Iphoto Duplicates

pwdean3437 wrote:

HELP! Do I really have to buy Photo Annihilator (sp?) to remove the multiple duplicates in iphoto? I just downloaded the '11 version and there seems to be no solution. I have 14K photos with multiple dups, this is crazy. Thanks.

Of course not

the best way is to not create duplicates in the first place - how did you do this? Did you by any chance import an iPhoto library into your iPhoto library? If that is it then the solution is to do it correctly - delete your bad library (unless you have new photos in it) and drag the old library form its source to the pictures folder and launch iPhoto

Another solution is to go through and delete them yourself

If you bother to search the forums you can find other solution s - I believe that Old Toad has posted info on a free script to help with finding and deleting duplicates

Or you can purchase a third party package like Duplicate Annihilator - http://www.brattoo.com/propaganda/

LN

No. There is an Applescript that will identify the duplicates and add the word "duplicate" to the Comment sections of those photos. You can create a smart album with the criteria "Comments contains duplicate" to group them all together.

Or better yet create the smart album before running the script and watch it populate as the scripts progresses.

It's easies to run the script via the Script menu which is activated by the Applescript Editor's General preferences "Show Script editor in menu bar" checkbox.

You can read more about the script and download it from: iPhoto AppleScript to Remove Duplicates | Daddy Fixes Everything.

OT

my iphoto has started duplicating and triplicating pics randomly. It just started this today. i trash these duplicates and all seems normal again. I open iPhoto 5 min later and all's well. I open 30 min later and they're duplicating again. So I trash the new duplicates and the cycle restarts itself.

I called Apple, they say there's no virus that can be doing this. Anyone else have this problem?

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 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

OT - great! Now that all of my duplicates are marked & in a smart folder... how do I delete them? (slow but learning)

Select the photos (keep it fewer than 100 at a time) and type Command+Option+Delete. That will move the photos out of the smart album to the iPhoto Trash bin. Then empty the iPhoto trash.

With Lion and the latest iPhoto the delted photos will end up in the Trash bin in the dock after emptying the iPhoto trash. So you will have to empty that trash also. It also gives you a second change tp cancel the deletion if desired.