There has to be an easier way

[icesac26]

I just bought an external HD and I am trying to make my mac read the files from the new drive. like I Tunes, IPhoto and the rest of the major apps includeing Photoshop, etc.. Can anyone help find a faster and easier way then telling each app for each file. Thanks

 

[Sdashiki]

re-phrase I dont think I understand what you are asking?

telling each app for each file means wat?

 

[2nyRiggz]

I think you will have to go through each app to point where they get the files from....maybe i'm wrong.


Bless

 

[frankblundt]

you shouldn't need to do it for each file.
iTunes > Prefs > Advanced > music folder location: change that to the folder on the external. (if you use iTunes without it connected it will revert to the default on the internal however).
I presume there's something similar in the iPhoto prefs.

I don't know of any way to do it automatically for all apps other than:
You could make a bootable copy of your system on the external, or set up your user account folder there, which would default all the apps into using the external for saving files, but that's a bit drastic.

 

[mklos]

There is no setting inside of iPhoto. In order to do this, you can move your Photos folder inside your home folder on the internal HD to your external HD. This will also move your iPhoto Library folder as well. Then, the next time you launch iPhoto, it won't know where to find the iPhoto Library folder and will prompt for it. Then just point it to your ext HD.

Thats a little more difficult than iTunes, but you'll only need to do it once.

 

[turbopants]

For Photoshop, click Photoshop --> Preferences --> Plug-Ins and Scratch Discs, and select your external hard drive. Most apps will have something like this, or have something similar to what others above have suggested.

 

[icesac26]

I have done that and trusted it

So I did that with iTunes, and trusted that I can del the orig. but it didnt work, I have to point out each file, and I dont know why

 

[2nyRiggz]

^ you need to go through your advance settings in itunes and point itunes where to get your music files from.


Bless

 

[frankblundt]

easiest to delete your original Library file (with iTunes closed) open iTunes up, and Add To Library using the external files to rebuild it from there. In preferences check the Advanced box "Copy files to Library when adding" and any future files you add from elsewhere will be copied to the external (that you've already set as the home for the Music folder) - any cds etc you rip into iTunes will be copied to the default (now external) folder in any case, same for files you Convert.

iTunes is smart enough to know when you move files, to update the references to where they are, but it doesn't work when you copy them (eg to an external drive), so all of the Library references are wrong and if you've got lots of them, it's easiest just to start again.