Tip - Rescuing your photos from iPhoto 11's evil clutches

Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.

and I hadn't properly backed it up before upgrading (wasn't aware then that this was such a poor piece of sware).

Really? You don't have a back up? Frankly, anyone who doesn’t have an up-to-date back up of their important data is not very wise.

it still bounces and hangs.

Have you tried removing the DivX components from HD/Library/QuickTime ?

Regards

TD

Tim,
Don't take it personally mate. You are absolutely right about iPhoto. It is an amorphous lump, but where the blame lies for lack of wisdom is with the programmers at Apple. There is also an element amongst the die hards that won't accept that there has been a complete **** up of a previously good program. Criticism of Apple is unacceptable to them and that is why they divert blame to those who don't back up before installing new Apple programs. The point is, that not so long ago, it wasn't really necessary to do that with Apple stuff. Advisable perhaps, but rarely necessary. Nowadays, since Quality Control staff have been laid off until further notice (along with their colleagues in the Field Testing Dept) - it is very much a requirement. Just pretend that your Mac is running Windows 98 when you install anything, and your expectations will be more in line with actual results.
😉

The point is, that not so long ago, it wasn't really necessary to do that with Apple stuff. Advisable perhaps, but rarely necessary.

I lost my first data from a Mac in 1994 when a HD drive died. A back up is, was, and always will be absolutely necessary.

Do you really believe that there was a halcyon day when all apple products worked right out of the box for everyone, everywhere? If you really believe that I've got this bridge in Manhattan I can sell you. Go back to these forums to when iPhoto 6, 7 or 8 were released. Each time there was a chorus of folks who lost data, who thought that iPhoto was getting worse with every iteration and all the other types of posts that you can read here today about iPhoto 9.

I have no problem criticising Apple. I don't think this iPhoto is a particularly compelling upgrade. That said, for me, it was an absolutely flawless processes.

However, criticising Apple here is pointless. If someone comes in with an issue, where does it help to say "It's Apple's Fault". Does it get you one whit closer to solving the issue? Better, I believe, to stress again and again the elements that a User can do to proof his/her set-up. Backing up is the most simple and basic thing that any user can do to protect his/her data. Feeding back to Apple via the Feedback process is something a user can do. Sitting on a bar stool complaining about Apple is a pointless exercise.

It really has to be started very bluntly: any one with valuable data and no up-to-date back up is as wise as any person who motorbikes without a crash helmet or drives without a seatbelt. Neither of these will prevent accidents (and the accidents may be your fault or the other guy's) but they do improve your chances of coming out of unscathed.

To suggest otherwise is foolhardy.

Regards

TD

it has alway been CRITICAL to have a current backup - people file - software fails and hardware fails - with no back up - which only an idiot would claim is the proper way to go - you will lose date and it may be irrecoverable

Apple - PC - Linux - iPhone etc - you MUST always have backup or yu WILL lose your date

LN

You've missed the point.

Having a back up strategy isn't under fire here. Shifting the responsibility for a sub-standard, badly performing, damaging program that is iPhoto, is.

Halcyon days? Don't be silly. But there is a sharp contrast in the way products from Apple don't work these days, compared to how they used to. I remember the first years of my switch to Apple where it was decidedly noticeable that I didn't have to worry about installing new programs, compared with my experience with my Windows PC. That confidence has simply and irrefutably disappeared. iPhoto is just one example. There are plenty of others but this is not the forum to go into more of that. Suffice to say, I am still very much an Apple user (4 iPhones, 5 iMacs, 3 PowerBooks, 2X iBooks and a MBP + iPods etc etc.) and therefore have enough real experience of Apple products to comment, but I do get annoyed when products like this are let loose on a less-experienced Apple audience, and their 'mishap' is worsened by being criticised because they didn't back up. Insult to injury when there's a holier than thou response which is unnecessary and grossly unhelpful.
And backing up previouly well-running programs (and their data) has nothing whatsoever to do with a newly installed, poorly monitored, not-market-ready, irresponsible software like iPhoto. They are two completely separate issues.

The program should work whether you have backed up or not.

You can't blame the customer for a product that not only doesn't work, but also causes damage to their 'property'.

It's not a difficult concept.

tim_tunes wrote:

Not really sure that anyone is arguing anything different. My issues would be 1) I Didn't realise the implications of the iphoto library wrapper 2)I don't think the upgrade process made it clear 3)My upgrade hasn't worked 4)That has been very frustrating.

#1-4 is exactly what happened to me (totally lame) . . . I was blindsided to find out Time Machine wasn't backing up, too -- part of what had happened is my backup HD during the week was getting messages that it had filled up (iPhoto / iMovie was duplicating things, HD's began swelling up and TM started giving "drive full" error messages).

I have now gone for a 3rd (larger) backup drive to swap -- the 2TB Western Digital 'Green' Drive on Amazon; didn't plan that purchase from a "simple iLife upgrade" . . . how about a biga** sticker on the front of the new disks, reading:

"HEY, DID YOU BACKUP ALL YOUR STUFF FIRST, IN CASE THIS UPGRADE HOSES YOUR DATA?"

Fortunately, of 25,000 photos, only about 2-3 weeks of simple snapshots in Oct. weren't backed up. I spent way too much time on this, however Apple phone support did do the trick walking me through some pretty deep steps to fix things.

Just a general point. I did have a backup and after weeks with tech support got no where. So I took a freshly backed up library and imported into Aperture 3.1 Took 8 days since my library is 1.2 TB but it did go in all pics, albums and everything that was there before. The problem with with restoring masters is although you have your pics all your other albums data and versions are gone. An interesting foot note is I did get an email from an Apple Iphoto team developer offering to send me an external drive to up load my library and see what they could find to get it to upgrade. Interesting. Will let you know how it works out.
Bob

I just upgraded to iLife 11 and now I can't access any of my previous pictures. When I open the new iPhoto it tells me my photo library is not compatible. I have thousands of photos, help.

I just upgraded to iLife 11 and now I can't access any of my previous pictures. When I open the new iPhoto it tells me my photo library is not compatible. I have thousands of photos, help.

Did you run software update and assure that your software is fully up to date (iPhoto version 9.1) prior to launching iPhoto?

If you did get iPhoto Library Manager - http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ - read instruction on their blog on how to address one of the more common iPhoto '11 upgrade issues

LN

installed iphoto 11, it worked ok. Spent hours doing the facial recognition which was all good. Now I try opening it and just get a blank screen, it looks like it's loading but nothing happens- no bouncing just the loading circle. Have now installed the update but still the same problem.
Not sure how to fix as other users seem to get error messages or bouncing icon...