While the programs themselves should remain in the Applications folder of your internal startup drive, the Libraries for iTunes and iPhoto can be placed on an external hard drive to save space on the internal drive. Keep in mind that once you do this, you will only be able to view the library of items when the external drive is plugged in and turned on.
The technique is basically the same. Make sure the external hard drive is formatted for Mac (Mac OS Extended in Disk Utility). Copy your library from the internal drive to the external – you will want the entire folder of User: Music: iTunes: iTunes Music or User: Pictures: iPhoto Library
Then you redirect the program to use the external file as the default library. This can be done
- by holding the Option key down while opening the program (certain versions only)
- or by closing the program, renaming the Library folder name in the Finder on the internal drive.
Then re-open the program, which will then ask you to manually locate the Library folder which it now can’t find. Browse to the external drive folder you have set up.
In iTunes you can also set the location of the media in the Preferences: Advanced Settings: iTunes Media setting.
Finally you can get iTunes to move it for you
- Use the iTunes Preferences: Advanced tab
- Turn on the “Keep iTunes Media folder organized” checkbox.
- Use the Change… button to choose a new location for the library.
To copy everything to the new location,
- Use the Organize Library command under File: Library,
- Check “Consolidate files”, then OK.
- When it is finished, check it and delete the files from their original location
iTunes
iTunes for Windows http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1449
iPhoto
http://basics4mac.com/article.php/move_iphoto_lib
http://www.macworld.com/article/1141216/archive_iphoto_libraries.html
Or get the FatCat IPhoto Library Manager to manage multiple libraries http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/