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Level 1

8 points

iPhoto Network Library = SLOW SLOW SLOW

I have my iPhoto library stored on an external HD on my iMac.
When running iPhoto on the iMac, I get instant access.
When running iPhoto on the Mac book, it takes minutes!!!!! to start.

This is not ok. Normally, it does take a few extra seconds on the Mac book, but this is ridiculous.

What's the problem. Faces and Place is not worth the ramp up every time the software starts.

20" iMac 2.66GHz duo w4GB & MacBook 2.4 w2GB, Mac OS X (10.5.5), Crash Differently

Posted on Jan 28, 2009 5:43 AM

82 replies

Feb 20, 2009 11:51 AM in response to mvde

I concur, make sure you tell them about it...

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html

Feb 21, 2009 12:33 AM in response to tak2mark

+1 on this issue. Great update, aside from it being unusable in my previous configuration. I have a 1TB drive plugged into my Gigabit Airport Extreme (upgraded from Fast Ethernet specifically for the purpose of iTunes/iPhoto library sharing), where my 150 GB iPhoto library has been stored. As with everyone else, it worked great, allowing me to import and manipulate photos from both my MacBook and my iMac (of course, never at the same time), and with minimal speed degradation.

After the upgrade, it wouldn't open the library, and rebuilding the library took 15 minutes. It now opens the library each time in about 20 minutes, and performs each task blindingly slowly. Plugging the drive directly into either computer allows me to actually work, which has allowed me to see the excellent potential of the upgrade!

Frustrating as crap.

Dr.BobKC

Level 1

5 points

Feb 22, 2009 4:42 AM in response to David Duncan2

This problem is not confined to network storage. I have two 1TB drives attached by Firewire to a 20" G5 iMac. One is for media (iTunes and iPhoto library) and one for Time Machine.

The long startup time got better after I let Faces complete it's scan once (took 14 hours). But, unlike iPhoto '08, iPhoto '09 will hang (as reported by activity monitor) every time I edit a RAW image, and will resume after several minutes. During this time there is no disk activity, but the iPhoto process takes up 70-90% of the CPU and memory fluctuates all over the place.

Moving the library (120GB) to the internal drive reduces the hang time but it's still there.

I tried the same library on a current Intel iMac, and there is no delay or hang. If I create a new library with very few pictures (back to the current computer), it will still hang using the external drive but not with the internal drive.

Apple Tech Support profiled my system, and initially commented that my drives looked like a RAID array, which they are not. Makes me think that there is a problem in general with how iPhoto handles external (network or connected) storage.

I also suspect that iPhoto has added an enormous amount of processing in the background that is simply taxing my current processor....

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Feb 22, 2009 4:48 AM in response to Dr.BobKC

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

What format is the external disk?

Regards

TD

tak2mark Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 22, 2009 7:14 AM in response to Yer_Man

My external disk is 'Mac OS Extended (Journaled)'

BUT that shouldn't matter at all. We all purchased this software with the reasonable expectation that we would be able to continue to use iPhoto in the manner have become accustomed to.

If my external drive is 'Mac OS' or 'FAT' it should not matter at all!

iPhoto is the problem here and I strongly encourage Apple to fix this issue as soon as possible. I have had to recommend to several people that they wait to upgrade to '09.

If Apple does not address this issue in a timely manner, I will begin suggesting an alternative to iPhoto.

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Feb 22, 2009 8:07 AM in response to tak2mark

My question was aimed at Dr. BobKC, who seems to have an issue with an external disk.

Other than that no point telling us here:

iPhoto menu -> Provide iPhoto Feedback

Regards

TD

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Feb 22, 2009 8:07 AM in response to tak2mark

My question was aimed at Dr. BobKC, who seems to have an issue with an external disk.

