iPhoto library - missing books

Run a test: launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and create a new, test library. Import some photos, then delete some andcheck to see if the same problem persists. If it does try the following:

1 - delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your

User/Home/Library/ Preferences folder.

2 - delete iPhoto's cache file, Cache.db, that is located in your

User/Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.iPhoto folder.

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3 - open the test library again with iPhoto and try the import/delete test 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.

NOTE 2: In Lion and Mountain Lion the Library folder is now invisible. To make it permanently visible enter the following in the Terminal application window: chflags nohidden ~/Library and hit the Enter button - 10.7: Un-hide the User Library folder.

1. I notice, when I use the show the package content, that many folders with photos are still in several folders, like preview, original, masters, etc, etc... I deleted all unnecessarily photos.

That was the worst thing you could have done. Making any changes to folders (other than the iPod Photo Cache folder) from the Finder will damage your library.

Yes, you can delete the iPod Photo Cache folder. It will just get recreated as you sync more photos to your mobile devices.

1. I notice, when I use the show the package content, that many folders with photos are still in several folders, like preview, original, masters, etc, etc... I deleted all unnecessarily photos.

RULE 1 - NEVER make any changes of any sort to the structure or content of the iPhoto library using the finder or any program other than iPhoto - doing so will corrupt yoru library and cause data loss - there are no user servicable parts in the iPhoto library

2. Doing the Step 1 --> The book photo library reduced from 150gb to 40gb average;

True - but it also destroyed it and made it unusable - time to restore your backup (unless you can put the iPhoto library back exactly like it was)

3. I noticed the iPod Photo Cache is very big, about 34GB, has many subfolders, goes from F00 to F50. but the size says the following:

34,630,717,012 bytes (34.66 GB on disk) for 0 items.

for exemplo the folder F50 size says 626,052,368 bytes (626.6 MB on disk) for 0 items

0 items? Can I delete this folder??? This seems to be the problem. The Book library has around 130 to 170 photos only. It seems to be very large to have 40GB, right?

That is one exception to rule 1 - you can delete the iPod Cache safely - but since your library is now worthless due to step 1 there is no point - you are going to have to trash this library and restore yoru backup

LN

I'm not sure because whenever I delete all of the photos except for those in the book all of the originals, modified and thumbnail versions are deleted out of the library and I don't have to contend with that problem.

All I can suggest is to revert back to a backup copy from before the deletion via the Finder and do the following: make a temporary, backup copy of your library if you don't already have one (Control-click on the library and select Duplicate from the contextual menu) and apply the two fixes below in order as needed:

Fix #1

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

Since only one option can be run at a time start with Option #1, followed by #3 and then #4 as needed.

2 - when finished make a duplicate copy of the library as the book library.

3 - open the book library and try deleting the non-book photos from the library in batches and check the library size as you proceed.