locked photos - how find, unlock

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Level 1

103 points

locked photos - how find, unlock

Hello,

Using iPhoto '11 (9.2.1) under Lion 10.7.2.

Am encountering problems with "locked" jpg files -- for example, I have one event that shows 90 images and I go to merge another that has 12 images -- I would expect to have 102 in the merged event, but end up with 300 -- the excessive 198 have only an icon, not a thumbnail -- I can click on them to display, and see them, but they're older images I intended be trashed. I have found older discussions pre-Lion pre-iPhoto 11 but thought I would repost the questions:

How do I find all these locked photos?

How do I "unlock" them? Am really unclear about this; please be explicit.

How do I permanently get rid of them, forever gone, not to come back and haunt me from one trash or the other? (OK, I'm a little frustrated; bear with, please...)

Thanks, in advance

PS -- additional variables include using 5 different Sony cameras, all of which start numbering images from scratch with DSC00001 (grrr....), Also having Aperture installed (no similar problems there)...

MacBook Pro 17, MBPro 13, Mac OS X (10.7.2), iPhoto '11 (9.2.1)

Posted on Nov 6, 2011 3:17 PM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,426 points

Nov 7, 2011 12:35 AM in response to BPWMorro

This sounds to me like a damaged database.

Had you actually trashed these images?

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Answer 2

BPWMorro Author

Level 1

103 points

Nov 8, 2011 10:16 AM in response to Yer_Man

Hello, Terence,

Thanks again for responding.

For description, let's call these locked files "ghosts."

Are they Trashed? -- yes, I thought so -- sort of.

The Size: 10,000+ images in iPhoto library. 30,000+ in external hd (see below)

The Timing -- this seems to be all post install of Lion. I received a "You must update your iPhoto database" message subsequent to upgrading to 10.7.2 and clicked yes -- this problem has appeared since then, also.

The workflow --

1. jpgs are loaded from camera or old storage into a folder based filing system on an external harddrive (actually, many are still remnants of MS days, 6 years ago).

2. As desired, jpgs are drag & dropped into iPhoto....and then re-classified into narrative description Events (rather than date based). Most are then kept in iPhoto but not deleted from external harddrive.

3. Often times, when doing projects (including CDs to snailmail to others), jpgs are dragged from iPhoto to Desktop, and then burned from there.

4. The ghosts have all either

a) previously been trashed in iPhoto, and iPhoto's trash has been emptied, OR

b) drug from Desktop to normal Trash and it also has been emptied, AND

C) oftentimes both, but perhaps not always.

5. A Spotlight search for the ghosts discloses that (for many of them, but I haven't checked all 198) jpg files with the same camera based name (DSC000XX) can still be found on the external harddrive (yes, I would like to keep them there).

So, "Sort of" means "yes, trashed in iPhoto, yes, trashed from Desktop, but not trashed from external drive."

Continuing Questions

1. How does a jpg get "locked?" (Is this new to Lion? I've never seen before.)

2. Database repairs -- first, the only convenient backup for the iPhoto database is Time Machine (I don't have any more external hds with adequate space....I could be convinced to acquire another before Repairing). Does the "Backup App" still function?

I am nervous about the future steps -- while I'm certain the original jpg images are on the external hd, I do not relish having to re-organize/re-catagorize in events the existing iPhoto library of 10,000+ images.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,426 points

Nov 8, 2011 10:31 AM in response to BPWMorro

The images on the External have no relevance to this. Once imported to iPhoto there is no link with them so trashing from iPhoto won't trash anything the external.

I suspect the database is damaged. Dragging from the iPhoto Window to the System trash is not a way to delete anything.

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

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Answer 4

BPWMorro Author

Level 1

103 points

Nov 8, 2011 5:39 PM in response to Yer_Man

Terence,

Tried Option One.

Now the "ghosts" are really ghostlike -- when I first open iPhoto and navigate to the Event the ghosts show up as blank squares....as I browse over them with the cursor the icon shows up [I wish I could identify the icon]....when I double click in a square the image displays and Get Info shows the DSC00XX number. [Sony identifies jpgs with DSC__XX]. I have not tried to trash anything.

As a note, I have never tried to drag a photo from iPhoto direct to System Trash. Have always drug from iPhoto to Desktop, fiddled, and only then drug from Desktop to System Trash.

Any further suggestions before iPhoto Library Manager?

Thanks

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Answer 5

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,426 points

Nov 8, 2011 11:13 PM in response to BPWMorro

No.

Regards

TD

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Answer 6

BPWMorro Author

Level 1

103 points

Nov 10, 2011 8:24 PM in response to BPWMorro

Terence,

Just FYI.

Went to the Apple Store Genius today about the issue. The 'ghosts" were apparently unlocked by your suggestion of Rebuild from Auto Backup -- we were able to high-light them and send to iPhoto trash. I guess I expected the Rebuild to get rid of them automatically when I said it didn't work.

Thanks, again.

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