iPhoto 11 deleting some keywords

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Level 1

35 points

iPhoto 11 deleting some keywords

Hi all,

Yesterday I started trying to add keywords to my photos in iPhoto. It went well for about 100 photos, then started getting a bit wonky.

If I added keywords a, b, c, d to a photo and then clicked outside the keyword box (say, to add location data, which was not doing well with batch editing), 2 of the keywords would just disappear. It was the same two keywords for every photo. I'd have to go back and add them again and then they'd stay.

Any idea what's going on there?

MBP, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Mar 30, 2011 9:25 AM

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Answer 1

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Old Toad

Level 10

207,331 points

Mar 30, 2011 11:33 AM in response to geena

Try the following:

1 - apply all of the keywords to one photo. This will be the keyword "mule" file.
2 - export the mule via the File ➙ Export ➙ File export menu option with the Format=JPEG and the check box to include the keywords checked.
3 - create a new, text library and import the mule file (this will bring in all of your keywords into the new library) and a couple of others.
4 - see if you get the same behavior as in your original library.

Post back with the results.

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Answer 2

geena Author

Level 1

35 points

Mar 30, 2011 3:24 PM in response to Old Toad

I applied the keywords (2 of them twice to make them save) to a photo.
I exported it to my download folder, making sure it was a jpeg and that the "titles and keywords" box was checked.

I exported a few photos that would require the same keywords (but had none) to the download folder.

I closed iPhoto, then reopened it holding down the option key. I made a new library and then imported the file with the keywords and the other 3 without.

I added keywords to the other 3 photos in this new library.

For two photos, I added the keywords from the grid view (all 4 photos were on the screen) and the same behavior occurred - those two keywords disappeared as soon as I clicked out of the box. For one photo, I needed to add a face and when I did so, it enlarged that photo to fill the screen. I added the keywords while it was the only photo on the screen and it took all 4 keywords without deleting any.

I reproduced this in the original library as well. It will add the keywords if that's the only photo on the screen, but will delete those two if I'm adding keywords to a photo that's in grid view.

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Answer 3

geena Author

Level 1

35 points

Mar 30, 2011 3:31 PM in response to geena

Amendment - I started adding keywords again to the single photos and it started doing it again, dropping the two keywords. So I guess it does it both ways.

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Answer 4

Old Toad

Level 10

207,331 points

Mar 30, 2011 5:02 PM in response to geena

I suggest you create 2 smart albums: 1 for problem keyword 1 and one for problem keyword 2.

Then create 2 new keywords to replace those two. In one smart album 1 add new keyword1 to all of the photos. In smart album 2, add new keyword 2 to all the photos.

Now open the keyword pane and delete those two original problem keywords.

Repeat your keyword assignment process using the two new keywords and see if there's any change.

If not you may have to reinstall iPhoto.

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Answer 5

geena Author

Level 1

35 points

Mar 30, 2011 8:05 PM in response to Old Toad

That seemed to work. I then did the same thing with the new keywords, though... I created smart albums for the new keyword and went back to the original. So weird that I had to do all that.

If I did have to reinstall iPhoto, would all the work I've done so far be erased?

Thank you for your help.

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Answer 6

Old Toad

Level 10

207,331 points

Mar 31, 2011 9:08 AM in response to geena

If I did have to reinstall iPhoto, would all the work I've done so far be erased?

No. The iPhoto library contains all of your photos and organizational efforts. Reinstalling the iPhoto application will have no affect on the library.

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