mystwillow

Q: Reverting to iPhoto after Photos migration

Does anyone know if it is ok to delete the new Photos library from the Pictures folder after you've migrated your iPhoto library to Photos? This is the situation I'm in - I migrated my library to Photos but I HATE it. I am very invested in Events and being able to review each new batch of photos before categorizing them into the appropriate events, and with this new app it's like everything is in a giant shoebox, it seems to include all my Photo Stream pictures in my library before I'm ready (I typically delete a lot of dud pictures every time I import, now they are all mixed in automatically and I have to remember how far back I've gone through and culled), and there's no way to tell which pictures haven't been categorized into an event yet. Worst of all, there's no way to hide photos from all views. Not only are hidden albums/events not even a thing anymore, Photos "conveniently" makes a whole new album of all the pictures I didn't want anyone to see. So now instead of me being the only one who would know where to look for hidden photos/Events in my library when they were unhidden, they're all collected in one place at the top level of my albums view. Why anyone would want an automatic, top-level album of all photos in an entire library that were meant not to be see, I don't know. Seems to defeat the entire privacy/security purpose of the Hide feature. Not to mention, anyone can still see all hidden photos when scrolling through the Albums view.

 

Long story short, I am RUNNING back to iPhoto for as long as Apple allows it to be used. Now, I know that any changes I make to the iPhoto library won't carry over automatically to Photos. I'm fine with that as I don't intend to use Photos until I'm forced to. However, I know that at some point I will be forced to use it, and at that point its library will be (hopefully) several years out of date. Since Photos creates symbolic links to the photo files, I know I could easily have deleted the iPhoto library when I migrated to Photos, but does that work both ways? I guess my question is, can I delete the Photos library I have now, keep working with my iPhoto library until iPhoto is killed completely, and then re-import the entire library back into Photos? Or do my photo files actually now live in the Photos library package instead of the iPhoto library package and deleting the Photos library will delete all my photos?

 

Any clarification on my options would be appreciated.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Apr 9, 2015 6:29 PM

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Q: Reverting to iPhoto after Photos migration

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Apr 9, 2015 6:47 PM in response to mystwillow
    Level 10 (270,288 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 9, 2015 6:47 PM in response to mystwillow

    I guess my question is, can I delete the Photos library I have now, keep working with my iPhoto library until iPhoto is killed completely, and then re-import the entire library back into Photos? Or do my photo files actually now live in the Photos library package instead of the iPhoto library package and deleting the Photos library will delete all my photos?

     

    Any clarification on my options would be appreciated.

     

    This is all you should have posted. It helps to just get to the point.

     

    Yes, you delete any Photos library you want. If you want to use iPhoto and its library then so be it. Keep in mind that if you did not make a backup of your iPhoto Library before it was imported into Photos, then the library you still have needs Photos even if you use iPhoto. The migrated iPhotos Library can only be used with the data already there. You cannot add to or change existing photos.

  • by mystwillow,Helpful

    mystwillow mystwillow Apr 9, 2015 7:21 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (11 points)
    Apr 9, 2015 7:21 PM in response to Kappy

    I don't think this answered my question at all...you start out saying I can delete any Photos library I want, but then say that the iPhoto library I still have needs Photos. So, if I delete my Photos library, will iPhoto still have any pictures in it or will I have deleted all my actual photo files?

     

    Also, why do you say I can't add to or change existing photos in my iPhoto library? I know that any additions or changes won't sync to Photos, but I've already added more photos to iPhoto with no problem.

     

    All I want to know is if, at some point in the future, I can re-import my iPhoto library into Photos from scratch, over or instead of what's already there. Basically I want to take back the migration that was already done and have Photos re-import my whole iPhoto library the next time I use it, because I plan to keep adding pictures in iPhoto. I know that if I delete the Photos library the app will ask me to locate the system library again, but I want to be sure that if I delete the Photos library, I'm not actually losing any data and will still have all my pictures accessible in iPhoto for the time being.

  • by Chuckles84,Helpful

    Chuckles84 Chuckles84 Apr 9, 2015 10:14 PM in response to mystwillow
    Level 2 (180 points)
    Apr 9, 2015 10:14 PM in response to mystwillow

    The answer given prior is not accurate. Disregard it.

