can't delete photos using empty trash button

gdaydigger

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

What "empty trash" button? Do you mean when you select 'Empty Trash' from the iPhoto Menu? Or hot the delete key?

If you drag a photo to the trash from an album then all that does is remove it from the album.

Events and Library are the same thing - just a different view of the same data. To remove a pic drag it from the Library (or Event) to the trash and then Empty the trash.

If that fails: Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the apple and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Then try again.

Regards

TD

gdaydigger:

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. How are you getting the photos to the iPhoto Trash bin? If you're dragging them then you must drag them from an Event, not an album, slideshow or other entity.

If you're using the Delete key, again you must be in an Event for it to work. If you're in an album then use the Command OptionDelete key option to move the photos to the Trash bin.

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Sound like a corrupted library. Try rebuilding it as follows: delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your User/Library/Preferences folder. Select the option to rebuild the database.

OT

i have been really frustrated with this as well! when i do the command optiondelete am i only deleting it from my album? i need to make room on my computer so i need to delete the file for ever.....what is the fastest way to do this, and i am wondering what an "event" is and how do i get there to delete things!!?! sorry i am dumb.

snew

snew

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

Put a pic in the trash from the Library (either Events or Photos view) and empty the trash will remove the file from the Library and the Hard Disk.

Simply, and Event is a representation of a folder. Events in the iPhoto Window correspond exactly with the Folders in the Originals Folder in the iPhoto Library package file (Right click on it in the Pictures Folder -> Show Package Contents).

You can move photos between Events, you can rename Events, edit them, create them, as long as you do it via the iPhoto Window. Check out the Info Pane (wee 'i', lower left) the name and date fields are editable. Edit a Event Name using the Info Pane, the Event Folder in iPhoto Library/Originals will also have the new name.

To delete and Event, remove all the pics in it and it will go away.

By the way, an Event takes up exactly the same amount of space as the pictures in it. So having 50 events with 1 pictures takes up the same HD space as 1 event with 50 pictures.

Regards

TD

I have exactly the same problem, and hundreds of photos have been dumped back into my Events. It really is most frustrating. I've tried rebuilding the library, to no avail. Next stop to see wht Time Machine has...

Dumped from where?

Do you use "webshots", the online photo site? Because this exact thing happened to me and it was because I tried deleting webshots photos. To solve I had to delete the playlist labeled webshots, then deleting was fine.