storage of multimedia

[Reeds Family]

I am using Reunion 10 and all my multimedia is currently successfully linked.

The problem is my Pictures folder (wherein all my multimedia resides) is getting very large at 58.48 GB and I would like to move that Pictures folder off my computer hard drive and onto a separate storage device such as a USB stick.

How would Reunion 10 then link those multimedia if they are no longer residing on the hard drive ?

How do others get around the "extremely large" Pictures folder. I'm thinking that I will soon run out of space on my computer and it is already slowing things down.

Using MacBook Air, 1.86 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with 2GB memory, OS X El Capitan.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Yvonne

[Bob White]

Re: storage of multimedia

How big is your hard drive? If it's large, 50+ GB should not be a problem.

Are you downsizing photos for Reunion usage? One doesn't need full size photos for Reunion. I started a couple years ago, as I run across them, substituting a downsized copy into my Reunion Pictures folder. One can do this in Preview or most any graphics program like Pixelmator, Photoshop, etc...

Example: I just did a photo for demo here. Opened in Preview, chose the Adjust Size tool in the Tools menu and the dialog box showed it to be about 13 inches x 11 inches at a resolution of 72 pixels/inch; the file size was 6.3 MB. I then put a 6 in the length box and the width automatically adjusted accordingly. Hit the OK button and the downsized file is slightly less than 800 KB. And there is no noticeable difference in viewing on screen or iPad or in a chart.

I started this as a side project to lessen synching and file copying elapsed times. Storage memory is cheap and I don't do this for space savings.

One other file sizing thing that I do is to also make a copy of the original photo then crop the copy down to a relatively tight head shot. As necessary, I might also resize the cropped copy.

[Reeds Family]

Re: storage of multimedia

Thanks for your suggestion of downsizing photos and many of them I have already done so for Reunion, but I must admit not all.

My problem is that the hard drive on my MacBook Air is only 120.47 GB in size with currently only 12.16 GB of free space left.

I have today installed and used a great program called Clean My Mac3 which managed to capture an extra 5.7 GB of space which is how I managed to achieve the above mentioned free space.

I feel that the Pictures folder which is 57.49 GB if moved off the hard drive would help enormously, so I was wondering how Reunion would cope if I removed the Pictures folder off the hard drive ? Would Reunion still display thumbnails or be looking for the link to the Pictures folder ? I didn't really want to break the link for Multimedia as it all works perfectly at present.

Yvonne

[mjashby]

Re: storage of multimedia

O.K. upgrading a MacBook Air SSD is possible, but expensive and not for the faint-hearted, so attaching an external 'Drive' is probably the easiest and most cost-effective option. The downsides are that:

- the external Drive (or USB Stick) has to be connected for things to work fully; and
- you need to adopt a backup regime which includes the content of that external drive, which can be awkward as the MacBook Air has limited physical connection options as standard.

Moving your Media Folder should be fairly straightforward:

a) Copy the Reunion Media Folder, and its contents to your External Drive.
b) Open Reunion and select Reunion > Preferences > Folders > Multimedia > Choose other Folder and select the 'new' Folder on the external drive.
c) Check that everything works over a few days, and if all is well you should be able to delete the original folder (but remember to regularly backup the data on the external drive as well as the MacBook Air - Either can, and will, fail at some point!)

Mervyn

[Bob White]

Re: storage of multimedia

.........I have today installed and used a great program called Clean My Mac3 which managed to capture an extra 5.7 GB of space which is how I managed to achieve the above mentioned free space.........Yvonne

Bad move! Category = If it sounds too good to be true, it's not true!

Most Mac gurus will tell you to run the other way from programs such as Clean My Mac. Generally, the problems introduced by their installation far outweigh whatever problems the user already had and that the software "promised to solve".... My generation (born durning WWII) has the expression "don't touch xxxx with a 10-foot pole"; that applies here.

Usually, most of the "saved" space comes from dumping the localization versions of your installed programs. One can do that oneself or use one of several specialty programs.

Uninstalling Clean My Mac or its ilk is not simple or for the weak of heart. Hunt up a local Mac guru. It has to be done manually by someone who has figured out where all the parts are.

[Bob White]

Re: storage of multimedia

.......I feel that the Pictures folder which is 57.49 GB if moved off the hard drive would help enormously, so I was wondering how Reunion would cope if I removed the Pictures folder off the hard drive ? Would Reunion still display thumbnails or be looking for the link to the Pictures folder ? I didn't really want to break the link for Multimedia as it all works perfectly at present.

Yvonne

One should never remove folders that are Apple created. The Pictures folder is one of those. Lots of software depends on "factory" folders being in a specific place for their internal Finder related functions to operate correctly.

Having said that, you could do something about the specific Reunion Pictures folder. My recommendation would be onto an always attached external hard drive. However, someone who has experience operating that way can pick this up and comment further.

[Reeds Family]

Re: storage of multimedia

Thank you everybody for your helpful advice.

I hadn't realised that it was not a good idea to use programs like Clean My Mac and after reading this, regret that I have it installed but I was desperate to try and reclaim some disk space.

I will not be upgrading the hard drive as it is my intention to purchase a new MacBook early next year - and I will definitely not be installing any such clean up programs on that.

I appreciate the advice about not removing Apple folders and shall now look at just moving the Reunion Pictures folder onto a removable drive and having that drive attached when using Reunion (hadn't known about that either).

So many thanks indeed for helping point me in the right direction of trying to solve my problem, it is really appreciated.

Yvonne