     

    When you launch Photos for the first time it looks to the iPhoto library listing (provided by the com.apple.iPhoto.plist file located in your ~/library directory) and asks what library you want to use. When you choose a library for Photos to use it creates a hard link to that library and pulls data from it and creates it's own new Photos library file for all future additions/imports etc. done by Photos.  When this happens Photos changes the iPhoto library extension. However, if you were to then launch iPhoto it'll prompt you that you've opened and adopted the library into Photos.  If you choose to continue using iPhoto instead of launching Photos it'll show you the entire contents of that library and change the file extension back to its original .photolibrary state.  Now all actions are totally separate actions between the two applications to the library. Adding/modifying content in iPhoto to library will not reflect in Photos. On flip side any additions in Photos will be reflected in the new Photos Library, not the iPhoto LIbrary file. 

     

    You can now at this point use iPhoto to access the library. You can, if you wish, remove the photos library (DONT REMOVE THE iPHOTO LIBRARY) file created in the same directory of the iPhoto Library.  Later in time if you are unable to use iPhoto or finally decide to use Photos for whatever reason you can have Photos adopt your library from iPhoto again.

  • by chipsfortea,

    chipsfortea chipsfortea Apr 10, 2015 1:18 AM in response to Chuckles84
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 1:18 AM in response to Chuckles84

    This make sense as it's what I had already done.  I was wondering about the problem mentioned by the others but it does seem I have two separate libraries and iPhoto works as it did.

    However I seem to have encountered a problem with my iPad which won't now sync with iPhoto!

    Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 09.16.27.png

  • by Richard Bowes,Helpful

    Richard Bowes Richard Bowes Apr 10, 2015 3:32 PM in response to mystwillow
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 3:32 PM in response to mystwillow

    Exactly my issues in your first paragraph, the ability to review and edit photos into events and locations sorely missed. The Places option gone too as far as I can see. I've lost the organisation of 11000 photos which I've undertaken over the last five years in favour of some stream of consciousness mish mash which seems rigid and inflexible; the very reasons I moved to Mac for the intuitive, flexible and convenient organisation possible in iPhoto all gone. iPhoto felt professional in use and application, this feels all Facebook.

     

    Several people in various places saying that iPhoto is still in the applications folder and can be used but mine has the grey 'no entry' sign over it and when I try to open it I'm told the version isn't compatible with Yosemite and I need the updated version but the updated version not available in the UK store. Gutted.

  • by toulouse,Helpful

    toulouse toulouse Apr 10, 2015 4:34 PM in response to Richard Bowes
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 4:34 PM in response to Richard Bowes

    Is there a way to let Apple know how UNHAPPY some of us are with the new Photos?  I agree with your statements.  I relied on the Events part of IPhoto to organize everything!  I have never liked the options on IPad and IPhone.  I don't care when the pictures were taken.  Now it will take an eternity to find things I need!!!!!!

  • by cat320,Helpful

    cat320 cat320 Apr 10, 2015 4:37 PM in response to Richard Bowes
    Level 1 (18 points)
    iWork
    Apr 10, 2015 4:37 PM in response to Richard Bowes

    I converted my wife's photos to Photos and she wants to revert to iPhoto. I found that in Pictures her original iPhoto library was there. When I doubled clicked on this library it opened iPhoto and here we were back in iPhoto as before. I now intend deleting the Photos file, and seeing if I can delete the Photos software.

     

    But before deleting anything I will back up there current iPhoto file/library

  • by Chuckles84,

    Chuckles84 Chuckles84 Apr 10, 2015 9:04 PM in response to cat320
    Level 2 (180 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 9:04 PM in response to cat320

    You're not able to delete the Photos application because it is part of the OS now with 10.10.3.

     

    Deleting the new Photos Library however will not affect iPhoto.

  • by Chuckles84,

    Chuckles84 Chuckles84 Apr 10, 2015 9:07 PM in response to toulouse
    Level 2 (180 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 9:07 PM in response to toulouse

    Events were the same thing as an Album which is still available for sorting purposes.  Events upon import automatically sorted your content by date in iPhoto. So I'm curious where the disconnect comes from between iPhoto and Photos?

