How do I remove an imported iPhoto library at multiple users

There seem to be different ways of sharing an iPhoto library among multiple users on a single Mac and I guess I didn't select the best one ...
My wife and I both have an account on our Mac (I am administrator).
Originally, only on my account we viewed our photos, but my wife wanted to have the same iPhoto access via her account.Makes sense!
Via 'system preferences > share' I marked the picture folder in which the iPhoto library is stored as a 'shared folder'.
Then in my wifes account, I started iPhoto and I imported the iPhoto library file in this shared folder (and 'yes', I unchecked the option in the preferences menu to avoid copying photos on import ;-)
Well, for the next hours or so, the system started to import the photos ... although my photo library contains more then 10.000 pictures (!!) the status bar during import indicated a shear amount of ±260.000 pictures to be imported (as it turns out it includes the 'faces' as pictures).
To make a long story short - how do I restore iPhoto on my wifes account by e.g. removing/undoing the imported library. I am a bit hesitant in removing the library since it is the library stored in our shared folder and I don't want to delete that library file. I 'just' want it to turn back to the original 'empty' iPhoto on my Wife's account and share our library in a different way.
By the way, although the iPhoto library/events are a mess on my wifes account, it still looks good on my account.
Thanks.
D.

Trash the Library in your wife's account.
Never import one Library to another. Every version and thumbnail is imported like a distinct photo, you lose all your Albums, Keywords etc., the link between Original and Previews is destroyed, the non-destructive editing feature is ruined and so on. In summary: it's mess.
For iPhoto 09 (version 8.0.2) and later:
What you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to the Users / Shared Folder
(You can also use an external HD set to ignore permissions, a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.

Similar Messages

Any improvements in sharing an iPhoto Library between multiple users?

It is possible and Apple Approved to share an iPhoto Library between multiple users, but the Library must be stored on a drive or disk image that ignores permissions:
http://tech.kateva.org/2008/10/apple-supports-multi-user-iphoto.html
This doesn't work for me. Has Apple changed anything with iLife '09 to make it easier to share a Library? For example, have they changed from the prior Package format?
Message was edited by: jfaughnan

Alternatives to a trip to the Terminal:
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc. The problem here is that OS X works very hard to keep your data safe and secure from the other users. You're trying to beat what's built in to the system. So, to beat the system
Quit iPhoto in both accounts
Move the iPhoto Library Folder to an external HD set to ignore permissions. You could also use a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.
In each account in turn: Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting dialogue, select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new library location. From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.
Lastly: This method seems a little clunky at first, but works very well. Most importantly, it uses the System to do the job for you.
Create a new Account on your Mac, call it Media. Create an iPhoto Library there. (BTW: This will work for iTunes too.)
Enable Sharing on the Library:(Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other accounts. In those accounts, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. The Library will appear in the other source pane.
This means that both users will be able to see the pics. If you want to use a pic then simply drag it from the shared Library to your own in the iPhoto Window. This means that each user can have their own edits.
If you want to add photos to the Library: Log into the Media account for that purpose.
To make it all seamless: Set your Mac to log into the Media Account automatically. Set iPhoto to launch on log-in. Then switch to your own account using Fast User Switching.
Net result: a Library that's permanently available to all users but also protected. Each user can have their own versions of the pics if they want.
No partitioning, no permissions issues. Uses no extra disk space. What's not to like?
Regards
TD

HT1198 If I share an iPhoto library between multiple users, will the Faces, Events, and Places be automatically usable by all users, or will each user have to tag all the photos (e.g. if a user tags a face, will a different user have to do it in their own

If I share an iPhoto library between multiple users, will the Faces, Events, and Places be automatically usable by all users, or will each user have to tag all the photos (e.g. if a user tags a face, will a different user have to do it in their own iPhoto application??

Have you read this Apple document regarding sharing a library with multiple users: iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users?
OT

Share iPhoto library amoung multiple users

Hi,
I have a new G5 (with iPhoto 5.0.4).
My machine has two user accounts. I would like to have both users have access to the SAME set of pictures - both users should have FULL access (the ability to add/delete photos, modify picture metadata, etc.).
Is there an easy way to do this?
Thanks!

Hi bit,
I have links for you to check out, whether the solutions work 100% I don't know.
Sharing Libraries
Sharing libraries between computers on same local Network
Sharing libraries between users on the same machine...
-both users must have sharing enabled in their iPhoto Preferences
-both users must be logged in and have iPhoto running
Remember that you can only view the other library. You can't edit the photos or play the saved slideshows or view the made books or burn them to Cd or DVD. The books and slideshows will show up as an album. You can play that album as an "on the fly" slideshow. You can drag images from the sharing library to your library in the source column to import them to your library. You can then edit, add to albums, books, slideshow, etc.
Sharing one library between users on same machine....
Download iPhoto Library Manager (pay for it if you deccide to use it for this purpose)
iPhoto Library Manager
iPhoto Library Manager documentation
this page will show you everything you can do with iPhoto Library Manager.
On the documentation page, click the link on the left for "sharing libraries"
Or you can go here and see if you would like to do it this way:
Sharing one iPhoto library between several users on one machine
Sharing Links
Sharing your photos between computers
About shared photos
Turning off photo sharing
Looking for shared photos

How do I best share an iPhoto library to several users on a Lion Server?

