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iPhoto has detected inconsistencies in your library.

I hope someone can help I'm out of ideas now. Everytime I open iPhoto im faced with a dialog box saying "iPhoto has detected inconsistencies in your library" "Click repair to avoid problems." This has no effect all my pictures seem to be there and all their data like location and faces. its just annoying every time i open iphoto. I've tried the Repair had no joy with that. Also tried the iphoto in built rebuild manager still aint having it.


Please Help


Many Thanks Baz

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Oct 14, 2011 5:57 PM

Reply
24 replies

Oct 15, 2011 12:06 AM in response to Martano

1. Mak a back up. This is vital. Don't skip this step.


2.

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.


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

Oct 16, 2011 2:41 PM in response to baz42

I might be able to help you as I had exactly the same error message after upgrading to the latest version of iPhoto on Lion 10.7.2 but iPhoto would then also crash (quit unexpectedly) after about 1 minute. However I seem to have just fixed it as follows:


1. Launch iPhoto with the Option key depressed and create a new library. See if that opens and runs OK.


2. With iPhoto still open and displaying the new blank library, open Finder and locate your original iPhoto Library and open it.


3. Choose to relaunch iPhoto with the original library and you will see the same message as before - "iPhoto has detected inconsistencies in your library. Click repair to avoid problems." - Click Repair as before.


When I followed the above my original library then stayed opened without issues and iPhoto stabilised.


You may just be able to perform the first step then close iPhoto and then open the original library (hold down alt whilst launching iPhoto to choose the library, or click on the library in Finder) but thought I would detail exactly what I did in case it makes a difference.


Hope this works for you too

Regards

Tim

Oct 31, 2011 9:26 AM in response to baz42

I am having the same problem. I open iphoto and it says "iphoto has detected inconsistencies in your library. I click "repair". It takes forever and then iphoto crashes. Do not know what to do. I already backed up mu iphoto folder just in case but don't want to start a new library because won't I lose all my "events" organization etc?/ If anyone has found a solution to this or can suggest something that might help pls. reply. Thank you

Oct 31, 2011 1:46 PM in response to S.A.N.

Hi S.A.N.,


Did you see my post on this subject? Have you tried this?


1. Launch iPhoto with the Option (alt) key depressed and choose to create a new library. See if that opens and runs OK.


2. With iPhoto still open and displaying the new blank library, open Finder and locate your original iPhoto Library and open that.


3. When asked choose to relaunch iPhoto (with the original library) and you will see the same message as before - "iPhoto has detected inconsistencies in your library. Click repair to avoid problems." - Click Repair as before.


When I followed the above my original library then stayed opened without issues and iPhoto stabilised.



Good luck

Tim

Feb 9, 2012 10:56 PM in response to CypressVH

Time Machin counts.


Most Simple Back Up


Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.


Slightly more complex:


Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically. Examples of such apps: Chronosync or DejaVu . But are many others. Search on MacUpdate


Feb 10, 2012 9:14 AM in response to CypressVH

For a temporary backup copy just select the library and type Command+D (duplicate). It's just protection again the fix going haywire and leaving you with a bigger problem than you started with.


Once the fix is complete and you're satisfied with the results you can delete the temporary backup to free up disk space.


But that's not the same as having an ongoing backup strategy as described by Terence.

Feb 10, 2012 10:50 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for the clarification.


For me I think there was some problem with the permissions. The problem was happening on one user account. I checked the settings from a terminal window and all the user directories had some acl permissions (there was a + at the end of the permissions string). I used chmod -R -N, and chmod -R -I to clear them. Afterward, I no onger get the inconsistencies error. As some history, most of the pictures in iPhoto were originally brought over from and external drive that was part of my win7 setup. So maybe the picture files had some issues.

Aug 18, 2012 5:30 AM in response to CypressVH

I had the same problem, and finally discovered the reason for me: permissions. The reason: my wife and I share the same computer on 2 different accounts, but I wanted both of us to have access to the same Iphoto library.

So I put the Iphoto Library in the "shared" folder and used it from one account or the other... until I got problems:

Could not empty the trash, had this "iphoto has detected inconsistencies in your library...". Finally I took ownership of the library from one account, moved it in a not shared folder, repaired it one last time and now it works.

Apparently one Iphoto library cannot be shared between 2 accounts on one computer.:-((

Aug 18, 2012 9:38 AM in response to maskgasc

If you want the easiest way for two users to fully use (one at a time) the same library put it on an external hard drive that both Macs have access to. Set that hard drive's ownership to be ignored.

User uploaded file


Warning: access and useing an iPhoto Library wirelessly is not recommended. Wireless connections can have dropouts and if you're writing to the library's database at that time will cause damage to the library. If the network is wired it will work like a charm.


OR:


create a disk image large enough for the library and its expected growth and put the library in it. The ownership of that disk image can also be set to be ignored. Or you can create a sparse image which is a disk image that grows to accomodate its contents. This can be done with Disk Utility.

iPhoto has detected inconsistencies in your library.

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