My iPhoto 6 thinks my external drive is a camera!

Everytime I boot my iPhoto starts because it thinks its a memorycard or a camera... the funny thing is that if I close and restart iPhoto it's not there
it says it's nothing to import, but it still pops up after every newboot.
BTW: There was a movie there that it wanted to import - so I did just to se if it stopped with this nonsens... but no
the disk is an "out of the box" WD My Book 500Gb (i guess it's formatted for windows as well )
anyone that has the same problem???

the disk is an "out of the box" WD My Book 500Gb (i guess it's formatted for
windows as well ) anyone that has the same problem???
If you don't plan to move this disk to a Windows PC, I recommend you reformat it with the Disk Utility to use Journaled Mac HFS (the default file system for Macs). That will wipe the disk clean, so temporarily store your files somewhere else. HFS is more reliable, and uses a naming scheme that is 100% compatible with all your Mac applications. iMovie in particular doesn't work well with FAT file systems (this comes up on the iMovie forum a lot).

Similar Messages

Can't switch iPhoto Libraries to use external drive

I'm using iPhoto 4.0.3 on an old iBook G3, and I keep my photos on an external drive, but right now I can't access it, because my computer seems to have created its own imaginary version of the external drive, which I can't access. (I'll explain it better below.)
In other words, if I open iPhoto, there are photos there (165 of them, all fairly recent), but if I try to find an iPhoto Library on my hard drive, or any record of the photos in it, I come up empty. I must have accidentally imported photos when my external drive wasn't connected, but now I can't figure out where my computer actually put those photos, so that I can delete that iPhoto Library and go back to using the iPhoto Library on my external drive.
Here's what I've found so far:
If I open Finder and search for iPhoto, there is no iPhoto Library.
If I search for the name of one of the photos that's displayed in iPhoto, I get 0 results.
If I search for all files with the .jpg extension, none of the photos that's showing in iPhoto shows up.
If I create an album and put some photos in it, and then search for that album name, I get 0 results.
BUT, if I try to EXPORT a photo from iPhoto, I get some clue to where these photos are hiding - the default location to export photos to is XXX's Computer/Macintosh HD/Volumes/FANTOM/Pictures/iPhoto Library. That's the location of the iPhoto Library on my external drive.
Also, based on an answer to another forum question, I opened Libraries/Preferences/com.apple.iPhoto.plist in Text Edit and searched for key>RootDirectory, and the directory it gives there is /Volumes/FANTOM/Pictures/iPhoto Library. The only problem is, I've disconnected my external drive and restarted my computer, and iPhoto is still displaying 165 pictures in my photo library.
So it seems like my computer THINKS it's looking on my external drive, but actually it's looking at some 'volume' that's on the hard drive - and even when the external drive is connected, the only photos it shows are the ones in this volume, not the ones in my actual iPhoto Library. I want to be able to switch to my normal photo library, but the only way I can do that is if I figure out where this mystery photo library is located, and rename it. Does anybody know how to do this?
Thanks for your help.
iBook G3 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

You don't say whether you've restricted your search, or where you are searching. If you haven't renamed your iPhoto Library folder and it doesn't show up in a search, then it isn't there.
I'm not clear on what you mean by "imaginary version of external drive". Disconnect the drive, and there should be very little left to it's imagination. If iPhoto launches, then it's not looking for the iPhoto Library folder on the external drive -- nothing imaginary.
The destination to which a photo is exported has nothing to do with where iPhoto might have its library (real, or imagined). An "exported" photo is, by definition, not a part of your iPhoto library -- all you're doing is drawing conclusions from unrelated information.
Quit iPhoto if it's running, disconnect your external drive, and delete the "com.apple.iPhoto.plist" file from your user's Library >Preferences folder. If iPhoto starts without any unusual prompts, then it is (and likely, has been all along) using the iPhoto Library folder from your start-up drive's Pictures folder.

