Why Does Deleting Ipod Iphoto Cache reset Iphone's Photo Sync and Apple TV?

Question

Why Does Deleting Ipod Iphoto Cache reset Iphone's Photo Sync and Apple TV?

I was told in the forum by a number of people that the Ipod Iphoto Cache is not really needed. On my Mac this file is 9GB. It is created when I set up my Itunes to sync my Iphone. I originally wanted to know why everytime I plugged in the Iphone for syncing, it would sync and then "optimize # photo of 256". Everytime, regardless of whether there was more pictures in my Iphoto.
Trying to save memory, I asked the forum about this file and was told, its just set up during the first sync and then not necessary. So I took the advice and deleted it. When I did that, the next time I plugged in my Iphone, Itunes would not sync my Iphoto library because the box was changed to "unchecked". I have Apple TV and it also no longer automatically synced up my photos because its box was unchecked.
Can anyone explain what is going on in this process?
Thanks,
Skip

Imac G5 (non Intel) and Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8), Leapord on both

Posted on Apr 4, 2010 4:48 AM

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Answer 1

Rob Ryan

Level 2

489 points

Apr 4, 2010 7:18 AM in response to William Huisking1

Short answer: You were misinformed when they told you the cache was not needed. (By definition, a cache is generally a place that stuff is stored to make it faster to retrieve that information in the future.) You can get rid of it temporarily, but if you want to sync photos with you iPhone, it will rebuild that cache.

But if your machine was resyncing photos everytime you sync'ed your photos, it was a reasonable suggestion, though, to get rid of the cache (most likely the cache was corrupted somehow) and let iTunes rebuild it.

I'm unclear as to where you stand now. Can you turn on syncing photos? It should reconvert the pictures again, rebuilding the cache, but hopefully it will do that just the first sync.

So where do you stand now?

Message was edited by: Rob Ryan

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Answer 2

Apr 4, 2010 7:37 AM in response to Rob Ryan

Rob,
Thanks for the quick answer.
Where do I stand now? I rechecked both boxes; one on the Iphone Iphoto sync and one on the Iphoto Apple TV box. Both are now resynced (after a lot of hours rebuilding the cache for both units.
However, when I hit the "sync" button on my Iphone when connected, it syncs and then "optimizes a number of photographs" before it completes the process and says "ok to disconnect".
I don't think the cache is "corrupted". However, I really don't know. I do have a lot of pictures from my Iphoto that are now on my Iphone and Apple TV - about 13,000 from a lot of years....
Do you understand why the Apple TV and Iphone boxes default to no check in the box when I trash the Ipod Iphoto cache?
Thanks and happy holiday.
Skip

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Answer 3

Rob Ryan

Level 2

489 points

Apr 4, 2010 7:54 AM in response to William Huisking1

Do you understand why the Apple TV and Iphone boxes default to no check in the box when I trash the Ipod Iphoto cache?

The cache is where it stores copies of stuff related to the syncing of photos, to make it quicker in future syncs. If you, behind iTunes' back, get rid of that folder, it's not entirely unreasonable for iTunes to turn off syncing of photos. You've gotten rid of the folder that iTunes uses to facilitate that process. In short, if you're syncing photos, you don't want to mess with that folder.

I do have a lot of pictures from my Iphoto that are now on my Iphone and Apple TV - about 13,000 from a lot of years....

If you're really saying that you're syncing 13000 photos with your iPhone, I'm not surprised it takes a few moments for iTunes to check your photo collection for new photos and then optimize them. Personally, I select particular photos to be sync'ed on my iPhone, rather than my whole collection. You, too, can probably speed up your sync speed by narrowing down the collections of photos you want to sync with your iPhone.

I don't think the cache is "corrupted"

That may be. I was just trying to guess why someone would have suggested that you get rid of the cache, because you generally shouldn't mess with it.

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Answer 4

Apr 4, 2010 7:56 AM in response to Rob Ryan

Thanks so much... I appreciate you taking the time to explain this all to me. I wish I had your information before I trashed it.... I wouldn't have spent all the time last night getting it all back.
Thanks again and have a great holiday.
Skip

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