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iphoto 11 spinning wheel

I had no problems with iphoto 11 until today. When I open it, all I get is the spinning wheel, and of course cannot do anything other than force quit.

Posted on Oct 27, 2010 10:04 AM

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Posted on Oct 27, 2010 10:57 AM

Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.

Regards

TD
30 replies

Oct 28, 2010 5:15 PM in response to terrorofthedeeep

I have rebuilt my libraries many times, I have reinstalled iPhoto numerous times, I have returned to iPhoto '9 on my B/U disk and reinstalled iPhoto '11, and I have run out of ideas to correct the spinning beach ball. I put my curser over a photo and get a spinning beach ball for 10 seconds and I can't edit the photo. I move to another photo, between beach ball spins, and the beach ball returns. Can anyone help me?

Nov 1, 2010 10:01 AM in response to wcapellan

Did you apply the iPhoto 9.0.1 updater? If not do so, repair disk permissions, delete the iPhoto cache file in your User/Library/Caches/com.apple.iPhoto folder, reboot and try again.

Next, if necessary, try the fix below posted by MacFixIt in this article: iPhoto '11 upgrades stuck at converting database, missing photos

If this still does not work, you can try manually delete the projects database in the iPhoto library along with some relevant files, and then retry the import. To do this, go to the library file on disk, right-click it and select "Show Package Contents." Then locate and remove the following items:
InterruptedUpdate
ThemeCache
ProjectDBVersion.plist
Projects.db
Projects.db-journal
Deleting these items should not affect any photos in the library, and the next import should recreate the projects database.

Nov 1, 2010 11:39 AM in response to Old Toad

Tried all these and the other posted fixes to no avail. Always starts converting the database, gets about 66% of the way through and I get get the 'rainbow wheel' as well as the iPhoto spinning wheel. I've tried leaving it (12 hours???) and it's progressed no further. As soon as the 'rainbow wheel' appears the 'Force Quit Applications' utility is reporting iPhoto as not responding.

I've tried the 'batchmod' reset...no go there either. Interestingly When looking to delete the files in the iPhoto file (under show contents) I never see the following files

ProjectDBVersion.plist
Projects.db
Projects.db-journal

only

InterruptedUpdate
ThemeCache

Luckily I haven't got too much hair to tear out! Any more ideas out there?

Nov 1, 2010 11:44 AM in response to Old Toad

Hi, for me anyway the spinning ball and the missing photos are two separate issues. I upgraded to iPhoto 11 on two machines (macbook pro and iMac). I repaired disc permissions and rebuilt the iPhoto database before the upgrade and both upgrades went well with no missing photos. Both machines are running 10.6.4 and both are intel. On my iMac though I am having the hanging / spinning ball issue. For me it occurs after I double click on a photo and it expands to encompass the window. It will hang at this point for maybe 30 seconds then be OK, then If I click to go back to the event that photo is from it will hang for maybe 3-5 minutes and sometimes the screen will [distort|http://www.peterfoleyusa.com/images/distortphoto.JPG] during this time everything hangs and you can't get to the desktop etc. It seems like something about how iPhoto11 accesses the graphics processor is making this happen, but that is a wild *** guess.

Nov 1, 2010 1:27 PM in response to alangj

That's probably because the conversion didn't get far enough along to create them. 😟

You can get started with a new library, while keeping your current one to keep trying to fix, as follows:


Start over with a new library and import the Originals folder from your original library as follows:

Creating a new library while preserving the Events from the original library.

1. Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
2. Open the library package like this.

User uploaded file

Click to view full size


3. Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
4. Drag the Originals folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.

This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library if you have the Finder checkbox unchecked in the Events preference pane.


At least you can get started and if you every get the original fixe you can use iPhotoSync to get those photos in the new library into your old one.


Here's how it works:

1 - it compares the databases and/or album.xml files of Libraries A and B.
2 - the files in A that are not in B are imported into B by copying the original files from A into B's Import folder.
3 - it then does the same for B.
4 - metadata is not copied.
5 - it can be password protected to prevent unauthorized use.

It can be used to just copy from A to B and not sync both ways if desired.


Or you can use iPhoto Library Manager to copy the files from the new to the old and keep metadata intact. Right now it's not entirely iPhoto 11 compatible but the developer is working on it.

Nov 1, 2010 1:34 PM in response to Kidtrailboss

Does that distortion occur with every photo or just one? What graphics card does the iMac have. There was an issue with one graphic card and Mac Pros which messed everything up but haven't heard of any iMac issues.

There are a couple of specific iMac specific updates. Have you installed both if they apply to your machine?

iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0

iMac Software Update 1.1 and

Dec 7, 2010 3:28 PM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad wrote:
Did you apply the iPhoto 9.0.1 updater? If not do so, repair disk permissions, delete the iPhoto cache file in your User/Library/Caches/com.apple.iPhoto folder, reboot and try again.

Next, if necessary, try the fix below posted by MacFixIt in this article: iPhoto '11 upgrades stuck at converting database, missing photos

If this still does not work, you can try manually delete the projects database in the iPhoto library along with some relevant files, and then retry the import. To do this, go to the library file on disk, right-click it and select "Show Package Contents." Then locate and remove the following items:
InterruptedUpdate
ThemeCache
ProjectDBVersion.plist
Projects.db
Projects.db-journal
Deleting these items should not affect any photos in the library, and the next import should recreate the projects database.


Clearing the project files worked for me. Thanks!

Feb 15, 2011 7:38 AM in response to terrorofthedeeep

I was having the same issue after the upgrade to iPhoto 11. I solved it by doing the following:

-Install iPhoto 11 like normal (in my case from the Mac App Store)
-After installation erase the old Library (assuming you have it backed up, for me it was Time Machine)
-Open iPhoto 11 make sure the program launches and asks you for a Library or to Create one
-Quit iPhoto
-Restore the old iPhoto library from backup
-Open iPhoto 11 and it converts the old library and works

That is how I did it hope this is useful.

Feb 16, 2011 3:07 AM in response to terrorofthedeeep

This happened to me yesterday, I've only had my macbook for a month and haven't used iphoto much, but yesterday I went to update my ipod and when iphoto launched all I got was this..

[IMG] http://i53.tinypic.com/2rc49qg.jpg[/IMG]

I have tried the rebuild and that didn't work and I can't work out how to do any of the other suggestions. As you can see from my photo there is no library to click on!

iphoto 11 spinning wheel

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