Uninstall iPhoto '11 (9.0)

Question

Uninstall iPhoto '11 (9.0)

Last night (6/14/2012), I did a Software Update that included an update to iPhoto '11 (v9.0-9.2). However, the Software Update hung and failed. After the failure, I attempted several things to try to get iPhoto functioning again:

I tried to remove the failed update by removing the components from the /Library/Updates folder
Ran Software Update again and it again hung and failed
I tried deleting iPhoto and reinstalling it from the iLife '11 DVD
When launched iPhoto gives the option to do a Software Update (but then says there are none) or OK, neither does anything and iPhoto quits
I tried removing iPhoto and all of it's components:
- /Applications/iPhoto.app
- /Library/Application Support/iPhoto
- /Library/Documentation/Applications/iPhoto

I then installed iPhoto again from the iLife '11 DVD, with the same results as before

I can't even import my photos into Aperture, because it says I need iPhoto 9.3.

Has anyone else run into this? Is there a solution? I could live without iPhoto, if I could import my photos into Aperture until iPhoto '13 (or whatever it will be called) is released.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Jun 15, 2012 11:27 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 15, 2012 1:10 PM in response to Steve Stearns

Interesting. I have the exact same problem with iPhoto not updating. My reasons for needing to reinstall iPhoto were different, but I also did the same steps as you listed above. Additionally, I used AppCleaner to dig out all the plists and other information, thinking that maybe there was still something in there that was showing I already had 9.3 installed. Alas, no go.

As far as Aperture needing iPhoto, in this most recent update to Aperture and iPhoto, they have moved to a single, cross-sharable file format. It seems odd that one app would require the other, but that's likely the cause of that problem.

Interested in a solution! Thankfully it's only on my MBP and it's not a production iPhoto library.

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,260 points

Jun 15, 2012 2:21 PM in response to Booster 1972

iPhoto does not require Aperture or vice versa. All that's changed is that one can open the other's library, once the iPhoto Library has been updated.

Regards

TD

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Answer 3

Jun 15, 2012 3:45 PM in response to Steve Stearns

Well I got mine working. Ended up removing all of iPhoto with AppCleaner, then copying the iPhoto app from the Mac mini on my desk nth at worked.

As far as the Aperture requiring iPhoto issue, in retreading the OP, it looks like you're trying to import an iPhoto library into the most recent update of Aperture? I'd guess that it's not wanting to import because your iPhoto library isn't updated to 9.3 yet. While iPhoto was removed from my MBPS, I ran Aperture with no issues, so Terence is correct in Aperture not needing iPhoto to run. It just needs it to update the library to the new format.

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Answer 4

Jun 15, 2012 6:14 PM in response to Yer_Man

Terence, I agree that iPhoto and Aperture are independent applications and function on their own. However, when trying to import from iPhoto into Aperture, Aperture gave an error saying that it required iPhoto 9.3. Whether that meant the iPhoto application or iPhoto Library, I am not sure, but it did not work. Since my iPhoto Library seems to be in 9.3 format, I think that indicates it needs the iPhoto application. This is certainly strange. I have have never run into an issue where an application could not be installed or repaired.

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Answer 5

Jun 15, 2012 6:22 PM in response to Booster 1972

Booster, the Genuis I worked with wasn't able to get AppCleaner to work with my MacBook Pro and corrupted iPhoto. I tried again when I got home and it didn't work for me. Since it worked for you, the failed Software Update must have done something weird to my MacBook Pro. I am glad that that solution worked for you.

As a workaround, I right-clicked the iPhoto Library and Show Package Content, then copied the Masters folder out (a copy of it) and then spent hours importing the original images into the latest version of Aperture. However, I am hoping there is another soution that someone has used that will solve this issue.

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Answer 6

splive

Level 1

0 points

Jun 23, 2012 10:43 AM in response to Steve Stearns

I had a similar issue, but mine began when iPhoto crashed during a low battery scenario.

running lion
iPhoto became corrupted when battery on mac book pro was nearing 20%
in the middle of the corruption problem, I upgraded to iPhoto 9.3 using Software Update on 6/18/2012 (hoping it would reinstall the needed files)
then iPhoto library wouldn't open because it was expecting aperture 3.3. (probably because aperture and iPhoto can now view each others' libraries).
For a while after the initial crash, starting iPhoto would crash entire machine
I reset permissions
ran a tool called Yasu
started in *safe mode*
tried to rebuild iPhoto library with option/command keys - it never allowed that step
spoke to Tier 2 Apple application support on the phone
- he helped me create a new iPhoto library by opening iPhoto using *option* key
- imported all 20k photos but lost all albums and descriptions because the mappings to the original files are stored in a single file that does not get updated when you re-import photos. hence, there was no way to update the new album locations
- he also told me I could not use my Time Machine backup because that iPhoto library was a different version than current, 9.3 iPhoto library (thankfully, he was guessing wrong)
visited Genius Bar at Fashion Valley store
he told me there was starting to be some chatter on the discussion boards about similar problems but I should probably wait for an apple update to the problem that must surely be coming soon

The Fix:

I restored iPhoto from last good time machine iPhoto backup
It was dated: sunday June 10, 2012

The Good:

Many photos and folders in iPhoto restored!
Many iPhoto albums recovered!
except...

The Bad:

Time Machine only restored from last *full* time machine backup
*full* those are backups that occur in time machine when the iPhoto app is *closed*
restored items only include items before February 2012 when presumably iPhoto was closed during the backup
imported photos and albums look good, except the last import was 2/2012

Message was edited by: splive

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Answer 7

Jul 29, 2012 5:10 AM in response to Steve Stearns

I had the same problem updating iPhoto 9.0 to 9.2. Updater froze "moving files into place" wheather I used software update or the dedicated dmg updater. Each time had to force quit the installer and re-boot. The partially installed iPhoto would not function. I was able to restore 9.3 in working order by dragging the iPhoto icon from applications to the trash and copying iPhoto saved previous to the install from my backup hard disk clone. You could probably also do the same thing by restoring iPhoto from a time machine backup taken before you tried the failed update. Restore it to the desktop and then drag it into apps. Not the cleanest way in the world, but it worked for me. It begs the issue of how to stay up to date, but at least you can use iPhoto again -- I'll probably try to do the 9.3 update but suspect I'll have the same problem. By the way, all the usual things (reparing disk, fixing permissions, etc.) didn't help.

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