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"Library on locked volume" err with DVD or readonly dmg

Not so much a question, but warning to others that you can no longer open any iPhoto Library on read-only media (such as dvd-burned from iPhoto 9.4), or a read only dmg. You get a warning about a "locked volume" and only choice is to quit. True at least since iPhoto'11 (version 9.4.x on 10.8) and with iPhoto 9.5 (on 10.9), even tho the Help and other support docs incorrectly say you can view an iPhoto library on a dvd (as detailed below).


Got a new macbook with 128g SSD, so no room for one huge iPhoto Library that takes 40g. Started a new smaller iPhoto Library as work-around. I was hoping to keep the huge iPhoto-Library read-only: then we could keep a copy on both of the external hard-drives, and no other backup would be needed. But iPhoto actually can no-longer open read-only libraries, such as those burned to a DVD: HT5664 warns you must copy it to your hard drive. Any old info you find saying you can open a read-only library is incorrect: you get a fatal error about a “locked” library. For example, *ALL* the following are absolutely wrong: PH15265 ( iPhoto 9.5: View photo libraries on a CD or DVD), PH2507 (iPhoto '11: View photo libraries on a CD or DVD), and Help in iPhoto 9.5 (10.9) and 9.4 aka iPhoto’11 (10.8). The help incorrectly says: "If you’ve burned an entire iPhoto library to a CD or DVD (using the iPhoto burn function), you can view the library in iPhoto without importing all the photos. You can’t make changes to a photo library you’re viewing on a disc, but you can import (copy) photos and albums from it into the current iPhoto library." (Not!)


Since the 40gig iPhoto Library has to be read-write, will try to keep it on a 64gig usb3-ssd (“ssd-on-a-stick” thumb-drive) such as SDCZ80-064G-GAM46 about $44 currently. Note: this is not flash-storage, it literally uses SSD for storage. Should outlast iPhoto, which Apple is phasing out, replacing it with Photo due in 2015, and iPhoto is already gone from ios8 (Sept 2014).


Usually such usb-sticks are automatically excluded from Time Machine backups, so it would need to be included (by removing from list of excluded items.) And, since Time Machine can fail, for years we’ve also recommended use of an independent backup method called CCC (Carbon Copy Cloner). CCC can be scheduled to automatically do a weekly backup the usb3-ssd, when it and the target appear. And CCC can check and warn that iPhoto is not to be run during the backup: this should help prevent corruption of the iPhoto-Library database. The iPhoto-help similarly mentions that Time Machine cannot do a full backup of the library while iPhoto is running.

Posted on Oct 15, 2014 10:04 AM

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1 reply

Oct 15, 2014 11:33 AM in response to ncprius2

This is correct and by the way that device is a flash drive. That's what the Amazon page you linked to calls it:

SanDisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive With Speed Up To 245MB/s-SDCZ80-064G-GAM46


Any large capacity flash drive will do the job but remember that it must be formatted formatted Mac OS X Extended, Journaled.

"Library on locked volume" err with DVD or readonly dmg

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