iPhoto 11 DOES NOT save edits and you cannot export them

Terrence,

How do you account for the fact that so many people do have the problem??? How do account for the fact that even the MacBook at the Genius Bar had the same problem???

Further more, I was on the phone with Apple support again this morn. and they finally admitted they have had this problem for some time now. They actually took a pic, while I was on the phone with them, imported it to their iPhoto on their computer in Apple support, and the exact same problem happened. The guy said he would need time to talk with his advisor about it. I was then transferred to a guy who told me some stuff about how Sharpness and Noise Reduction are "not true edits". He told me that they have never functioned properly and that the only way to get them to work better was to edit the photo at 100%. To do this you have to open the photo at 100% in an external window and make and save changes then drag back to iPhoto. However, he was not able to do this himself, nor tell me how to do it.

So how do you account for all of that???

I have a friend that has a brand new iMac 27 purchased only a couple of months ago. He had never used iPhoto because he uses PhotoShop for Mac. I told him the problem I was having and he opened his iPhoto, imported a pic, edited, and the exact same problem happened. Noise Reduction and Sharpness didn't save. Since this problem began I have talked to at least 10 other people who are experiencing the same thing, as well as a Genius Bar Tech and the Apple support guy this morn.

It's one thing for Apple to have a problem they can't fix, but an entirely different thing to know, yet suggest that buying an upgrade will fix it, when they know full well it will not.

denniscorei7,

I am running out of patience with this whole mess. I am not a professional photographer, just do it for a hobby. I loved the iPhoto for it's simplicity compared to other editing programs, and since I wasn't doing any heavy duty editing like cloning eyes, replacing heads or anything, I just used it to make minor adjustments here and there. It now looks like I will be forced to use another program. I bought my MacBook in 2009 and had it pre-installed with Aperture 3. After yesterday's events and the un-install/re-install of the OS, I no longer have Aperture on my MacBook. I spoke with the Apple support this morn. and they are sending out a Aperture 3 disk via express mail @ no charge to me. I hope I am able to install it and learn how to use it. Seems a bit overkill for a hobbiest like me but I'm thinking I may be forced to do this.

I was told that the problem is being escalated to the engineers for review and that I should hear something by Tuesday of next week. I will report here, what ever happens, when it happens.

I don't have to account for anything. I'm not the one making universal statements - "IPhoto doesn't work right" - I'm just pointing out that your experience isn't universal. Now if iPhoto doesn't work right, how do you account for that?

Well it seems that no one is being accountable for the issue.

Thank you for pointing out that my experience is not universal. Let me point out that neither is yours - "and there is no widespread problem with iPhoto '11".

I would say that 10 unrelated people, in different parts of the USA, with various OS's, and various machines, all having the same exact problem, and 1 "Genius" at the Genius Bar in OK, and another Apple support tech in Sacremento CA, being able to duplicate the exact problem on their machines, (the ones used to diagnose our machines), plus the numerous internet, discussion forum, and blog posts, dating from 2007 forward, including iPhoto '11, all describing the exact same problem, would be indication of possiblility of a widespread problem. While some folks may not be experiencing the problem, many of us are, and it certainly is not a - "unique problem" as you boldly stated.

Terence, if you know of a way to fix this, then please help us.

I never said that it didn't work at all, or for others. In fact I hope it is working for others, but it isn't for me. I assumed when I posted that readers would know I meant the iPhoto that I'm working with, on my machine, and the particular ones I have described. I can't save the world, I just want to use the program I spent money for and was told would work. Don't ask me how I can account for the ones that are working. Surely you are not suggesting that just because your's works, that I have no right to expect mine to??? or that I have no right to want it to??? or that I have no right to try to get help with it???

Terence,

Please accept my apologies for the quotes that I attibuted to you. I am tired, upset and disappointed about this whole situation. Upon further review I discovered that you were NOT the one who made those statements and I am sorry I said you did.

Also upon further review I realized the quote referenced in your reply was not by me either, although you did not address your statement directly to me.

I still stand by the rest of my post, which is that I just want the program to work for me, and I feel I have a right to expect that. The program seemed to work when I first got the machine and then one day it just didn't anymore. I do feel the problem is not isolated and appears to be widespread. It appears it is not related to any particular machine or iPhoto version.

Sincerely, LRT

I am having the same problem. However, it only seems to happen using the iPhoto Library on my external drive. If I use the library on the main HD, the edits remain while emailing and exporting etc... But it is still a problem that needs to be resolved.

