Hello,
Does anyone know how to delete duplicate photos? Is there any other way than individually taking each photo to the trash can? Please let me know! Thanks!!
Are your talking about duplicates you see while working in iPhoto?
Or are you talking about duplicates you see when you go into the iPhoto Library Folder in your Pictures Folder? That is the database, and iPhoto creates those file for display use in the application.
Thanks for writing back! What is the difference? Sorry, I just got my computer so I am not very familiar. There are three copies of pictures in my library. What do you mean by working in iPhoto?
Working in iPhoto means you have launched the application and are working in the application window.
Don't touch anything in the iPhoto Library Folder you will find in your Pictures Folder,
Here are some terms you must know to save you from grief:
iPhoto Terms
iPhoto
The application is designed to do EVERYTHING working in the application with the options available in the window and menus. Basically, once a photo has been imported into iPhoto (file copied to the database) that file is available only through the application. To use it some place else (that is not an iPhoto option) - export, or drag it from the window.
Photo Library
Note: that is "Photo Library", not "iPhoto Library". This is the option you see in the source window to display all the photos imported into iPhoto.
iPhoto Library (Folder)
To avoid grief please read this carefully!. The iPhoto Library is a folder that iPhoto creates and by default puts in your user Pictures Folder. This folder is the database where iPhoto actually stores everything you have done in the application. iPhoto keeps this folder in a special way, with special files, folders and subfolders.
Leave this folder alone. Don't add, delete or change anything in this folder. If you do - the database can collapse like a house of cards. Don't browse through it with other applications, like email, one slip can mean disaster.
iPhoto can work with several databases - iPhoto Library folders - but can only open and work with one at a time. These folders can be renamed and stored anywhere - as long as iPhoto knows the name and location - and is directed to open with the folder you select. If you want to move or backup the iPhoto Library folder - you must work with the ENTIRE folder. Don't try to move or backup pieces of the folder.
I tried posting this to another part of the discussion, but I'll also add it here. I was given an iPhoto Library by a client who wanted me to delete all the duplicates. This particular library had a lot of damaged files, but as best as I could, I copied the entire folder from a removeable drive to my hard drive, occasionally needing to move files manually into their proper sub folders.
I then imported this library into a NEW iPhoto Library. Imagine my surprise to discover that all the duplicates were gone! It SEEMS that the importing process was smart enough to only import one copy of each image. Could this actually be the case? I'm dumbfounded that getting rid of duplicates might be this simple!
