. Untick the Desktop & Documents Folders box.

    Source: iMore

How to use Optimize Storage

Optimize Storage relates to storing media in the cloud that is not necessarily already in your iCloud storage, specifically movies and TV shows you have already watched on iTunes. When you select Optimize Storage, it will remove these files from your computer. If you want to watch them again, you can redownload them from iTunes.

It also gives you the option to store your email attachments. You can set it up so that recent email attachments are stored on your Mac, or you can store all of your email attachments in the cloud and download files that you need when you need them.

  1. Click on Optimize.. in the Optimize Storage section of the window.
  2. Click on Optimize again to confirm that you want to enable the feature to automatically remove iTunes movies and TV shows that you've already watched.

    Source: iMore

How to disable Optimize Storage on your Mac

Optimize Storage automatically removes iTunes movies and TV shows that you've already watched from your Mac. It also only keeps recent email attachments on your Mac when your hard drive starts to run out of room. If you want to keep your movies and TV shows on your hard drive so you don't have to re-download them every time you want to watch them, you can disable the feature.

  1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
  2. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  3. Click on Apple ID.
  4. Click to uncheck the checkbox at the bottom of the window for Optimize Mac Storage.

    Source: iMore

How to use Empty Trash Automatically

It is pretty common for the average computer user to forget to empty the trash bin regularly. Just like a real garbage can, trash can start to add up. Unfortunately, unlike a garbage can, your Mac's trash bin doesn't get full, so you don't realize you've been stocking up digital waste for months and months. Empty Trash Automatically will enable a tool that will erase items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days. You don't even have to think about it anymore.

  1. Click on Turn On in the Empty Trash Automatically section of the Optimized Storage window.
  2. Click Turn On again to confirm that you want to enable the feature to automatically erase files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

    Source: iMore

How to disable Empty Trash Automatically on your Mac

If you worry that you are going to delete something from your Mac and need it back more than 30 days later, you can disable the feature and go back to manually emptying the trash.

  1. Open a Finder window.
  2. Click on Finder in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen.
  3. Click Preferences in the drop-down menu.

    Source: iMore

  4. Click on Advanced in the Finder Preferences window.
  5. Click to uncheck the checkbox for Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.

    Source: iMore

How to use Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter is the one feature in Optimized Storage that requires you to manually clean files on your Mac.

The list of categories on the left side of the Optimized Storage window represents the folders that tend to store files that are older and can be removed from your Mac.

You can either click on Review Files in the Reduce Clutter section of the Optimized Storage window or select a category from the list on the left side of the window.

You can then go through the files individually and decide whether you want to keep or remove them from your Mac.

For example, in the Applications folder, you can view apps on your Mac by type. Older versions of apps you are currently using can sometimes take up dozens of GB of space. You can delete the files right from the Optimized Storage window.

How to optimize your photo storage if you have iCloud Photo Library

Photos on the Mac optimizes storage by letting you store full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud instead of on your internal hard drive. Even if you don't want to store all of your files and documents in iCloud, you can keep your photos safe, while freeing up space on your hard drive.

Your photos will also remain on your Mac's hard drive until it starts to get full, at which point, photos and videos — starting with the oldest — will be removed from your Mac and only stored in iCloud.

Photos and videos tend to take up a lot of space. You may find you don't have enough iCloud storage to keep your entire photo library in iCloud. You can upgrade your iCloud storage to a larger plan if you are running out.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about what Optimized Storage is or how to use the tools? Let me know and I'll help you out.

Updated December 2019: Updated for macOS Catalina.

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How To Empty Photo Library On Mac

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