Level 1

18 points

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I know that at some point I will be forced to use it, and at that point its library will be (hopefully) several years out of date.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

480 replies

léonie

Level 10

200,651 points

May 7, 2015 4:30 AM in response to petermac87

I think that at some stage in the future it will be a viable alternative to iPhoto, but unfortunately it has a long way to go before being an alternative to Aperture.

Give it two years.

I've been through a similar difficult upgrade with GarageBand 10 as a replacement for the iLife version of GarageBand '11.

The first release of GarageBand 10 was a nightmare. Many of the important tools that all users loved have been deprecated and replaced by simplified features from Logic, but in such a simplified in a way, that they were nearly useless. Apple listened to the users, and brought some GarageBand '11 features back, and improved the new features. By now, GarageBand 10 is a nice application, and I rarely need to fall back on GarageBand '11 or Logic.

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

May 7, 2015 6:47 AM in response to boy1dr2000

boy1dr2000 wrote:

Csound1 - I guess you don't realise that this is a support community, which to me means a listening to and helping each other. Is it really necessary to make things personal?

I do not take notice of critics who have failed to help anyone at all, like you.

AKSMDIHS

Level 1

0 points

May 7, 2015 6:50 AM in response to léonie

Hi there.

I have been batch changing info on my photos after Photos was installed. Like others, I have an extensive library that was organised into Events. Those events are still there, just under the folder iPhoto Events. Now I have been tagging many batches of photos with success. It is very similar to batch changing information in iTunes. Command - I and then add keywords or whatever else needs changing. They are searchable etc. Really, I haven't lost any organisation in my library. I feel like there might be more duplicates than need be and am having issues with sorting out photostream, and deletions. But other than that, the learning curve for Photos isn't as much as a disaster as it could be. It just takes poking around.

léonie

Level 10

200,651 points

May 7, 2015 7:13 AM in response to AKSMDIHS

Command - I and then add keywords or whatever else needs changing. T

You can add keywords to more than one photo at once in the Info panel (command - I), but the the panel does neither show the name field nor the caption field when more than one photo is selected. So you cannot batch change the title and the caption for more than one photo at a time. And you cannot set the capture date for more than one photo to the same time, if you have to set the dates for scans.

JukkaT

Level 1

0 points

May 7, 2015 7:54 AM in response to chipsfortea

Thank you chipsfortea ! Thank you! I'm so happy for these tips. Did I say thank you already?

May 13, 2015 5:15 PM in response to chipsfortea

Thank you so much for this! Going back to using iPhoto!

May 13, 2015 5:22 PM in response to mystwillow

I spent a while looking for "Open in external editor" in the new app. What were they thinking removing this option??? I HATE Photos app and going back to using iPhoto!

petermac87

Level 5

7,453 points

May 13, 2015 5:24 PM in response to alisa_max

alisa_max wrote:

I spent a while looking for "Open in external editor" in the new app. What were they thinking removing this option??? I HATE Photos app and going back to using iPhoto!

Ummm....yes. Do that. Many of us have. Meanwhile post your ideas to Apple Feedback

Pete

rogelio2

Level 1

0 points

May 13, 2015 7:31 PM in response to AKSMDIHS

Well, the new Photos app is a disaster for me. I am an unsophisticated user and happily used iPhoto and iPhoto Events. Now I can't even transfer my Events to my mobile devices. I am flummoxed. For me, Photos is KAFKA-ESQUE!

petermac87

Level 5

7,453 points

May 13, 2015 7:40 PM in response to rogelio2

Then don't use it. Keep using iPhoto.

Pete

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

May 13, 2015 7:54 PM in response to jimfrompeoria

jimfrompeoria wrote:

IF YOU DIDN'T UPGRADE TO PHOTOS, YOU'RE ABLE TO RUN iPhoto.

Just as you can IF YOU DID.

petermac87

Level 5

7,453 points

May 13, 2015 8:17 PM in response to Csound1

I've been playing around with Photos the last week or so and I think after a couple of updates, it will be a very handy and more powerful alternative to scrapbooking and basic Photo editing. Which is all that iPhoto was designed for. In saying that, I'll keep both for the moment. 🙂

Pete

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

May 13, 2015 8:28 PM in response to petermac87

I prefer the editing tools already, it will fill iPhoto's place easily there, some more flexibility in the organizational sphere would be nice, but it's a 1.0 release and I am not impatient.

rogelio2

Level 1

0 points

May 14, 2015 12:46 PM in response to Richard Bowes

This is my experience exactly. iPhotos in the Finders apps section has a "No Entry" across it. Trying to update it in the Apps Store, I am told it is not available in the US. I appear to be stuck with Photos, which I hate.

Old Toad

Level 10

215,778 points

May 14, 2015 12:54 PM in response to rogelio2

Follow these instructions by Terence Devlin:

Terence Devlin

Apr 14, 2015 11:21 AM

Re: Is Iphoto gone ? i want it back!

in response to Johannes666

Recommended

Go to the App Store and check out the Purchases List. If iPhoto is there then it will be v9.6.1

If it is there, then drag your existing iPhoto app (not the library, just the app) to the trash

Install the App from the App Store.

Sometimes iPhoto is not visible on the Purchases List. it may be hidden. See this article for details on how to unhide it.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4928

One question often asked: Will I lose my Photos if I reinstall?

iPhoto the application and the iPhoto Library are two different parts of the iPhoto programme. So, reinstalling the app should not affect the Library. BUT you should always have a back up before doing this kind of work. Always.

Take note of the second line in the post.

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Reverting to iPhoto after Photos migration