Did you ever come up with a solution?

I sure hope so!

Joe

Joe,

No solution yet. I was hoping to hear back from Apple support yesterday or today, according to what I was told Thurs. and Fri.

So far everyone's best advice is to use another program and stop using iPhoto. Needless to say I am disappointed with this idea, and feel that Apple should correct the problem.

Sadly, iPhoto was one of the selling points that caught my interest when I was looking and MacBooks. I liked the simplicity of the program for both editing and uploading to things like Facebook and Email.

I am having a hard time accepting the fact that it worked for awhile, then quit after some Apple recommended updates, and now no one seems to be able to make it work again. Feels like they sold me something, then decided to take it back, but gave me no compensation for it.

In general, I have been happy with all my Apple products and their customer service, but this has been a huge disappointment to me.

If I get anymore info. I will be sure to post it here. Have a super groovy day!

Much thanks for your reply!

I did try something that worked but temporarily. I had replaced my optical drive for a 1TB HD (months ago and not for any other reason than I just needed for space) and moved my iPhoto library there. I thought maybe if I transferd the pix that I wanted to retain edits for email and slideshows to the native hard drive they would remain in the edited format. They did NOT tranfer edited. However, I edited them again in the native iPhoto Library and they remained edited, but only for one session. It's driving me nuts! As I'm sure you too!

I have 3 iPhones, an iPad and a Macbook Pro and I love them all. (like yourself).

I used a friends Lion MacBook Pro and the emailing edited iPhotos did work on their setup.

Sorry, I didn't get your name. But thanks again!

Joe

How do you account for the fact that so many people do have the problem???

You have to realize that only those that are experiences problems are going to come here and post. You wouldn't judge the health of your city by what you observer in the emergency room of one of its hospitals would you?

The number here is a very small number compared to all those who use iPhoto 11 out there.

I'll post my usual set of fixes so you can see if you've tried everything:

Make a temporary, backup copy (if you don't already have a backup copy) of your library and apply the three fixes in order as necessary.

Fix #1

1 - delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your HD/User/Home()/ Library/Preferences folder.

2 - delete iPhoto's cache file, Cache.db, that is located in your HD/User/Home()/Library /Caches/com.apple.iPhoto folder.

3 - 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 down the Option key when launching iPhoto. You'll also have to reset the iPhoto's various preferences.

Fix #2

Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.

Select the options identified in the screenshot.

Fix #3

Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library

Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.

If the above fail to help then reinstall iPhoto. To do so you'll have to delete the current application and all files with "iPhoto" in the file name with either a .PKG or .BOM extension that reside in the HD/Library/Receipts folder and from the /var/db/receipts/ folder,

Click to view full size

Then install iPhoto from the disk it came on originally and apply all required updaters.

Forgot one thing you can do to isoloate the problem: log into another user account on the Mac and try iPhoto there. If the problem persists then it's not isolated to your account. If is doesn't appear in the other account then there's something in your account that's the culprit. Post back with the results.

OT

I've tried your first fix. Didn't work so on to the 2nd.

For what it's worth-it seems iPhoto does save the edits but only within one session. I did an extensive edit and was able to email that edit. But after closing out and reopening and trying to send the edited photo the edits disappear in mail.

Joe

OT,

The 2nd fix of rebuilding the library seems to have fixed the saving the edits. (so far). It didn't carry many of the previous edits over but that's a small price to pay to finally have this working again!

MANY THANKS TO YOU!!!!

Joe

LRT505,

OT's #2 Fix has worked for me! Please let me know if it does for you.

Joe

I have a similar problem and have tried #1 and #2 from Old Toad's post.

A very strange aspect of this for my library is that if I select edit in iPhoto, my edits will all appear in each photo. Full screen or any other view (including slideshows) will not show those same edits, except when in edit mode. Any ideas? Could this be some weird permissions problem?

I observed the same thing than phsill. And as him, #1 and #2 from Old Toad's didn't fix anything.

Also, I noticed that the edit are still saved in the Preview folder of the database. It just that for some weird reason, when I'm not in edit, it seems to go fetch the image in the Master folder. For example, if you go in the menu File->Reveal In Finder -> Modified Files, I get the image saved in the Master folder but if I am in edit mode, then I get the image that is in the Preview folder as it supposed to be!

Hope this info help the development team to fix this!

Maybe the new iPhoto update, iPhoto 9.2.1, will fix the problem.