taquitopete
Level 1 (6 points)

Q: iphoto can't find photos

I have around 60 photos missing from my iPhoto library, most likely because, like a typical Windows user, I went into the underlying folder structure and deleted them.  Each time I launch iPhoto it prompts me to individually to locate each missing photo.  I either have to click cancel 60 times or, with a quick trigger finger, I can click cancel and then click 'finish later'. 

 

How can I fix my library so that it no longer searches for these photos?  I am reluctant to choose the 'rebuild database' option as I worry that I would lose all of the photo metadata (places, faces, dates, albums, etc.).  However, I now have a copy of the iPhoto library so I could test that route, but I'd rather not waste my time by going there if rebuilding the database is guaranteed to erase the metadata anyway.  Losing the meta data is a bigger deal than dealing with the nuisance of the missing photo prompt upon library launch.

 

I should be on the latest version of iPhoto.  I can't check right now as it is in the process of generating high res thumbnails.  I finally managed to export the library from my iMac, which is slower than molasses, to an external drive.  I just pointed my Macbook Pro's iPhoto to the external drive library and it is currently updating the thumbnails to be high resolution.  I hope that isn't required every time I launch this library!

 

Help!  I've already tried the "repair database" option many times.

 

Pete

iPhoto '11, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Nov 17, 2012 9:59 AM

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taquitopete

Q: iphoto can't find photos

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  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 17, 2012 11:17 AM in response to taquitopete
    Level 10 (139,597 points)
    iLife
    Nov 17, 2012 11:17 AM in response to taquitopete

    I have around 60 photos missing from my iPhoto library, most likely because, like a typical Windows user, I went into the underlying folder structure and deleted them.

     

    That would explain it.

     

    Bottom line: you've damaged this library and the only solution is to replace it.

     

    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)

     

     

    This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.  

  • by masc88,

    masc88 masc88 Jul 24, 2013 8:51 AM in response to taquitopete
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jul 24, 2013 8:51 AM in response to taquitopete

    I had a similar problem after moving the library to retina mbp during hires thumbnail creation, without ever touching the library content manually.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2638?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

    applying repair option in order 1,3,2 did the trick for me.