Can't empty trash-- iPhoto 08 crashes when I empty trash

Question

I installed ilife 08. I want to delete some photos. I have 1300 photos in trash. Everytime I hit "empty trash", the photos disappear, but then iPhoto "unexpectedly closes." When I reopen the program, the trash is full again.

Answer 1

flinch13:
What I had to do after installing Leopard is the following:
Open Terminal and enter "sudo chmod -R -N ". Note the space after the N. Drag the iPhoto Library packaged into terminal to set the path and hit the Return button. Enter your admin password when prompted. That should clear that up. I had to do my entire User folder but you should only have to do the iPhoto Library package. If that doesn't help, try running it on the Pictures folder.
But first, try turning off the option to "Show image counts" in iPhoto's general preferences and the try to empty the trash.
Happy Holidays
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.