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Why is my iphoto library a lot bigger than it actually is?

Hi,

Firstly i should say that I've had problems with my iphoto library before but i thought i had fixed it with the help of you kind people.

Okay, i have 21,563 photos and 1500 videos (186GB) in iphoto right now, but when i check without opening iphoto by checking the size of the files it says it is 34,355 photo items at 232.67GB. When i go into the folders to see what's in them everything is all upside down and completely mixed up, for instance i go into '2014' and there are named folders which is fine but then i have folders numbered '03-12' and inside each of them is random numbered folders like '3454784-63899'. And inside all of them are photos but all from different time periods. And some are named '023_2jpg, or 023_4jpg' like they are duplicates but they are different photos.

I'm about to wipe my hard drive and give the computer a fresh start as it's giving me problems but after that, if i import my iphoto library back into my computer who knows what it will do. Plus i don't want to bring back 232GB, i only want the actual iphoto library back.

Does anyone know a way to only bring back my actual iphoto library and how to go about cleaning up the files and folders?

Thanks.

iMac (20-inch Late 2006), Mac OS X (10.6.8), 4 GB RAM, ILife '11

Posted on Sep 21, 2014 3:46 PM

Best reply

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Posted on Sep 21, 2014 4:35 PM

several things

1 - going into the contents of the iPhoto library is not supported and is not a good idea

2 - the contents of the iPhoto library are always much greater than the items you see in iPhoto - each photos has two or three versions plus face thumbnails and support files - so both the number of items and size of the library is greater than just the photos - which is what iPhoto reports

3 - you never IMPORT an iPhoto library for any reason - it does not work and creates a massive mess (all of those various versions and face thumbnails become original photos creating a unrepairable mess - you make at least two good, tested backups of your iPhoto library with one being an exact copy of it or clone and use the clone by dragging it to your pictures folder of the rebuild computer and then launching iPhoto letting it open the library - no importing

4 - in any case you can not modify the contents of the iPhoto library - it is what it is so use it as it is

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35 replies

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Sep 22, 2014 1:14 PM in response to James Phoenix

Once again

2 - the contents of the iPhoto library are always much greater than the items you see in iPhoto - each photos has two or three versions plus face thumbnails and support files - so both the number of items and size of the library is greater than just the photos - which is what iPhoto reports

This is equally true of IPLM - when you look at nay one version of the photos it is smaller than the sum of all required versions and the support database files

You are spending an incredible amount of time chasing a unicorn - there is NO relation between the size of the photos reported by iPhoto or IPLM and the size of the iPhoto library - it is like comparing the weight of the passengers in a car to the total weight of the car including the passengers - there is no relationship except the library will always be larger

Yes IPLM does a very good job of finding and identifying duplicates in your iPhoto library - what is why several experienced users strongly recommend it here

Sep 22, 2014 1:23 PM in response to LarryHN

So, if i am reading this right, you DOn't want me to use iPLM? 😉

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Sep 22, 2014 2:08 PM in response to James Phoenix

?????

what part of

Yes IPLM does a very good job of finding and identifying duplicates in your iPhoto library - what is why several experienced users strongly recommend it here

leads you to draw that conclusion?

I think that you have a mess and that fixing it is going to require that you go back to a previous backup - but certainly giving IPLM a shot has no risk and maybe it can resolve your library to a state you like - are you pleased with exactly what you have except for a few duplicate photos? If so then duplicate removal is the way to go - I am under the impression that you have a much bigger mess than that but probably I just do not understand

Sep 22, 2014 2:34 PM in response to LarryHN

Larry,

I'm only kidding! I am using iPLM. I was trying to make a joke but it didn't take.

Sadly though, iPLM has failed in identifying the numerous thousands of duplicates in my library. It picked up 44.

£22 down the paypal drain.......kind of.

So now to put an end to my OCD i am building another library by dragging them from the default to a 'new' library.

It's gonna take ages but i need all those duplicates away so that when i get back to using TM it will save what i have.

I know it's not what you said to do but i see no other way to really clean my library.

After that i promise you both that i will never ever look inside the iphoto icon. 🙂😁😉

Once i get it done i will let you know so you can sleep at night!!

Should be a week or so at this rate. I actually have to import every one of the twenty two thousand into the new library.😕

Thanks.

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Sep 22, 2014 2:37 PM in response to James Phoenix

Yes - and you lose all edits and metadata changes and projects and if you are not careful you will import the wrong version (always import the larges of the versions) into the new library

As Mommy always said "it is much easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble"

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,362 points

Sep 22, 2014 2:53 PM in response to James Phoenix

I think you need to re-read what I wrote.

Sep 22, 2014 2:53 PM in response to LarryHN

My mother knows nothing about computers!

I am dragging them literally from the open default library into the new one so doesn't that mean i will keep the version that's in my original iphoto library?

Sep 22, 2014 2:59 PM in response to James Phoenix

Terence,

What do you mean? What am i missing, and give me some rope here. I know I'm testing your patience. And Larry's.

It's a fact that my library is a pile of crap and i see no other way than this hard way to fix it. I don't want to do it but i can't have this mess on my computer.

I just can't.

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Sep 22, 2014 3:01 PM in response to James Phoenix

Not at all

First off I have no idea what you are doing - dragging from the open IPhoto window to a desktop folder? If so you get a preview (relative low quality) of the edited photos

If you are dragging from one iPhoto library to a desktop folder you get what you drag which might be the master, a preview or a thumbnail

If you are using the finder to drag from one iPhoto library to another you will get nothing but a mess - again NEVER make any changes to the content of an iPhoto library using the finder

Since you can not have two iPhoto libraries open at them same time you can not be correctly using iPhoto to do what ever it is you are doing

At this stage I really have no idea what you have, what you are doing or what you expect to end up with - except that nothing now pertains to the title of the thread which has clearly been answered

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,362 points

Sep 22, 2014 3:01 PM in response to James Phoenix

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.

Sep 22, 2014 3:07 PM in response to LarryHN

Larry,

I am using the iphoto library manager.

I have built another iphoto library on my desktop (for now) using that program and i can go from the old library to the new in the click of a button.

It lets me drag events from my old library straight into the new one and it keeps all the information for the event (dates, times, names etc).

Doing it any other way would mean i would have to enter all the information again.

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,362 points

Sep 22, 2014 3:18 PM in response to James Phoenix

I have built another iphoto library on my desktop (for now) using that program and i can go from the old library to the new in the click of a button.

It lets me drag events from my old library straight into the new one and it keeps all the information for the event (dates, times, names etc).

And using the Rebuild function automates all of that. But whatever.

Sep 22, 2014 3:20 PM in response to Yer_Man

Ok. Trying that.

Sep 23, 2014 7:10 AM in response to James Phoenix

Afternoon,

Okay, rebuilt library and it has been unable to import 111 photos but i can sort that later or live with it.

Can i ask, is this library the same images that were in the original library? Quality-wise i mean.

And if so do i just delete my default library and replace it with this one?

Then i can back it up with TM and when i restore it after i wipe my drive it will not be all mixed up like it was?

Is that right?

Old Toad

Level 10

207,607 points

Sep 23, 2014 8:51 AM in response to James Phoenix

is this library the same images that were in the original library? Quality-wise i mean.

Yes. iPLM copies the original and modified files from your existing library and recreates the rest of the library, thumbnails, databases, etc.

Why is my iphoto library a lot bigger than it actually is?