Copying pics from iphoto says can't copy, photo is busy????

Question

Sometimes when I try to copy photos from iphoto to my external hard drive, it comes up with the message 'cannot copy to this location because one or more of the pictures is busy' what does this mean and how can I change it? It happens quite randomly and if I delete the pic or change the name of the pic i'm trying to copy, it will choose another pic to be busy.....what am I doing wrong? it's infuriating. WHat's more, there is nothing about it in David Pogues 'missing manual'. Am I the only one at a loss when it comes to finding solutions to problems that seem so simple?????

Answer 1

jesssroooo
*It is strongly advised that you do not move, change or in anyway alter things in the iPhoto Library Folder as this can cause the application to fail and even lead to data loss. There is no need for you to ever enter this folder. There are no user serviceable parts there. Period.*
A Note about the iPhoto Library Folder:
In this folder there are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three folders
Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.
(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.
(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.
is there a simple way to make the pictures in my finder>pictures>iphotolibrary corresponde with the pics in iphoto?
No. The Finder is a File Organiser, iPhoto is a photo organiser. The point is that you let iPhoto look after the files and you organise, edit, whatever in the iPhoto Window - without reference to the files.
To delete pics from iPhoto and the HD, put them in the iPhoto trash and empty it, that's all.
i don't want to have multiple duplicates of the same image
You don't, you have different versions - as detailed above. There is no way to stop iphoto from preserving your original file. If you don't want this use another application.
There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
For 10.5 users: You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Apple-Click for selecting multiple pics.
To upload to a site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. If you're using Gmail you can use THIS
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
Or, if you want to access the files with iPhoto not running, then create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use THIS
Other options include:
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.
Again, stay out of the iPhoto Library in the Finder, and remember everything you need to do can be done via the iPhoto Window - and if you can't figure out how to achieve something, post here or even check the Help.
Regards
TD