Share email > keeps deleting recipient address

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Level 3

686 points

Share email > keeps deleting recipient address

In iPhoto (11? which is really 9? But 9 is 8??)
When I try to share a picture using the email option, I cannot get what I enter in the To filed to stay put. Right after I enter an address, or select one from the list that pops up as I begin typing a name - then move my curser to the subject field or anywhere, the name disappears.
I tried entering the subject first, then entering the recipient email address manually, then clicking directly on Send. But again, the name goes away but a blue progess bar shows up indicating it is sending. After 4-5 minutes or so, I get an error message saying my resipient didn't receive my email.
I am using my mobile me account to do this. I even tried sending to myself at another email address. Same thing.
Any help please.

MacPro 2006-MacBook Pro 2010-Powerbook G4, Mac OS X (10.6.6), 10.5 & 10.6 on MacPro. Trying to setup new MBP

Posted on Mar 24, 2011 11:48 AM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Mar 24, 2011 1:04 PM in response to Noodle-head

I was able to duplicate what you're describing once. But after that one time it could not be duplicated.

What do you get if you enter the subject first and then go to the address? You can try the following: delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your Home/Library/Preferences folder, launch iPhoto and try again.

NOTE: If you're moved your library from its default location in your Home/Pictures folder you will have to point iPhoto to its new location when you next open iPhoto by holding the the Option key. You'll also have to reset the iPhoto's various preferences.

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Answer 2

Noodle-head Author

Level 3

686 points

Mar 24, 2011 3:59 PM in response to Old Toad

Hello OT. Thanks for replying.
In trying what you suggested, I get the same thing.
Here's a step by step of what I'm doing and the behaviors I'm seeing:
In iPhoto I double click a picture to open it in full view. I used the cropping tool, adjusting the size by dragging the sides in. Then hit the Crop tool again (since I don't see a "done" button). It now shows up cropped the way I want.
I click on _Share > email_. The image is now presented in the Snapshots theme, by default I guess. And the subject line is prefilled with "Photo from Feb 28."
Now I have tried this both ways - deleting the prefilled subject line and entering a new one of my own; and I have tried leaving it as is and going straight to the To field.
In both instances, I begin typing a name and a list of possible emails shows up. I click on the one I want and it enters.
This is where the trouble begins because no matter where I go next, the To field empties.
I have tried starting over by not choosing email names from the list and instead entering one manually. But the same thing happens.

I ran Disk Utility and repaired permissions. No change.
Any ideas?

I just tried deleting the the com.apple.iPhoto.plist file and restarting iPhoto.
Repeating the above I get the same problem.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Mar 24, 2011 4:06 PM in response to Noodle-head

When you click on the crop button an window drops down with the Done and Reset button in it as well as the Restrain menu.

Create a new test library, import a couple of photos and try emailing from it. If it fails also log into another user account on your Mac, open iPhoto and try there. This will tell if it's universal or limited to your account.

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Answer 4

Noodle-head Author

Level 3

686 points

Mar 24, 2011 5:01 PM in response to Old Toad

OK. Created new test library...same problem.
I also ran updater and saw an iPhoto update to 9.1.1, which I installed. But that didn't help.

Logged out and back in to a Test user account. It worked.
So what does that tell me as far as fixing this problem?
One thing is it did not use my address book because no list of email addresses came up as I was typing in a recipient. Could that be a factor? Doubt it since I had tried manually entering addresses.

I appreciate the help ruling out possibilities but I am stuck at this point since I don't really know how to interpret this result and what to do with the information.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Mar 24, 2011 7:24 PM in response to Noodle-head

Since the problem is limited to your primary account it could be a preference file other than iPhoto's. Here's how to determine if that's the case:

Trouble Shooting Preferences in Leopard/Snow Leopard

1 - close all applications.

2 - open your Library folder, Home/Library, and drag the Preferences folder to the Desktop. A new Preference folder will be immediately created in the Library.

3 - run the application again and determine if the problems is fixed.

4 - If the problem is fixed:

A - open the working Preferences folder (HD/Users/your_name/Library/Preferences).
B - Open the Preferences folder on the Desktop, select all of the contents and drag them into the working Preferences folder.
C - When the Copy window pops up check the "Apply to All" check box and then click on the Don't Replace button.