  • by MTNLUVR,Helpful

    MTNLUVR MTNLUVR Apr 10, 2015 9:56 PM in response to mystwillow
    Level 1 (19 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 10, 2015 9:56 PM in response to mystwillow

    I am in full agreement with the comments above.   When I upgraded, iPhoto automatically migrated into Photos without any of the thousands of event titles I had used for organization.   It is very much like a big messy shoebox full of pictures.   I do have the albums I had created - however, I have 109,000 pictures taken over 13 years.   Everytime I imported from my SLR Camera into iPhoto I labelled the section of pictures on the "Event" line above them.   That is all gone - there is one big huge pile of pictures.   Since I use an SLR Camera for most shots - the locations are completely wrong and random.  

     

    When I click on IPhoto Events - it brings up 2, 730 events - completely in random order - all organization gone - and this is not all of my Events by any stretch of the imagination.   13 Years of organization is gone.

     

    Is there any way to have the pictures in Photos with the "Event" line above them rather than some random place it thinks the picture was taken (frequently wrong)?  By the way, the events line above each group of imported photos is not the same thing as an Album.   I can't imagine having thousands of albums. 

     

    I think the disconnect between iPhoto and Photos comes with how users used iPhoto.   I have zero interest in having pictures in the Cloud or using social media.   These are my personal organized photos - I could scroll through 109,000 photos and instantly know whose wedding I was at, where it was, etc.   Or vacation pictures were marked by the sites I visited on the day the pictures were taken.   Celebrations were marked clearly.   Now it is just a big pile of pictures - granted they are in date order - but that is all.

  • by joiede,Helpful

    joiede joiede Apr 10, 2015 10:20 PM in response to mystwillow
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 10:20 PM in response to mystwillow

    Grrrrrrr, is all I can say. I too had all my photos sorted into (340) events. I shut down the new photos app and reopened iPhoto and all is as before. I have my 340 Events back. 

     

    I'm thinking the only way to retain my organization system in the new Photos app is to create an Album out of every Event, because my 30 or so Albums still reflect my setup.  Does this make sense?  It does mean I have to figure out some sort of nesting system so they're not all in a 340 line randomly ordered list.

     

    Secondly, if I don't enable iCloud sharing, will the photos I take on my iPhone sync into iPhoto as before?

    Third, If I DO enable iCloud sharing, will I suddenly have all 40gb of my photo library showing up on my phone and iPad (neither of which has space for so much)?

    And finally, will I then have to pay Apple a monthly fee for this additional storage?

  • by joiede,

    joiede joiede Apr 10, 2015 10:50 PM in response to joiede
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Apr 10, 2015 10:50 PM in response to joiede

    I think I"ve answered my own questions. My iPhoto Events are now nested in an Album called iPhoto Events, organized as I had organized them. And it looks like if I want to use iCloud I'm gonna have to spring for $3.99/month

  • by cat320,Helpful

    cat320 cat320 Apr 10, 2015 11:32 PM in response to joiede
    Level 1 (18 points)
    iWork
    Apr 10, 2015 11:32 PM in response to joiede

    I found a quick work around  to add new photos to iPhoto library. They load first into Photo. Select all newly imported photos and drag them to Desktop.

    Then drag them down to the iPhoto icon in the Dock. They immediately load onto iPhoto and my wife  with her 25,000 odd photos loves it!!

  • by chipsfortea,Helpful

    chipsfortea chipsfortea Apr 11, 2015 1:46 AM in response to cat320
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Apr 11, 2015 1:46 AM in response to cat320

    This may be the solution (short term!).  Is there any reason why it shouldn't set things back to using iPhoto as default?

    Open Photos and go to preferences, then uncheck to copy items to photos library.

    Screen Shot 2015-04-11 at 09.41.39.png

    Next open iPhoto and go to preferences, then choose iPhoto in the "Connecting camera opens" drop down box.

    Screen Shot 2015-04-11 at 09.40.59.png

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