Migration Overview

All materials in Eagle libraries are stored only on local devices. When you need to switch computers, you must migrate the library to the new device to continue using your material collection. This article will guide you on how to safely complete library migration using an external hard drive.

Hard Drive Format Compatibility Notice

When using an external hard drive to migrate libraries, Eagle supports migration between macOS and Windows systems, but please note the hard drive format compatibility issues:

Migration Steps

Compress the library: Perform lossless compression on the Eagle library on the old computer (Format: zip / Compression method: Store), temporarily keep the original library.
Copy to external hard drive: Copy the compressed library to the external hard drive. Do not use drag or cut operations to avoid unrecoverable errors during the transfer process.
Transfer to new computer: Copy the compressed file from the external hard drive to the new computer, then decompress it.
Install and activate Eagle: Install Eagle software on the new computer and complete device activation.
Import library: Open Eagle software, click the [Import Library] button in the library selection interface.
Select library path: Select the path of the decompressed library and click the [Open] button.
Verify resource integrity: After the library loads completely, confirm whether the material content and file count displayed by the software are complete and correct, and check if it can be used normally.
Clean up old library: If the library on the old device is not needed for others to use, it can be deleted.

Key Considerations

Use copy operations throughout, not cut operations, to ensure data safety
Choose the correct hard drive format to ensure cross-system compatibility
Be sure to verify library integrity after migration is complete
It's recommended to delete the old library only after confirming the new device works properly

How to migrate Eagle library to a new device (external hard drive method)