I am considering setting up a Lion Server to use for our family of five. The one thing I struggle to understand from searching for information here, and throughout the Internet is: Can I set up a Lion server to have shared libraries for iTunes and iPhoto, and what is the best way to set it up? I would also like to understand if such a shared setup would create any issues with reduced functionality and/or performance?
Today we share libraries across several accounts on one computer, and that works mostly fine, although with some restrictions (only one account can have iPhoto open at a time, which is not much of an issue if on same computer; iTunes can share music but not Apps, ...)

I followed Apple's support team's instruction to create iPhoto on the new external hard drive (My Passport) - and then drag and drop the existing iPhoto library onto it from the Master file.
Don't know who told you that but it would be difficult to be more wrong.
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Regards
TD

Sharing IPhoto library among multiple users

I'd like to make sure that each of the user accounts on my Mac can easily access the same complete IPhoto library -- to add, edit and remove photos, and to be able to use the photos in the IWeb, GarageBand and other projects associated with those accounts. What the best way to get this to happen (and while I'm at it, I guess I'd like to do the same things with ITunes.)

webalias rex:
There are several ways that can be done. The one that has the best success rate is to put the library on an external FW HD which the ownership set to be ignored. Here's Apple's document on that method: iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users.
Here are some other methods that have been discussed.
http://ad.hominem.org/log/2005/07/acl.php
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2151309&#2151309
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=579542&tstart=0
http://www.captnswing.net/2004/03/20/shareiphotolibrary.html
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050904072808460
Do you Twango?
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 written 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. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Problems sharing iPhoto library across multiple users

This discussion here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1690063?start=0&tstart=0
describes my problem exactly. Unfortunately, the solution presented there doesn't work. I've tried everything I can think of, does anyone have any ideas on how to solve this? I'm on Lion now.

Thanks for the reply. I do have an external drive but I'd rather not do that for a couple of reasons. (Please let me know if either of these are unfounded)
1. It's essential that I have a good backup solution for my photos. They're probably the most important data I have. My external drive has two partitions and one of them is for Time Machine. If I put the iPhoto library on the other partition, it will still be on the same physical drive and if it fails, I'll lose both the iPhoto library and its backup on Time Machine! I do have Backblaze too but I'm not sure whether it works with external drives - need to check that.
2. The second partition on the external drive is FAT 32 so that other windows devices in our house can use it. If I reformat to OS X Extended, I believe that will be a problem. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I could buy another drive but I'd rather not splash out the cash if I don't have to. Apple's instructions here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198 are old and need to be updated for Lion but it should work, right?

Sharing one iphoto library between multiple user accounts

I hav an extensive photo library and would like to share this across multiple users on the one computer. Am I able to do this without having to move the library to an external hard drive?

What you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc. The problem here is that OS X works very hard to keep your data safe and secure from the other users. You're trying to beat what's built in to the system. So, to beat the system
Quit iPhoto in both accounts
Move the iPhoto Library Folder to an external HD set to ignore permissions. You could also use a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.
In each account in turn: Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting dialogue, select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new library location. From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.
Lastly: This method seems a little clunky at first, but works very well. Most importantly, it uses the System to do the job for you.
Create a new Account on your Mac, call it Media. Create an iPhoto Library there. (BTW: This will work for iTunes too.)
Enable Sharing on the Library:(Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other accounts. In those accounts, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. The Library will appear in the other source pane.
This means that both users will be able to see the pics. If you want to use a pic then simply drag it from the shared Library to your own in the iPhoto Window. This means that each user can have their own edits.
If you want to add photos to the Library: Log into the Media account for that purpose.
To make it all seamless: Set your Mac to log into the Media Account automatically. Set iPhoto to launch on log-in. Then switch to your own account using Fast User Switching.
Net result: a Library that's permanently available to all users but also protected. Each user can have their own versions of the pics if they want.
No partitioning, no permissions issues. Uses no extra disk space. What's not to like?
Regards
TD

HT1198 iPhoto Library amond multiple users

I followed the above steps. In the second user that I have created,when I open iPhoto, it still says, "iPhoto Library is on a locked volume. Reopen iPhoto when you have read/write access". I have followed each and every step as given on the Apple support page.
Please help me on how to resolve this issue.
Thank you.

