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Reverting to iPhoto '09?

Anyone know the smoothest way to go back to '09?
TimeMachine back-up?

There are just too many bugs and too many missing features in '11.
It really is next to useless.
I hope these are short term problems & that Apple will bring it back to being a useful (and useable ap') if not '11 marks the death of a otherwise great ap' that had until now been evolving well.
Seems they have concentrated too much on the 'cute' factor & forgotten that people do actually need iPhoto to do stuff.

27" 2.8ghz i7, 3.06ghz intel c2d 24" iMac 4g ram, 2ghz 13" Uni B MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Oct 23, 2010 8:28 PM

64 replies

Whitecity

Level 2

344 points

Feb 1, 2011 9:34 PM in response to Jeffrey Hall1

It's posted above - unfortunately it is time consuming, and does not solve the long term problem.

Mar 5, 2011 2:10 AM in response to Adam Woodhams

I have successfully downgraded my iPhoto '11 library to '09, but it'll cost you $19.95 for *iPhoto Library Manager* (aka ' iLM') ( http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/). Please note: I'm not affiliated with the programmer, just a happy user.

• remove iPhoto.app ('11) from Applications
• install iPhoto from iLife '09 DVD
• install all updates via Software Update
• double-click iPhoto.app with "Option" key held until panel appears ⚠
-> you will be asked which library you want to use
• Create a new library, just to make sure that iPhoto starts without trying to read the '11 library
• Start iPhoto Library Manager
-> it will find all iPhoto Libraries on your Mac, if not, use "Add Library"
• Select the '11 library to be downgraded
• Choose "Rebuild Library" from File menu
• Choose place where the downgraded library should be saved
-> iPhoto will quit, starts with new library and imports.

This may take some time, of course. Unfortunately I sometimes got panels from iPhoto asking how to handle duplicates. iPhoto Library Manager will hang until you answer this question.

Nevertheless, after some hours I got 20665 pictures imported, all faces regenerated and everything as before, just back in '09.

At "http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/Help/print/index.html" you find the manual of iLM, where downgrading is briefly described as well.

Have good luck, but *please make sure that you have a backup of the '11 library*! It looks like the '11 library is NOT touched during this process, but who knows that for sure.

BTW: you can also use iLM to merge iPhoto libraries and much more. Nice app and up-to-date.

Update: please note that iPhoto of iLife '09 has version number "8", while iLife '11 contains iPhoto version "9". Little bit confusing, is'nt it?

Message was edited by: Robert Fischer, added version numbers of iPhoto.app in iLife '09 and '11.

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,414 points

Mar 5, 2011 2:30 AM in response to Robert Fischer

Robert

Couple of things:

• remove iPhoto.app ('11) from Applications

You also need to remove the receipts.

On 10.6: Those receipts may be found as follows: In the Finder use the Go menu and select Go To Folder. In the resulting window type

/var/db/receipts/

A Finder Window will open at that location and you can remove the iPhoto pkg files.

• Choose "Rebuild Library" from File menu

You don't need to purchase iPhoto Library Manager to use the Rebuild command.

Regards

TD

Mar 5, 2011 2:50 AM in response to Yer_Man

TD,

thank you for this update. I did'nt know that iPhoto Library Manager works for free on this complex command, but that's good news for all users with the need to downgrade.

I did not removed the receipts as well. What's the difference? I assume that Software Update will try to update my non-exisiting iPhoto '11, right? So I should make a little cleanup.

thx,

Robert

RichG99

Level 1

0 points

Mar 15, 2011 12:47 PM in response to Robert Fischer

Just got a mew mbp with iP'11 installed and played with bringing my '09 library in ... as everyone else says: this version is a serious downgrade. It looks like iPhoto is going down the same path iMovie went several years ago, from a really very capable program to a piece of below-consumer grade fluff. I'll be working on getting '09 installed and reverting my library.

Rich

Mar 18, 2011 5:08 AM in response to Yer_Man

Did you just downgrade Iphoto 11 and not the rest of I Life 11? If you just installed I Life 9 would it downgrade everything or do you have to do all of the things Robert Fisher did? This is a joke -- I don't get how Apple could ignore everyone about some of the most obvious dumb down features, like not letting you view keywords even while they left in the command to do so. And comparing photos . . .and I don't notice that the quality of editing is any better, did you?

Mar 18, 2011 5:13 AM in response to Melinda Grant Watson

You can't really "downgrade", but remove iPhoto '11 manually, then install iLife '09.
While installing, you can choose what products you want to install, so it won't affect the other apps of '11.
If you want a clean removal you may want to follow the steps described by Terence, see above.

May 24, 2011 10:56 AM in response to Robert Fischer

Robert,

Did your iPhoto '11 database have keywords in any of your photos, and after downgrading with iLM, did you verify that those same photos when viewed in iPhoto '09 retained the original keywords after the rebuild/revert process?

Thanks!

Sean

Whitecity

Level 2

344 points

Dec 5, 2011 2:18 PM in response to RescueU-FF

I can't beleive that Apple still hasn't fixed iPhoto 11.

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Dec 5, 2011 2:35 PM in response to Whitecity

iPhoto '11 works fine - exactly what problem are you having?

Whitecity

Level 2

344 points

Dec 5, 2011 4:41 PM in response to LarryHN

The removal of full screen view is the deal breaker for me, that and not being able to send photos to mail any more.

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Dec 5, 2011 4:49 PM in response to Whitecity

Iphoto '11 works just fine - you may not like the way it works but that certainly does not mean it does not work!

And as to e-mail - it has exactly the same e-mail capabilities as '08 and '09 had plus new ones. Your statement that '11 is not able to send photos to mail anymore is totally incorrect and has no basis in fact

Whitecity

Level 2

344 points

Dec 6, 2011 11:17 AM in response to LarryHN

Well, I'll take your word for it that the mail issue is fixed - when I first looked at it there was no way to send photos to mail.app without html, and no way to send more than 10 photos, but it's great if that is not true now. As for whether it 'works fine', it may do for you, but features that were in 09 were removed from 11 - that's 'broken' to me. You're not going to convince me that removing full-screen editing capabilty is a feature, not a bug!