Moved iPhoto 11 library to external drive and have a iPhoto Library file left on desktop

Hello,
I have a blue file on my desktop labeled iPhoto Library, that appeared during the course of me moving my iPhoto Library ( iPhoto 11) to an external hard drive to make room on the internal disk, my attempts to reopen iPhoto on the internal disk, move selected photos from the iPhoto Library on the external drive over to the newly emptied iPhoto Library on my laptop.
The blue iPhoto Library file contains these items:
AlbumData.xml
AlbumData2.xml
iPhoto.ipspot
Questions: does this blue file belong somewhere or can I trash it?
This is what I did:
1. I opened Pictures, dragged the iPhoto Library from there to the external drive.
2. When I opened iPhoto on my MBP it said it needed a library to open with and the choices already in the box were:
iPhoto Library(default)
iPhoto Library
3. I chose "iPhoto Library" because I thought "(default)" meant restoring the original library.
4. iPhoto opened to the "get started with iPhoto" like a new install.
5.I moved (drag and drop ) some photos from the external drive back into the "empty" iPhoto Library. I tried to move a group of photos but I didn't know how to do it so ...
6. I took the iPhoto Library from the trash and put it back into the "empty" iPhoto Library.
7. I tried to delete all the photos except the ones I wanted to keep in the internal iPhoto Library. I couldn't do it so....
8. I closed iPhoto, went back into Pictures and trashed the internal iPhoto Library again.
9. Reopened iPhoto and it needed a library to open with and I think I clicked
iPhoto Library (default)
10. When I opened iPhoto this time, it was the "get started with iPhoto" but the original photo albums and labels listed but all empty.
That's what I remember so far.
Hope you can help.
Medusa59

It appears you created a new library. Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and select "Choose Library".
Navigate to the library on the external hard drive and select it. Once you're satisfied that it's the one you want you can delete that folder from your desktop.
OT

How do i manage 1 iphoto library on 2 external drives?

I'm trying to find the most efficient way to manage 1 iphoto library across 2 external drives. In case one of my external drives dies, I'll have a backup.
I know how to copy my iphoto library onto another drive, but my question is how to manage the 2 drives when i add photos/videos to them from my iphone.
Currently, I import photos/vids from iphone onto 1 drive. Then unmount the external drive and hook up another drive. I direct iphoto to use the new drive as it's library and then import the photos/vids again onto the second drive. I make sure the event is named the same, so I have the same iphoto setup across both drives. Then i delete the photos/vids from my iphone.
Is there a more efficient way to do this? Or software that can do this in one step?
Thanks in advance for any help!

You want to have a backup of your working library on your MacBook Pro on each of two external HDs, correct?
If yes then use a backup application like Synk or Synk Pro that can incrementally backup the library, i.e. copy only those new of modified files. If you go to MacUpdate.com and do a search for "backup" you'll get a list of potential candidates.
Then all you need to do is connect EHD#1 and run the backup app to update the library then connect EHD#2 and do the same. It only takes several seconds to make the incremental backup. Synk Pro can be configured to automically start the backup when the external drives are connected. I'm not sure but believe some of the other backup apps could do the same.
OT

Moving iphoto library to an external drive

i want to move my iphoto library to an external drive to free up space. i've copied my library to the new drive. i hold down the option key when launching iphoto and when i try to select the new librbary, iti isn't highlighted/clickable. any suggestions?

but when i hold option key, the only photo library that comes up is the one on my internal hard drive.
In that case try clicking on the Choose button, navigate to the USB drive and select the library there:
OT

IPhoto folder (saved on external drive) greyed out

Help! I have recently purchased a WD My Book external (cloud) drive. About a month ago, I moved my iPhoto library there, and everything was working perfectly. I've just tried to open iPhoto, and it's not automatically loading that library. When I try to navigate to the external drive to select it, the iPhoto folder is there, but it's greyed out...and it won't let me select it. (I have the WD2go app on my phone, and can see that my photos are still there...phew!) I have restarted both the external drive and my laptop.
I'm still a relatively new Mac user...and am very new to the world of external hard drives/networks/clouds, etc.
Any help would be really appreciated!!!
Thanks!

iPhoto keeps it's iPhoto Library in the Pictures folder, it's really not designed to be moved.
So what happens is iPhoto opens up and it's program looks for it in the Pictures folder and it's not there. It likely created a new one in the Pictures folder with nothing in it.
I don't know how to tell iPhoto to look on the external drive, change to that location,
But I can tell you the iPhoto Library (on the external drive too) is actually a folder, right click on it (or control click) and a menu pops up with "open package contents" and inside is a folder called Originals with all your pictures inside.
Post your question in the iPhoto forum and they likely have a few cool tricks up their sleeve.
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents

I just backed up my photos by copying my iPhoto Library onto an external drive. Now the Library on my MacBook won't open. I can only open the photos if the external is plugged in. How can I resolve this issue?