Other than that no point telling us here:

iPhoto menu -> Provide iPhoto Feedback

Regards

TD

tak2mark Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 22, 2009 9:30 AM in response to Yer_Man

Your first addition to this very long and well viewed thread is "Welcome to the Apple Discussions."
Nice of YOU to welcome us to a discussion we're already involved in; and then try to redirect the thread.

You're a smart guy. You've been allot of help to allot of people. But in this case you are distracting from the purpose of the thread.
You have no advise to offer. You are trying to redirect the problem with iPhoto to a problem with his hardware. You will notice that all of us that are involved with this thread are experiencing problems with our external library.
Don't play dumb.

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Feb 22, 2009 9:53 AM in response to tak2mark

Have a look at the message where I said Welcome to the Apple Discussions.

Above the word ‘Discussions’ and slightly to the right you’ll see “in response to: Dr.BobKC“

At the time I posted it was his first post.

I wasn’t welcoming you or anybody to the thread, I was welcoming a first poster to the the Forum.

I offered no advice, I asked a question because, from reading his post, I wondered if his disk format might play a part in the issue. That’s all.

I was not “ trying to redirect“ anything. Why would I? What would I gain from doing this?

Don't play dumb.

Don’t be rude.

Regards

TD

tak2mark Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 22, 2009 12:06 PM in response to Yer_Man

Terrance; you CAN be helpful but you have only offered redirection here.

I have sought help on this forum in the past and I have got it from you.

This iPhoto issue is something that Apple knows about. You knows about it too. To suggest otherwise is to suggest that you is not as intelligent as you actually are.

My issue with your response is: This is a known software issue and your inquiry into the user's hardware seemed like a veiled attempt to suggest that it's a hardware issue. You knows better.

I just want my software to work as well as it did before I gave Apple my money for the upgrade. The (albeit subtle) suggestion that it's a hardware issue from you is no help. At this point the only thing that will help is an upgrade.

Terrance, sorry if I came at you sideways, but this iPhoto issue robs me of 3 minutes of my life every time I access the library over the network. This is not a hardware issue, and you know it.

I guess it doesn't matter much anyways, ... as soon as iPhoto Library Manager releases V3.5, I'll just keep the libraries local and sync them. It is a shame that we need third party software though.

jk003

Level 1

0 points

Feb 24, 2009 10:57 PM in response to tak2mark

So does using a FAT32 formatted external drive to store iphoto library affect iphoto09?

I have a WD drive formated to FAT32 so i can go back and forth between my PC and macbook. could this cause a problem for Iphoto09 to stop working on my external drive?

LarryHN

Level 10

106,116 points

Feb 24, 2009 11:23 PM in response to jk003

JK003

So does using a FAT32 formatted external drive to store iphoto library affect iphoto09?

Yes

iPhoto needs the library on a Macintosh extended (journaled) format drive - it does not work well on a FAT32 formated drive

iPhoto is not a cross platform program

On solution (although it does introduce other problems) it to keep your photos on a FAT32 formated drive and reference them from iPhoto - uncheck the iPhoto preference to copy imported items to the iPhoto library - You PC will not see the edits done in iPhoto nor will iPhoto see the edits done on the PC and replacing the hard drive becomes more difficult

LN

Message was edited by: LarryHN

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Feb 24, 2009 11:14 PM in response to jk003

jk003 (and not tak2mark specifically)

There have been a large number of users reporting issues with iPhoto Libraries stored on disks formatted anything other than Mac OS Extended (Journaled). These reports go back to at least iPhoto v6. These issues include problems importing, sharing and saving edits. The problem does not seem to strike everybody, but when it does the only solution seems to be to store the Library on a disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

Regards

TD

Mar 2, 2009 8:53 AM in response to tak2mark

Not sure if this will help anyone, but worth a try! It's a hint to use a terminal utility called vacuum on the iPhoto 09 databases. It's supposed to speed things up considerably...

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20090227072825458

Mar 2, 2009 2:23 PM in response to David Duncan2

I'm basically in the same situation.

iPhoto Network Library = SLOW SLOW SLOW