Photo Revert Problem after iPhoto Upgrade

Question

Level 4

1,397 points

Photo Revert Problem after iPhoto Upgrade

Just "upgraded" via software update to iPhoto 9.2.1.

Upon restarting iPhoto, got the message that my iPhoto Library would need to be upgraded... (My iPhoto library is on an external drive)

Didn't take as much time as I suspected it would, and I began to inspect my photos. I noticed immediately that I was unable to revert any photos to Original, nor reprocess raw (I shoot mostly raw).

I have a small iPhoto library on my iMac's internal HD, and I inspected the photos on it, and discovered that everything functioned properly there.

I suspected that iPhoto "adjusted" the iMac's internal HD's iPhoto Library, but did not rebuild the external hd's library, so I directed iPhoto to rebuild it (command-option-start iPhoto). This appeared to rebuild the iPhoto Library.

Upon inspection of my photos, it appears that there is a large group of photos taken within the last four months that I'm still unable to revert...as though the original raw files aren't "connected" to the edited pics...

Anyone else seen this odd behavior, or have any suggestions? I've already repaired permissions, and am getting ready to re-rebuild the iPhoto Library...

Thanks in advance for any thoughts...

Bob

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2), Powerbook G4, Mac Plus

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 11:34 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,408 points

Feb 14, 2012 1:12 PM in response to Bob Gold

Try rebuild with Library Manager:

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.

Reply

Answer 2

Bob Gold Author

Level 4

1,397 points

Feb 14, 2012 2:32 PM in response to Yer_Man

I've got that program and will give the rebuild a shot...

Of interest, it seems that the pictures that are having problems have a common thread: They were all brought over to my iMac's hd from a small portable HD using iPhoto Library Manager within the past 6 months. Of these photos, only photos that were taken in the landscape orientation have the problem with being unable to be reverted. All the portrait orientated pics seem to be fine...

All the originals are still on my hd, of course...

I'll report any updates...

Thanks,

Bob

Reply

Answer 3

Bob Gold Author

Level 4

1,397 points

Feb 15, 2012 1:23 PM in response to Yer_Man

Last night I had iPhoto Library manager (latest version) rebuild/recreate my LaCie's iPhoto Library (360Gb). Unfortunately, this new library demonstrates the same behavior as the old library: iPhoto can not "return to original" any photos that had been transferred to it's library by iPhoto Library Manager (from iPhoto 7.1.5)

All my originals are in the iPhoto Library...the editied ones that had been brought over by iPhoto Library Manager seem not to be linked to those originials... I suppose I can re-import all the originals and re-edit every one... Or revert back to my previous version of iPhoto, and restore my iPhoto library back to it's previous state (via time machine).

I don't recall having this problem under iPhoto 9.1...

The one face that I failed to explain (above) was that the iPhoto Library that's created by my laptop is from iPhoto 7.1.5 (I have a rather old Powerbook I take in the field).

Also, I tried to transfer some purely raw files (unedited) from the iPhoto 7.1.5-format library to the iPhoto 9.2.1-format library, and discovered that a jpeg is created in the 9.2.1-format library that does not link to the raw file...

I've emailed the iPhoto Library Manager folks (fatcatsoftware), and made them aware of this problem

Reply

Answer 4

Bob Gold Author

Level 4

1,397 points

Feb 15, 2012 2:19 PM in response to Bob Gold

Humm... As I delve deeper into my iPhoto Library, it seems that even photos that were not moved via iPhoto Library Manager have an odd problem. If they were raw, and taken in the landscape orientation, I can't revert them... However, if they were taken in a Portrait orientation I can revert them...

As Alice said, "Curiouser and curiouser..."

Bob

Reply

Answer 5

Bob Gold Author

Level 4

1,397 points

Feb 22, 2012 2:17 PM in response to Bob Gold

Update on my above problem:

Fat Cat Software indicated that iPhoto Library Manager (iPLM) will not transfer all data in from an iPhoto 7 library to an iPhoto 9 library...

I used time machine to revert my iPhoto and it's library back to 9.1.5. iPhoto seemed to work perfectly with all pictures in this library, including those ever transferred by iPLM from iPhoto 7 to iPhoto 9.

I then opened iPhoto 9.2.1 and had it use the 9.1.5 library... Of course, it said it would need to upgrade the library, but I noticed no activity before it opened the library... This was the same behavior I saw a week ago when I upgraded to iPhoto 9.2.1. Upon opening the newly upgraded library, I discovered that the errant behavior was back... iPLM transferred pics were un-revertable. A subsequent rebuild of the iPhoto library didn't help. I'm not going to try to use iPLM's rebuild feature, since that didn't help last week..

I'm wondering if there is a problem with iPhoto 9.2.1's initial library upgrade.... I'm going to try to revert back to the old library, but this time put it on my internal HD to see if iPhoto behaves any differently when upgrading this library...

I suppose I may have to re-download the iPhoto upgrade and try that as well...

For what it's worth...

Reply