Click to view full size

5 - If the problem is NOT fixed, drag the Preferencess folder on the Desktop into the Library to replace the new one that was created.

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Answer 6

Noodle-head Author

Level 3

686 points

Mar 25, 2011 11:22 AM in response to Old Toad

OT
Tried as you suggested.
The problem is NOT fixed.
Then when I tried your step 5 I get a message saying "Preferences" can't be modified or deleted because it's required by Mac OS X.
It won't let me copy the folder back. No prompt for administrator password or anything. It just dead ends me.

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Mar 25, 2011 11:37 AM in response to Noodle-head

Try dragging just the contents of the Pref folder on the desktop into the new Pref folder. Are you in an administrative account? First time I've heard of not getting a verification window for the password.

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Answer 8

Noodle-head Author

Level 3

686 points

Mar 25, 2011 2:57 PM in response to Old Toad

Hello again.
Before I go any further I want to let you know that I very much appreciate your taking the time to work on this with me. It's quite clear you have a heap of experience and perhaps are in IT of some sort, or education/training. You're good at it. Communicating clear steps in workable chunks.

OK, so I was going to do that then hesitated, a bit unsure of the outcome. I went ahead after getting your follow up. I got a prompt about a plist file already there; I checked apply to all and selected replace. It worked. The desktop folder is now empty and I assume the original Preferences Folder is as it was.

One other note, an update: since my MacBook Pro is still under 90 day warrantee, and that's where I'm having the problem (my Mac Pro is operating with iLife '09) I decided to call Apple tech support. First advisor ran out of suggestions. Next up Advisor was able to replicate the problem on his end, and eventually determined it might be a bug in this version of iPhoto. He went off to explore it further and will get back to me.

I'll post results.

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Answer 9

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Mar 25, 2011 4:57 PM in response to Noodle-head

Tried to duplicate the problem today and couldn't. It only happened once yesterday. Illusive little bugger.

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Answer 10

Mar 31, 2011 5:02 PM in response to Old Toad

I just tried to Share > E-mail for the first time to send a photo of a niece for her birthday. Kept entering the address and every time I hit return, the address disappeared. So I show up here (after being hung up on on the AppleCare line. Only to find that this is a well-documented failure of Apple to design its software. The fact that the e-mail interface doesn't launch in Mail is first clue. Why wouldn't Apple software know that my e-mail software is Mail and have an interface that was even remotely like Mail. This is indicative of a software company that has lost its understanding that all of its products should work seemlessly together. Where, oh, where is Steve Jobs!

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Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

207,325 points

Mar 31, 2011 5:33 PM in response to jse210ibook

A workaround is to use Mail to email the photos and use one of Mail's photo templates:

Click to view full size

It's all very seamless and efficient.

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Answer 12

Noodle-head Author

Level 3

686 points

Apr 1, 2011 4:01 PM in response to Old Toad

OT
Yes, I already came to that work-around conclusion.
And jse210ibook, I feel your pain and frustration.

Update on my Apple ticket: took tech longer to get back to me than he said but he eventually did. Bad news is he had no resolution. Said he was kicking it up a level.

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Answer 13

Jul 5, 2011 12:52 PM in response to Noodle-head

We have the solution to this one - its a bug in iPhoto reading the Address Book. In order for iPhoto to send correctly you must have the First and Last Names filled in in your contact in Address Book. Correct your contacts and iPhoto will work correctly.

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Answer 14

Jul 19, 2011 7:06 PM in response to shplendid

shplendid...

Unfortunately, that is not a solution. My email addresses have the first and last names spelled out and I still have the problem of some names disapearing in the "to" line when trying to send photos via email in iPhoto.

I'm lost for solutions that actually work and frustrated.

jefffromhilliard

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Answer 15

Nov 6, 2011 7:28 PM in response to shplendid

Shplendid! You absolutely nailed it! I've been working around this problem for months. So glad to find your solution. Easy as pie. But, why do we even have to correct our addresses like this - funny, huh?

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