Iphoto 9.6 .. Events issue

Question

HI léonie,
I've a similar problem and hope I've made a clear description of it.
System information:
MacBook Pro 17inch - late 2007
Version OS: 10.10 (14A389)
iPhoto: 9.6 (910.29)
# Events: 129
# Photo’s: 13.604
Other (maybe useful) information:
- When the issue starts, this was under the Mavericks OS. I’m using Yosemite now.
- I make from each (backed-up) library a catalogue (Event-name + photo ID)
- My Event-name is always built up in the same way: <Year> - <Country-name>; <Place> - <short description>
- No links to external discs active / no shares with iCloud
- the same back-up is written to 2 external discs separately
- some private photo’s created in Albums are shared on Facebook
Background:
Because I’m doing long-term projects as a photographer I have Events in my active photo-library which are dating back to 2011. During this year I upgraded from iPhoto8 to iPhoto11, it looked like that everything went okay after I used the converting software for the library. But then I started to use “Faces” (and for my feeling,) it was then when the trouble starts.
Symptoms:
- photo’s were thrown out of the Events and being mixed up with others or they were put in an unnamed event
- photo’s which should not be in the active Library appeared back
- after converting a backed up Library and activating the (as I call it) “Face option”, the earlier described symptoms occur.
- but it happens not consequently because for instance “Event Y” in Backed-up library 1 on HardDiskA doesn’t have the same amount of pictures in the same “Event” but then on HardDiskB
- searching on Finder-level, I run into Events dating back before 2011 which should not in my active library anymore (after backing-up an active level, I throw all the Events in the Trash, subsequently empty the Trash).
- also on Finder-level, the corresponding folder with the Event consists of different photo’s than in the iPhoto Event. (I’ve checked this by using 2 Events; made a detailed inventory - photo ID + shooting date / time; compared it on iPhoto-level / Finder-level)
Consequences:
- All my backed up Libraries and my current Library are a mess
Question:
- can you (or somebody else) provide me a splendid idea to correct this in a fast way? or should I (how I will find the time for this?!?!?!) correct all these libraries manually, photo by photo - according to my own created catalogues?
Thank you in advance,
Frank
<Branched to new discussion by Host>

Answer 1

Symptoms:
- photo’s were thrown out of the Events and being mixed up with others or they were put in an unnamed event
- photo’s which should not be in the active Library appeared back
That may be caused by "Recovered items" due to the bug I mentioned above or by and external editor saving files into your library. Are you using an external editor with your library?
- after converting a backed up Library and activating the (as I call it) “Face option”, the earlier described symptoms occur.
This may be a coincidence.
- but it happens not consequently because for instance “Event Y” in Backed-up library 1 on HardDiskA doesn’t have the same amount of pictures in the same “Event” but then on HardDiskB
Have you checked, if there are photos in the "Hidden" album?
- searching on Finder-level, I run into Events dating back before 2011 which should not in my active library anymore (after backing-up an active level, I throw all the Events in the Trash, subsequently empty the Trash).
Again, there may be several reasons that emptying the Trash does not work. Either the bug I mentioned, or permission problems. If your Home folder has a permissions problem or the hard drive with your iPhoto Library, iPhoto may not be able to move the trashed items from your iPhoto Trash to the system Trash on your Desktop. Then the trashed events may stay hidden in the Library.
Try to delete a few of the items that have reappeared now. Can they now be moved to the Trash on your Desktop, when you empty the Trash?
- also on Finder-level, the corresponding folder with the Event consists of different photo’s than in the iPhoto Event. (I’ve checked this by using 2 Events; made a detailed inventory - photo ID + shooting date / time; compared it on iPhoto-level / Finder-level)
Don't rely on the folder structure you are seeing for the original image files in the Finder. This is not meant to be human readable. The way the images are stored in your iPhoto Library has changed considerably between iPhoto versions and is not a feature of the user interface. It can change any time. Right now, iPhoto will store events in folders according to the data of the import session. That may not necessarily be the date you took the photo, but the date of he last iPhoto Library upgrade.
Consequences:
- All my backed up Libraries and my current Library are a mess
Question:
- can you (or somebody else) provide me a splendid idea to correct this in a fast way? or should I (how I will find the time for this?!?!?!) correct all these libraries manually, photo by photo - according to my own created catalogues?
In what way is the backup a mess? You backed up the libraries before you upgraded to Yosemite, didn't you? Have you opened the backed up libraries  and they were also upgraded?