iPhoto 08 exclamation points due to referenced photos. Have reverted back to Managed, trashed problem images, and want to rebuild library or create new library. However, Originals folder contains aliases of deleted images.

Question

Level 1

15 points

iPhoto 08 exclamation points due to referenced photos. Have reverted back to Managed, trashed problem images, and want to rebuild library or create new library. However, Originals folder contains aliases of deleted images.

1. Will broken images in Originals folder hinder making a backup copy, rebuild, or other attempts at repair? I have Time Machine, never used it, and don't know when when iPhoto became referenced library (due to bad advice) 2. Is it OK to delete broken aliases from the Originals folder (white squares with arrows, jpeg tags, and a Quicktime logo)? 3. Would it make sense to select undamaged images in the Orginals folder for copying to a new library? I am cleaning up Events and exporting healthy photos from iPhoto before trying to copy the entire iphoto library folder. Thanks for your help.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 14, 2013 6:22 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

Aug 14, 2013 6:27 AM in response to Tintoretto

What do you mean by "broken images"?

Never delete anything from the Originals folder, ever.

Try

Download iPhoto Library Managerand use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)

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.

Reply