Can't drag pictures to the desktop any more

When I double click the photo, I get the black box with the exclamation point in

The ! turns up when iPhoto loses the connection between the thumbnail in the iPhoto Window and the file it represents.

That's why you can't drag to the desktop or anything else.

Option 1
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.

If that fails:

Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords, faces and places back.

Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.

Regards

TD

It's not a permissions problem. It means the damage to your Library is such that iPhoto canot find the photos - even though they are present.

Option 1: Restore from your back up

if that's not possible:

Option 2: Recover the files from the damaged Library, create a new one and start over from scratch.

Regards

TD

A back up is a copy of the Library, but best one that you know was working. For instance, the issue that you have will also be in any copy you made last night.

To recover your photos from the Library: 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.

Your photos are in the Originals Folder. Drag it to the Desktop.

Create a new Library:

Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library'

Import the pics from the Original Folder on the desktop.

Regards

TD

I am having the same problem that you were. I have tried everything suggested here and it still won't work. When I double click the photo, I get the black box with the exclamation point in it. If I try to drag it, I still get the NO sign. I'm at a loss. Does anyone have any other ideas? I've burned a copy of my iphoto library and tried creating a new library folder and dragging them in from the disc and it still won't work. Help?!

I tried both options and neither seemed to work. Here's the error message I received with Option 1:
"893 photos could not be copied because they could not be found in the original library. Click the View Log button to see which photos could not be found." Only 192 photos in the library copied. I can "see" the other 893 photos but it still won't let me do anything with them.

Here is an example of what was in the log:
" *Error: Missing photo: no file found at /Users/pnjhogan/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2010/March,1977/DAD TT 500.jpg"

Tried Option 2 also. Sort of the same result. It built the new library but only brought over the 192 photos and left out the other 893.

I'm at a loss. I can't help but think it's a "permission" problem. It seems like the 192 photos that I can work with were directly imported into my iMac from a digital camera. The others were ones that were sent via email or from a mobile device.

I must admit, that while I'm not totally computer illiterate, I'm no wizard by any means. Thank you for anything additional you can come up with!

Regards,
Phyllis

Ok, now I'm going to really sound illiterate. By backup do you mean the iPhoto library that I made last night? I've fretted over this so long my mind is turning to mush. I'm not even sure I know how to recover the files from the damaged library.

I appreciate your help TD but if you'd like to tell me "lots of luck" I understand!

Phyllis in Florida

Still no go. The only photos that came in were the 193 that I can work with, not the 800+ others. They must be "damaged" in the Originals Folder.

I also have a Macbook. If I could only email them back to myself I could save them into iPhoto on the Macbook and at least we could "use" them. Do you think I could try loading the backup disc I did last night on the Macbook, into a new library and see what happens?

I may have to be satisfied in just being able to at least look at them on the iMac!

Well that didn't work either because they turned out to be nothing on the backup disc. Apparently the photos are so "corrupted" that in addition to not allowing them to be emailed or drug to the Desktop, it won't allow them to be burnt to a disc either.

I believe we've tried all that can be done. I thank you greatly for all of your help.

Phyllis in Florida

That was one of the first things I checked because I'd seen it in one of your earlier posts. It wasn't locked. Thanks for the suggestion!