iPhoto ghost event in iTunes

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Level 6

14,676 points

iPhoto ghost event in iTunes

Hello,

iPhoto shows its events OK. But in iTunes' Photos tab there is a ghost event named "6.12.2012". GraphicConverter.app can also see the ghost event and one old real .jpg file in it.

I have Command-Option launched iPhoto and repaired the permisssions as well as rebuilt the database but it didn't help (that produced some other ghost images to iPhoto and I could delete them just fine). I have also tried to turn photo stream ON and back OFF.

How can I get rid of the ghost event and the old photo in it? I can see via the Finder where the bogus .jpg file is but I'd rather let iPhoto delete it because AFAIK messing around in iPhoto or iTunes libraries behind their backs is not recommended.

The page below suggests editing the AlbumData.xml file in the Photo library ("Search for the name of your iTunes phantom event, and delete all found instances. Consider the entry to be anything between <dict> and </dict> (inclusive)").

I can see the ghost event in the AlbumData.xml file but I'd rather fix it via iPhoto because I'm afraid poking around in settings files might produce its own problems.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?670420-Why-does-iTunes-see-an-even t-in-iPhoto-that-does-t-exist

- Matti

iPhone 5, iOS 6.1

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 8:30 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Old Toad

Level 10

207,715 points

Mar 26, 2013 10:58 AM in response to Matti Haveri

You can try this:

Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library

Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.

Click on the Add Library button,

navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.

Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option

In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.

Click on the Create button.

Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost.

Note: your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

OT

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Answer 2

Matti Haveri Author

Level 6

14,676 points

Mar 26, 2013 3:54 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for the tip about iPhoto Library Manager!

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Answer 3

MikeyF74

Level 1

10 points

Mar 27, 2013 12:11 PM in response to Matti Haveri

Hi!

I had exactly the same problem.

It started in Sommer 2012, and I had about 40 "ghost" events.

I could see these ghost events in

iTunes
iPhoto2Disk
iPhotoLibraryManager
Aperture (using the same library as in iPhoto)

I could not see them in

iPhoto

What I detected:

With the help of Aperture and iPhoto2Disk I discovered, that the ghost events had some photos inside, but no application showed them. All photos which belongs to the ghost events, were photos, I have already deleted - but I have seen this already - iPhoto did not delete them in the Library (directory masters). And some day - these photos come up again.

What I have done:

In Aperture, I saw the ghost events, but with no photos inside. But - when I delete the ghost events - I see the events and the photos in the trash. After making the trash empty, the photos, the ghost events and also the files in the master directory of the library was gone.

I also do no longer see the ghost events in iTunes, iPhoto2Disc,....

So, Aperture repaired my library. It is sad, that iPhoto cannot do this.

greetings

michael

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Answer 4

Matti Haveri Author

Level 6

14,676 points

Mar 27, 2013 3:39 PM in response to MikeyF74

Thanks for the note about how Aperture can fix the issue.

I don't have Aperture so I'm going to tolerate the bug for now. Final Cut Pro does not see the ghost iPhoto events. GraphicConverter 8 sees the ghost events and also the ghost images inside the events.

I experimented a little on my Carbon Copy Cloned test partition:

I used a text editor (TextWrangler) to edit off the ghost event entries in the iPhoto library AlbumData.xml file (all text between <dict> and </dict>). After that iTunes no longer listed them. But that was only a cosmetic fix: after letting iPhoto rebuild the libarary database (via Command-Option launch), the ghost events re-appeared (because the bogus folders and images were still in the library).

I also tried iPhoto Library Manager. It started to fix and duplicate the iPhoto library, but I have 15 000 images and video files in the library so I gave up after 1.5 hours and about 50% done (on a Mac mini).

Today I imported images from my wife's and daughter's iPhones to iPhoto and got two more ghost events in the process.

I hope iPhoto is fixed to handle this better.

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Answer 5

MikeyF74

Level 1

10 points

Mar 27, 2013 10:11 PM in response to Matti Haveri

Hi!

OK, if you don't have aperture, my hint was useless. What I wanted to say in general - iPhoto has a big problem with deleting photos. I have seen this in different variants. Pictures you delete (include cleaning the trash) will stay (sometimes) in the library and they will come back in different ways.

I think iPhoto 11 still has a big problem with dealing with the library. It seems, that aperture is making this job better. I hope someday's Apple will make a more stable version of iPhoto, like it was in the former versions. This Version is a mess, since they the start (I think that was 2011).

Just to underline, what I'm meaning - let the Finder count the picture file in the masters folder of the library. This should be the same, as the number of photos in iPhoto. In my case, this not the same :-(

greetings

michael

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Answer 6

Jun 4, 2013 2:48 AM in response to MikeyF74

I agree with Mike whole heartedly. There are a number of issues that need to be fixed with iPhoto Library. Sadly Aperture is an expensive way to fix a problem that shouldn't need fixing.

Old Toad thanks for the advise I will try and put it to good use.

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Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

207,715 points

Jun 4, 2013 9:07 AM in response to Bermudapilot

Good luck and let us know what worked for you.

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Answer 8

Matti Haveri Author

Level 6

14,676 points

Nov 23, 2013 12:38 PM in response to Matti Haveri

iPhoto 9.5 and OS X 10.9 have fixed the issue for me.

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