Problems with iPhoto

Question

Problems with iPhoto

Recently I started having quite a few problems with my iPhoto.

First, trying to edit some photos, when I change the contrast even by one notch, the whole photo turns black, but will go back to normal upon hitting undo. Doesn't happen with all photos, just some of them. Mostly jpegs.

Second, opening some folders/albums, no thumbnails appear, only dotted outlines in replace of them. However, dragging the thumbnail size slider left or right, will make all the thumbnail images appear.

Third, I have been trying to copy my library onto my external, as I have done many times in the past. Only now, it goes about halfway then stops, giving me the message: "iPhoto cannot copy the library because an item named "" already exists".

I have already tried deleting the iphoto.plist file to no effect.

Please help! Why am I having so many problems all of a sudden? I would love to copy the library incase something worse happens, but it won't let me!

Power Mac G4, Mac OS X (10.4.4), Virtual PC Installed

Posted on Feb 2, 2009 5:55 PM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,314 points

Feb 2, 2009 10:39 PM in response to agoofykindasuperman

First, trying to edit some photos, when I change the contrast even by one notch, the whole photo turns black, but will go back to normal upon hitting undo. Doesn't happen with all photos, just some of them. Mostly jpegs

Select one of the pics and go Photos -> revert to Original. Does it behave normally now?

Second, opening some folders/albums, no thumbnails appear, only dotted outlines in replace of them. However, dragging the thumbnail size slider left or right, will make all the thumbnail images appear.

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.

Third, I have been trying to copy my library onto my external, as I have done many times in the past. Only now, it goes about halfway then stops, giving me the message: "iPhoto cannot copy the library because an item named "" already exists".

Are you copying the Library as a unit, or the constituent parts?

Regards

TD

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Answer 2

Feb 3, 2009 3:54 AM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks for the response...

Choosing Revert To Original is not possible. It's grey'd out so I believe this is the original photo that I have not edited in the past I suppose.

I don't want to rebuild the library until I am able to currently back up my library. As I said, it won't let me create a copy. However, I have yet to try backing it up to a 3rd location. Until now, I've only been trying to overwrite my previous library which is how I've done it every time in the past.

I am copying it by dragging and dropping the iPhoto Library folder to my external HDD.
This is a very time consuming process too as it is over 117 GB so if there are certain files/folders that need to be moved or not moved each time, I would prefer to know that instead. I know all the new folders of photos in Modified and Original folders need to be copied obviously, but what data files or system files need to be copied over as well?

Thanks

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Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,314 points

Feb 3, 2009 4:13 AM in response to agoofykindasuperman

The best way to do incremental back ups (that is, back ups where only the changed files are copied to the bak up) is to use an app that’s designed for the job. I use DejaVu but there are many, many others. Search on MacUpdate.

Regards

TD

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Answer 4

Feb 5, 2009 5:43 PM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks for the info however I am worried now that if I back up my iPhoto library, that I will also be copying the problem I'm having with editing some pictures over to the backup as well.

I have narrowed it down to 9 rolls, all uploaded in sequence (meaning, there are no rolls of pictures that are editable in-between rolls that are not)

I also noticed something odd with regards to the roll numbering system. Sometimes I will destroy/delete all pictures from a certain role, and that roll will not show up in iPhoto which is ordinary. However, with the problem rolls, I'm noticing that the first role affected is 519 then 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, and the last is 875. Roll 875 comes directly after roll 532. What happened to the other 300+ roll numbers I wonder? The pictures are close enough in date to each other to suggest that I have not deleted or lost 300+ rolls, but instead iPhoto jumped from one number to the next. Rolls 518 and 876 are not effected with the no-editing problem.

Any further help you could give me would be very much appreciated! Thank you muchly

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Answer 5

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,314 points

Feb 5, 2009 10:55 PM in response to agoofykindasuperman

To understand the numbering system for system for iPhoto’s Rolls you’ll need to immerse your self in the the +Bhagavad Gita+, the Pres-Socratic Philosophers and +The Racing Post+. Even then enlightenment may not be yours. Somethings are not meant to be understood by ordinary mortals.

Put another way, I wouldn’t worry about it.

You can rename rolls using the Info Pane (wee 'i', lower left) the name and date fields are editable. Edit a Roll Name using the Info Pane, the Roll Folder in iPhoto Library Folder/Originals will also have the new name.

Regards

TD

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Answer 6

Feb 6, 2009 5:29 AM in response to Yer_Man

lol Thanks for that.

However the issue here is not the roll numbering. I just thought it was peculiar since it was dealing with the effected files.

Any other information you may know as to why I cannot change Brightness or Contrast on the affected rolls? All other editing tools work fine.

Thanks!

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Answer 7

Mar 10, 2010 5:43 AM in response to agoofykindasuperman

No longer relevant to me, moved on. Thanks for the help!

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