I just backed up my photos by copying my iPhoto Library onto an external drive. Now the Library on my MacBook won't open. I can only open the photos if the external is plugged in. How can I resolve this issue?

Exactly what did you do?
The correct steps are
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
My guess is that that you have not switched iphoto to use the external drive yet - opttion launch and select libary
LN

I have Elements 13 (I have the hard copy) installed on my iMac using Yosemite. I do all my iPhoto work on an external drive where I have copied my iPhoto Library, can I also install Elements 13 on my external harddrive or drag Elements 13 over from my iMa

I have Elements 13 (I have the hard copy) installed on my iMac using Yosemite. I do all my iPhoto work on an external drive where I have copied my iPhoto Library, can I also install Elements 13 on my external harddrive or drag Elements 13 over from my iMac so that I can do work with Elements 13 via the exteranl hard drive? Thanks tb

Yes you can store images on an external hard dive and have them referenced in Organizer. It’s best to export copies to separate folders/subfolders and that will ensure iPhoto does not get corrupted.
Alternatively you could continue to use iPhoto with the Elements Editor set up in the iPhoto prefs as your external editing app. Then there is no need to use Organizer and no need to duplicate your images.
You can then call up photos directly from iPhoto as normal with the additional option e.g.
Double-click on a thumbnail to edit in iPhoto editor.
Control (right) - click on a thumbnail to edit in the elements app.
http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/photoshop-elements-iphoto-mac-os.html

Moved my iphoto library to an external drive and now I can't import photos from my camera or iPhone - will only import previously impoted photos - why?

Anyone else had this problem? Anyone know how to fix it?
I haven't deleted my photos of my computer's hard drive yet so can go back to using that if it will fix my problem
Thanks

No that is not a problem and no one has reported it here
to change the library depress the option key and launch iPhoto and use the select library command - see if the behavior is the same on both frives
How did you move the iPhoto library to the external drive?
What format is the external drive?
LN

How do you export iPhoto albums to an external drive and have all the albums still labeled?

I am having an issue exporting the iphoto albums to an external drive. When I do it, it either just drops all the pictures in together or it separates them by events, but my iphotos are arranged in albums, not events so that doesn't help. Can anyone help with this?
Also, I'm new to mac and i'm noticing iphotos has a lot of limitations...I can't save photos automatically to folders/albums in iphoto bc it doesnt show in the finder, I can't upload to facebook without doing it from iphoto, and I obviously can't save to external drive easily just yet. Should I just be saving all of my photos in Pictures in the finder? Is there a way you can save them in pictures and then be able to open them in iphotos? I'm getting so frustrated and ready to go back to my PC. =(

