Can't delete photos in iPhoto

1. Of course you make a back up before doing this.

2. No it won't. iPhoto is two parts: the application and the Library. You're not going near the Library.

3. But you make a back up first anyway.

Hi there,

Just wanted to know if reinstalling fixed the issue or not. I'm having the same issue on a mid-2009 13" MBP that I did a clean install of ML 10.8.0 on and installed iPhoto from disk and updated to the latest version.

I'd rather not mess around reinstalling if it made little difference. :)

Just saw this reply elsewhere and it helped me. I was unable to delete photos after applying the most recent update.

Make a backup first in case anything goes wrong. Then hold down the Command and Option keys while starting iPhoto. Then click "Rebuild". - This fixed my issue.

Interesting - I'm having this problem now, too. However, it didn't seem to happen right after an update.

The last update I recall was a week or so ago and I've offloaded photos from my iPhone since then (and deleted some here and there amongst those) without problem. This morning, however, seems to have landed me this problem of not being able to delete in iPhoto. All this occur with regard to my iPhone 4 (iOS5) and Intel Macbook Pro (10.6.8).

So, something seems to have switched and it's not perfectly timed to coincide with the latest update which was, as aI mentioned, a week or so ago - and I've deleted several times after that until today.

Usual steps above of powering/off, repairing permissions, etc. have no effect. Not wanting to reinstall if I don't have to - so I'm hoping some clever person finds a precise fix or Apple does for us.

Thanks to all who've described and prescribed. 🙂

I found another solution, becuase the one I posted above worked, then stopped working. I don't remember where I read this so unfortunately cannot give proper credit.

First, start your computer in safe mode (Safe mode instructions are from Apple's site)

To start up into Safe Mode (to Safe Boot), do this:

1. Be sure your Mac is shut down.
2. Press the power button.
3. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
4. Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).

During startup in Mac OS X v10.4 through Mac OS X v10.6.8, you will see "Safe Boot" on the login window, which appears even if you normally log in automatically. During startup in Mac OS X v10.2 through v10.3.9, you will see "Safe Boot" on the Mac OS X startup screen.

Then launch iphoto.

Delete a photo.

Empty iphoto's trash.

Repeat.

Restart in normal mode.

Delete a photo.

Empty the iphoto trash.

- Worked for me and stuck this time.

YMMV

Thanks 'I am Mel'...your Safe Boot solution totally worked for me...MUCH easier than reinstalling! 🙂

Glad it worked for you too. Still fixed on mine and it's been several weeks. Don't know what caused the glitch, but hope it doesn't come back!

I may have an answer. I thought I had the same problem and tried almost all suggested actions and none worked. Then I found out that if you have created albums for your photoes, you need to go to that paticular album and then select the photo/s, then hold option and command keys to delete it/them. Hope this helps.

This worked for me, good job LD

This worked for me as well - thanks.

It did, though, take me a while to realise, on an iMac, that the "delete" key is different to "backspace" - so it's cmd-option-backspace to delete a photo fully.

I had the same problem and I just found out how to fix this...

Go to Preferences in iPhoto..

Click on Accounts tab and delete whatever acc you have..

i have a feeling it has a 'SYNC' issue which doesnt permit you to delete... sorta like how you cant delete ur photos in ur iphone which is synced to your iphoto =)

Hope this helps... Fixed MY problem...

Cheers