I am experiencing the exact same problem. However, in my case, moving the iPhoto library to a disk image (as opposed to where it was, on my hard drive in the /Users/Shared area), was done in order to allow multiple users to access the library (not at the same time of course). So Bill's solution, of moving the library to another location, won't really solve my original problem.
Originally, I just made the library permissions r/w for everyone, and that seemed to work for a while. But then iPhoto started acting strangely and I suspected permission issues so I searched for a way to do it "properly" and found this article. However the Disk Image (where you can "ignore ownership") doesn't solve my issue because the other user still cannot access the library.
The only alternative I can see is to move the library back to the /Users/Shared folder and set the permissions as r/w for everyone... unless someone else has clarifications or suggestions?
iPhoto version 9.4.1 on Mac OS 10.7.5.
Thank you in advance,
Rami

HT1198 Sharing an iPhoto library between multiple users on a single Mac?

Can anyone help me solve this problem? I want to share an iPhoto library that holds all the family pictures across three other users who have separate accounts on the same iMac.

What do you mean by "share"?
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window. Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to an external HD set to ignore permissions (or a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.

Trouble with sharing iPhoto library among multiple users

I followed the directions in this guide to share my iPhoto library between two accounts. However, it does not allow both users to open the library. One user gets a message that it is locked. I have ensured that the disk image and the library give everyone read/write access and that ownership of the volume is ignored. I've also ensured that the other user is logged out of iPhoto. However, I still get the error.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198?viewlocale=en_US
I am, however, able to share the iPhoto library if I don't use the disk image and if I just store the library in the Shared folder and by giving both users read/write access. However, I'm afraid that this will someday crash on me based on this article.
Does anyone have any experience with this??

The disk image approach looks complex. I'd avoid it. Note that all the users need to have read/write access to the disk image plus the folder that it's inside of ...
The use of an external disk looks simplest and I've done that myself so I know that it works.
Also, here is another solution: http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/Documentation/iPLM/pgs/sharing.html

Sharing iPhoto library among multiple users on one machine

Take mercy on a newcomer to the Mac ...
Having recently acquired an iMac I'm now trying to set up iPhoto 8 so that the same picture library is accessible from the three user accounts I created on the machine, for the three members of the household.
I've seen some postings on this issue, which suggest rather convoluted solutions, such as using an external hard disk. I don't want to buy an external disc for this purpose; I just want to figure out a way to put my pictures in one place, and one place only, where I can organise and change them from my user, and where the other two users have at least read access.
I have tried putting my pics in the shared folder, and redirected iPhoto there from my user, which worked fine. But then from the other users I get error messages that they don't have the required priviliges.
Grateful for any advice!

RutgetW
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
Easy: there's no need to move the library at all.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
Regards
TD

Managing iPhoto Library with multiple accounts

I want to share my iphoto library with multiple user accounts on the same machine. Any suggestions how to do this so when new photos / events are added & created they are accessible to all?
Thank you.

I have another question, do you know anything about using the "referenced library" approach instead? Would this work better?
When you use a Referenced Library you are responsible for file management of your photos, not iPhoto. So when you say "work better", what do you mean?
How to do it:
Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.
What Happens:
Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. To do this it will create an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder.
Some things to consider:
There are a number of potential pitfalls using this system.
1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
My own opinion:
I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organisers.
If disk space is an issue, you can run an entire iPhoto Library from an external disk:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library as an entity from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
If you're concerned about accessing the files, There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
*For Users of 10.5 and later*
You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
*For users of 10.4 and later* ...
Many internet sites such as Flickr and SmugMug have plug-ins for accessing the iPhoto Library. If the site you want to use doesn’t then some, one or any of these will also work:
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. However, if you're using Gmail you can use iPhoto2GMail
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.
*If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running*:
For users of 10.6 and later:
You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu. Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
For Users of 10.4 and later:
Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser
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.
Regards
TD

Move iPhoto library from one user to another?

How can I move (transfer) an iphoto library from one user to another on an iMac running 10.6.8 or alternatively allow one user to work with another user's iPhoto? Both users are on the same computer.

hi
fast you open your old user and copy the iPhoto library on disk partition or any external disk.
next log in your another account and paste the iPhoto library file on users>(acc. name)> Picture
after that when you open your iPhoto then hold the OPTION button and and choose the specified path (iPhoto library ) file
i hope solved your problem

How do I delete photos in Iphoto library that have not been imported?

How do I delete photos in Iphoto library that have not been imported?

How did they get there and how do you know that they are there?
If they were not imported and iPhoto is not aware of them then you can be sure your current backup is up to date and tested, quit iPhoto and drag them to the finder trash - But be very careful because if you trash any items that iPhoto knows about you will corrupt your library
Before you empty the trash, launch iPhoto again and be sure everything is working correctly
It is recommended that you never modify the iPhoto library using anything except iPhoto or iPhoto aware programs like iPhoto Library Manager including adding, modifying or deleting items, files or folders within the iPhoto library
Your current case may be one of the very unusual exceptions to this - if they were put there without iPhoto's knowledge
LN
Message was edited by: LarryHN

How do I remove an imported iPhoto library at multiple users

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