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How to Stop Importing (Copying) Pictures to the Photos Library in OS X

When you import pictures into the Photos app on your Mac, they are automatically copied into the Photos Library. This can be a problem if you have a large collection of photos and want to manage them using the Finder or another file system-based approach.

Fortunately, there is a way to stop importing (copying) pictures to the Photos Library. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Under the 'General' tab in Photos preferences, look for 'Importing: Copy items to the Photos library' and uncheck the box.

2. Pull down the 'Photos' menu and choose 'Preferences'.

Once you have unchecked the box, new pictures will no longer be copied into the Photos Library. Instead, they will remain in their original location with an alias in the Photos app.

It's important to note that this feature does not affect duplicates of pictures found within the actual Photos app. It simply prevents copying image files at the file system level. This means that you can still use the Photos app to browse through your complex existing hierarchy of pictures, without having them copied into a separate library.

However, it's recommended for most users to leave this feature enabled by default. Apple leaves this feature enabled for good reason, and disabling it may cause issues with picture management in the future.

Overall, stopping importing (copying) pictures to the Photos Library is an advanced feature that is aimed at more experienced users who want to manage their pictures using the Finder or another file system-based approach.

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