A couple of general comments:
1. iPhoto is not compulsory. You don't have to use it.
2. But if you do, then you're going to need to make a small conceptual leap, and learn just a little.
The Conceptual Leap: Your Files and your Photos are not the same thing. The illustration I use is as follows: In my iTunes Library I have a file called 'Let_it_Be_The_Beatles.mp3'. So what is that, exactly? It's not the song. The Beatles never wrote an mp3. They wrote a tune and lyrics. They recorded it and a copy of that recording is stored in the mp3 file. So the file is just a container for the recording. That container is designed in a specific way attuned to the characteristics and requirements of the data. Hence, mp3.
Similarly, that Jpeg is not your photo, it's a container designed to hold that kind of data. iPhoto is all about the data and not about the container. So, regardless of where you choose to store the file, iPhoto will manage the photo, edit the photo, add metadata to the Photo but never touch the file. If you choose to export - unless you specifically choose to export the original - iPhoto will export the Photo into a new container - a new file containing the photo.
The Learning: iPhoto replaces the Finder (or file browser) for everything to do with your Photo. And I do mean everything. Organising, Editing, sharing with other apps, printing, uploading, whatever are all done either with or via iPhoto. It's you "go-to" for anything to do with your Photos.
The upshot of that is that how (or where) the files are stored doesn't matter - as long as they are safe and backed up - because after importing to iPhoto you never directly access those files again.
So, you want to organise your Photos: do it in the iPhoto Window. Events, Albums, Keywords, and so on. You do all your work via that window or the media browsers that make the Library available in every app in the OS.
So: want to edit a photo, but not with iPhoto? 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.
How to access the Photos for whatever reason you may need them see this user tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491
For details of the Export dialogue: https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
You can more or less recreate your folder tree in the iPhoto Window - start at the bottom of your tree and drag folder of images to the Albums Heading. iPhoto will import the images and make an album of them. Then File -> New Folder and drag the Album to that. Folders can hold nested folders and Albums. And so work from there.
But if your folder tree is date based that's a bit pointless, as the Calendar search and Smart Albums make it pretty redundant. With these you can find any photos from a specific day, week, month, year or date-range in the Library.
If the folder tree is theme based, then keywords will a more effective way of working.
And Albums are more flexible that folders in the Finder, as an image can be in any number of Albums and use no extra disk space whatever.
So, it's a whole new way of working with photos for you.
To your specific questions:
I am having an issue exporting the iphoto albums to an external drive. When I do it, it either just drops all the pictures in together or it separates them by events, but my iphotos are arranged in albums, not events so that doesn't help
Export them one album at a time.
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.
But given the above... why are you doing this? You're defeating the non-destructive workflow by doing it. Are you trying to back up?
.I can't save photos automatically to folders/albums in iphoto bc it doesnt show in the finder,
Not clear exactly what you're asking here, but does the above open some ideas?
I can't upload to facebook without doing it from iphoto
Yeah you can... For help accessing your photos in iPhoto see this user tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491
It's the first one...
and I obviously can't save to external drive easily just yet.
Yeah you can but what exactly are you trying to save, and, again, why? Different purposes have different workflows.
Should I just be saving all of my photos in Pictures in the finder?
That's a personal choics, but not if you plan on using iPhoto. And as I started with iPhoto is not compulsory... As to why you shouldn't with iPhoto:
For more on iPhoto and file management see this User Tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6361
Reasons for bothering to learn...
I use Events simply as big buckets of Photos: Spring 08, July - Nov 06 are typical Events in my Library. I use keywords and Smart Albums extensively. I title the pics broadly.
I keyword on a
Who
What
Where basis (The When is in the photos's Exif metadata). I also rate the pics on a 1 - 5 star basis.
Using this system I can find pretty much find any pic in my 50k library in a couple of seconds.
So, for example, I have a batch of pics titled 'Seattle 08' and a typical keywording might include: John, Anne, Landscape, mountain, trees, snow. With a rating included it's so very easy to find the best pics we took at Mount Rainier.
File -> New Smart Album
set it to 'All"
title contains Seattle
keyword is mountain
keyword is snow
rating is 5 stars
Or, want a chronological album of John from birth to today?
New Smart Album
Keyword is John
Set the View options to Sort By Date Ascending
Want only the best pics?
add Rating is greater than 4 stars
The best thing about this system is that it's dynamic. If I add 50 more pics of John to the Library tomorrow, as I keyword and rate them they are added to the Smart Album.
In the end, organisation is about finding the pics. The point is to make locating that pic or batch of pics findable fast. This system works for me.

I have my iPhoto set to an external drive yesterday when it was in use the usb disconnected i now have a message saying (your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable) I have tried shutting down and restarting.

I have my iPhoto set to an external drive, when it was in use the usb disconected as i was moving my mac air, when i re-conected a message said (your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable).
I have tried shutting it down and then re opening iPhoto but get the same message.
The reason for the external drive was there was not enough room on my hard drive, I have around 7000 photos on it.
is there a simple fix?
Regards
Dale

These are your options:
1. Restore the iPhoto library from the most recent backup that predates the issue.
          Advantages: Always works, if library damage is causing the problem and the backup is intact.
          Disadvantages: Impossible if you don't have a backup. All changes made since the backup are lost.
2. Repair or rebuild the library. Be sure to back it up first.
          Advantages: May solve the problem with no loss of data.
          Disadvantages: May fail. May take a long time if the library is large.
3. Scavenge the library with a third-party application called "iPhoto Library Manager," which you can find in a web search. From the application's menu bar (not the iPhoto menu bar), select Library ▹ Rebuild.
          Advantages: All images and albums should be preserved.
          Disadvantages: All books, calendars, and slideshows will be lost.

