'Lost' or 'un-linked' video files in iPhoto 11

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Level 1

14 points

'Lost' or 'un-linked' video files in iPhoto 11

Hi Everyone,

In a nutshell, it seems that iPhoto can't find most of my video files, even though they are still there on the HDD. Additionally, it won't let me drag them onto / into the app.

Just updated to the latest iphoto 9.2.1 and the video files in my library (apart from some recent ones) won't play. If i click the thumbnail, the page goes to a ! in a triangle. If there is an image next to it on the thumnail page, that image will load. With the video file, if i go to File > Reveal in Finder > 'Modified File' /or/ 'Original File', they're both greyed out, which implies that iPhoto has 'lost' the file.

If i do the same with the image file, i can reveal the original in the finder, and see that the video file (ie .mov) is still there alongside the image file, and if i double click it, then it loads in quicktime and plays perfectly. If i try to drag that file into iphoto, i get the error

Unreadable Files: 1

The following file could not be imported. The file is in the iPhoto Library.

(It then gives me the true path and file name).

I have started up iPhoto with Cmd (or whatever it is) and ticked all of the boxes to rebuild the folders etc, but it doesn't work, and the fault remains.

At least i have the files (have heard some horror stories about iPhoto 11) but can anyone tell me how to get it all back working?

Cheers, and thanks in advance

slaterk

ps MP 3,1 OS 10.7.2

Posted on Nov 8, 2011 12:16 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,396 points

Nov 8, 2011 1:59 PM in response to slaterk

iPhoto won't import files that are in the iPhoto Library - a sensible protection against duplicates.

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.

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Answer 2

slaterk Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 9, 2011 7:32 AM in response to Yer_Man

Thank you Terence for taking the time to reply - and thank you v v v much for giving me the answer!

Using iphoto library manager to rebuild the library meant that i could then add the images that weren't showing up, to get a full library back again.

Incase anyone else is coming after me:

i rebuilt the library with iPLM

went to the old iPhoto library and showed the contents of the package (right click on the iPhoto file)

Dragged over whole folders full of images / videos from the 'Masters' folder

Told it to ignore duplicates.

Also i found this, though it's dependent on you not having opened the library with iPhoto 11:

http://iphoto11.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/iphoto-11-fix/

though it may help someone.

Cheers 🙂

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