iPhoto library won't show in Screensaver

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iPhoto library won't show in Screensaver

I've been using OSX for years and have always had my Screensaver set to show photos from my iPhoto library. This has been working flawlessly for years across many iterations of the Operating System, but a few days ago it stopped and instead my Screensaver started showing photos from a National Geographic album.

I've tried everything I can think of to get it to show my iPhoto Library photos again but no matter what I do the iPhoto option doesn't show up in the list of sources within the Screensaver preference pane.

If I go to the Desktop tab then iPhoto is there and I can select events, photos or any number of individual albums from iPhoto to display as my desktop picture but once I go to the Screen Saver tab the only options I get are National Geographic, Serial, Cosmos and Nature Patterns. This is very frsutrating as it has been working perfectly up until a few days ago. How do I get my iPhoto photos to show up in my screensaver?

OS 10.8.2

iPhoto '09 (8.1.2)

Thanks,

Alan.

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Mar 11, 2013 1:03 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Mar 11, 2013 7:54 AM in response to Alan Cole

Upgrade to the current version of iPhoto in the App Store.

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Answer 2

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 11, 2013 9:03 AM in response to Linc Davis

I'd thought about doing that but noticed that the latest iPhoto gets loads of really bad reviews and feedback so might create ore problems than it solves.

The screensaver was working perfectly with this version of iPohot a few days ago so surely there must be a way of getting it working as it was then.. Nothing has changed in the meantime, just the fact that iPhoto no longer shows up in the Screen Saver Preference pane... What could have caused this?

Thanks,

Alan.

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

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209,547 points

Mar 11, 2013 9:10 AM in response to Alan Cole

I'm not aware that older versions of iPhoto work with the screen saver modules in OS X 10.8. I don't know of any way to make them work.

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Answer 4

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 11, 2013 10:12 AM in response to Linc Davis

Well that's odd as they have been working with iPhoto '09 for me since I upgraded to Mountain Lion back in November 2011, so they've been working without flaw for the last 3-4 months for me.

How easy is the upgrade to iPhoto 11? Am I likely to experience problems with it like many people have?

Alan.

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Answer 5

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Mar 11, 2013 10:16 AM in response to Alan Cole

Many people experience problems with every update. Many more,, including me, do not. The latter don't come to this site to complain. You're going to have to update iPhoto someday, because the version you have won't remain compatible with OS X forever.

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Answer 6

Eric Root

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684,039 points

Mar 11, 2013 10:25 AM in response to Alan Cole

System Preferences/Desktop & Screen Saver - are you getting the 'Choose' and 'Photo Library' options in the 'Source' drop down menu?

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Answer 7

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 11, 2013 12:03 PM in response to Eric Root

I get the Choose Folder option but not the Photo Library options, just the default collections.

I do see the iPhoto options within the Desktop Tab of the Desktop and Screen Save Prefernece Pane though, it just isn't in the Screen Saver tab any more despite being there a few days ago.

Alan.

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Answer 8

Eric Root

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684,039 points

Mar 11, 2013 4:57 PM in response to Alan Cole

Can you use the Choose Folder option to load the iPhoto library?

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Answer 9

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 12, 2013 12:19 AM in response to Eric Root

No, I can choose other folders but all iPhoto Libraries are greyed out.

Alan.

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Answer 10

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 13, 2013 12:05 AM in response to Alan Cole

OK, I took the plunge, gave Apple yet more money and upgraded to iPhoto '11... All went smoothly, the download took about 6 hours to complete but I left it overnight and it did its thing. Got up this morning and accoring to the App Store progress bar it had hung whilst installing with 2 minutes to go and there is still a progress bar on my Applications Folder and a file in there with a progress bar on it called iPhoto.appdownload.

Despite this iPhoto '11 seems to be working and it has updated all of my photo libraries and seems to be working as it should. Better still I once again have the screensaver working showing my iPhoto libraries. Quite why it stopped in the forst place I'll never know but the update seems to have cured it.

Hopefully a restart will get rid of the progress bar on my Applications Folder, if not I guess it will be safe to delete the iPhoto.appdownload file from the Applications Folder?

Thanks for you help.

Alan.

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Answer 11

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Mar 13, 2013 6:37 AM in response to Alan Cole

The new iPhoto application isn't in the Applications folder?

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Answer 12

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 13, 2013 7:38 AM in response to Linc Davis

Yep, it was in there but so was the installer which seemed to have hung.

I had to force a restart through the terminal as I couldn't restart due to the fact that the installer was running and then delete the insaller file, restart again and all seems OK now.

Alan.

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Answer 13

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Mar 13, 2013 7:54 AM in response to Alan Cole

It sounds like you downloaded the app twice. If you have an up-to-date copy in the Applications folder, you can delete the appdownload file.

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Answer 14

Alan Cole Author

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66 points

Mar 13, 2013 12:07 PM in response to Linc Davis

Hmm, maybe... It's all working now though. Only problem is that because the iPhoto libraries have been updated to work with the new version of iPhoto my online backup solution (Carbonite) seems to think that all the files are new and so it needs to upload 174GB of data!!!! That'll take at least a year at my current upload speeds! 😟

Alan.

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Answer 15

Jun 5, 2013 10:22 PM in response to Alan Cole

Actually, I have found a workaround that doesn't involve the upgrade if you don't want to do it (yet). Create a folder on your desktop. Call it "screensaver" or whatever. Drag in the photos you want to use. That folder should show up under "Choose Folder" if you select your desktop. Works for me anyway...

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