Alias of photos visible, but actual photos apparently deleted. Can I recover the actual file somehow?

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Level 1

8 points

Alias of photos visible, but actual photos apparently deleted. Can I recover the actual file somehow?

Hello-

I'm using iPhoto '10 (could be iPhoto '09) and I have a seperate library on one of our external hard drives where we keep the bulk of our photos. This setup seems to work just fine, and keeps my MBP hard drive more freed up.

So, there is a specific set of photos in this iPhoto library that shows the alias files when browsing through iPhoto. But when I try to open an individual photo from this set, it says the file can't be found.

I have used Pathfinder to locate the alias files on the external hard drive, but I haven't been able to convert them back to actual photo files. Is this possible? If not, is there any way that I could recover the apparently deleted files using the alias files? I've read about Alias herder, and it sounds like that might be a solution, but if not, it seems like the files would have to be found using a data recovery software.

Thank you!

mac book pro 13" '09

Posted on Mar 11, 2013 7:24 AM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Mar 11, 2013 7:45 AM in response to mdbart

If you have unchecked the iPhoto preference to copy the imported items to the iPhoto library then you have choosen a refeerenced library (which is strongly not recommneded) and that is the way it works - and one of the reasons that a referenced library is not recommended

I believe that alias herder does work on iPhoto '09 (there is no iPhoto '10) - iPhoto '09 would be version 8.x.x - it does not work on iPhoto '11 (version 9.x.x) - what it does is convert a referenced library to a managed library so all of your photos would be within the library - given your space considerations this managed library prpobably would need to be on the external drive -

Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)

And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto

And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive

What version of iPhoto and of the OS do you have?

LN

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,736 points

Mar 11, 2013 11:07 AM in response to mdbart

Since you know the file names of those problem photos download and use Find Any File to search for a couple of the file names. FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't, like invisible folders, packages, etc. If there 's a full sized version of the photo on that EHD FAF will find it.

It could be that the copy photos during import was turned off somewhow for that short periond of time. Others have reported a similar issue, just a small batch of photos missing their original files.

OT

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Mar 11, 2013 4:44 PM in response to mdbart

And that error is typical of a referenced library - as is having an alais in the iPhoto library - both of which strongly indicate that those photos were imported with the copy to library unchecked

Are the original files located on the external hard drive with their path unchanged in any way?

I know at one time, I had no problem opening these files from the EHD.

What exactly does this mean? Again it sounds like you were referencing the original photos on the EHD rather than having them copied to the iPhoto library

what happened when yo uses Old Toad's sugestion to search for the files you are having trouble with?

LN

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Answer 4

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Mar 12, 2013 7:54 AM in response to mdbart

2 thumbnails are likely to be 2 different paths in two different libraries - but that is just a guess - you have that information

as to finding missing files - if they are not there then the only source is your backup - which is why you always have to have a backup for when things happen - which they will sooner or later

And details of how you do this and why might help

But I swear I remember uploading these files to the EHD from the camera, then copying them to the MBP HD for quick reference.

LN

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Answer 5

mdbart Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 11, 2013 8:13 AM in response to LarryHN

It is not a referenced library (I didn't uncheck that iPhoto preference to copy imported items to the iPhoto library).

Most files in the library seem to be ok, it's just this particular set that has this issue.

So this being the case and from what you say, it seems that alias herder won't do anything for me.

From what I understand of alias files (I could be wrong) - the alias file is lower resolution copy of the actual photo file and its what shows as you browse the iPhoto library. When the alias file is clicked, the actaul photo file opens. It seems like the actual file might have been deleted here, but the alias is still showing. I was hoping that there might be a way to use the alias file (either the name or the location) to help locate and recover the actual photo file.

I'm not at home to check the format of the external HD or the versions of OS and iPhoto, but I will check and update that ASAP.

Also, I think these photos might have been set to "hidden" at some point (so that they wouldn't be visible when browsing the iPhoto library). Would this have affected anything?

Thanks!

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Answer 6

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Mar 11, 2013 8:42 AM in response to mdbart

No - in a managed iPhoto library there are full sized originals in the originals folder or Masters folder depending on the version of iPhoto that you have - I forget if iPhoto '09 was the first time the originals went to the Masters or not - I think it was iPhoto '11 - the previews of any photos you have modified are in the modified forlder or previews folder and the small thumbnails are in the data folder

So, there is a specific set of photos in this iPhoto library that shows the alias files when browsing through iPhoto. But when I try to open an individual photo from this set, it says the file can't be found.

What exactly does this mean? Are you going directly into the iPhoto library (this is not a good idea - simple user error can destroy your library) - exactly what are you doing using waht program and exactly what message do you get?

Hiding photos does not affect their storage

LN

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Answer 7

mdbart Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 11, 2013 4:05 PM in response to Old Toad

Alright, here's the process leading to my issue:

Open iPhoto
browse to said problem photos
double click on the thumbnail of one of these photos to open it for viewing.
Then I receive this Alert: "The photo “Pxxxxxxxx.JPG” could not be opened, because the original item cannot be found"

I know at one time, I had no problem opening these files from the EHD.

I'm running iPhoto '09 8.1.2 on Mac OS X 10.6.8

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Answer 8

mdbart Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 12, 2013 6:04 AM in response to LarryHN

Are the original files located on the external hard drive with their path unchanged in any way?

I can't seem to find them if they are. I used FAF last night (thanks Old Toad) to search for the problematic files on the EHD and found 3 separate files for each file name - 2 jpegs and 1 alias. (I can update with screenshots showing the file path date from FAF tonight) But the jpegs weren't full size pictures, but instead, they seemed to be the thumbnails used to preview the pictures. These jpegs were closer to 75K (I think), and other regular photos on the EHD were closer to 3.5-5MB.

This may be unrelated, but I know at one time, these files or copies of these files were located on my MBP hard drive, so I will try and use FAF tonight to search for them there too. So maybe, when these were copied to the EHD, they weren't copied correctly, and that iPhoto was referencing the originals on the hard drive. But I swear I remember uploading these files to the EHD from the camera, then copying them to the MBP HD for quick reference.

Why would there be 2 "preview thumbnail" jpegs on the EHD for these pics?

If FAF doesn't find any originals on my MBP HD tonight, is there any hope of recovering the originals somehow?

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