Move iPhoto/iMovie libraries to external drive

I would like to move my iphoto library to an external drive and not have all the pictures on my iMac (drive is filling up).
I would like to do the same with iMovie if anyone knows how to do it.

iPhoto:
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.
It's also possible to do this with your iMovie projects, but best ask on the iMovie forum for specific help with that.
Regards
TD

How do you get Photos to recognize the "old" iPhoto Library on an external drive without it copying it to the internal drive on the computer which is low in HD space?

How do you get Photos to recognize the “old” iPhoto Library on an external drive without it copying it to the internal drive on the computer which is low in HD space?

Launch Photos while holding down the alt/options key.
This will show the Library Chooser panel. Select the library on the external drive. Photos will create a Photos Library on the same drive.
Photos may not be able to open the library, however, if your external drive has an incompatible file system. It needs to be formatted MacOS Extended (Journaled) and locally mounted, not a remotely mounted volume, as described here: Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture

HELP! Import iPhoto 4 pics from external drive into iPhoto 5

I had computer issues so cleared my hard drive which was with iPhoto 4
Moved the entire iPhoto Library to my external.
When they updated my software they used the 5 version.
Now I am having issues getting iPhoto 5 to recognize my data.
I have tried various way indicated... but each one presents with a different problem.
* If I pull them directly from the External drive to the Photo finder window - then when I open iPhoto i get the spinning wheel for HOURS (quit after 12).
* If I drag them directly to Iphoto (either the entire folder OR year by year)
They do show up in iPhoto, however, in iPhoto ALL dates are the date I pulled the iPhoto Library onto my External drive. Also, when in iPhoto there are film roles, however, the events are mixed up.
I have tried this about 10 times, all different ways, my latest is now it imports them in DUPLICATE (and I had deleted teh thumb files prior to import)
My question:
How do I pull my iPhoto 4 library into iPhoto 5 and KEEP proper fiilm roles to include 1) Correct pictures in each 2) correct dates and 3) preserve the role titles 4) not duplicated
HELP!!!
THANKS!

Here are some instructions from Apple in iPhoto Help that explain how to switch from your normal iphoto library (on your internal drive) to your older iphoto library (on your external drive:
"You can switch from the photo library you're currently working on to another one you've already created.
1.Quit iPhoto.
2.Rename your current iPhoto Library folder in the Finder or move it to a new location on your hard disk, and then open iPhoto.
3. Tip: If you don't want to rename or move your current iPhoto Library folder, hold down the Option key while opening iPhoto.
4. Click Find Library.
5. Choose the library you want to display.
6. Click Open.
The library appears in the iPhoto viewing area."
If you succeed in doing this, you can thus direct your iphoto 5 program to open the iphoto 4 library on your external. If this succeeds, iphoto 5 will automatically convert that library to iphoto 5. Then you can burn your external drive iphoto 5 library to CD or DVD using the "burn" function from within iphoto. It is best if you can fit everything on one CD or DVD, but if not, you can burn by album, or by roll, or even by date. Make sure you burn this disk (or these disks) from within iphoto 5. Then, following the above instructions again, revert back to your internal drive iphoto 5 library. Then, while iphoto is running, insert those CDs/DVDs you burned from within iphoto earlier and when you do, each will appear inside iphoto along with your other albums. Each CD or DVD, as you insert it, will look like another album. You can then import those into your existing internal drive library. Unless you hhave many thousands of photos, this should not take a long time.
By the way, if ALL your photos are in that external drive iphoto library, you can first quit iphoto and then you can drag it over and replace your internal drive iPhoto Library with the external drive iPhoto Library. Then iPhoto 5 will convert the older library automatically when it starts up.
Before doing any of these things, I suggest backing up all your photos to something safe as if there is some corruption in your original library, it could get mangled in a way that makes it unusable and then you'll need that backup.
I have actually done what I have descriibed above. We have an older iMac G3 with iPhoto 4. We got my daughter a new iMac G5 which came with iPhoto 5. I copied over her iPhoto Library from the iMac G3 which had been running iPhoto 4, and when she started iPhoto 5 for the first time on the new iMac, it converted everything in the old iPhoto Library (created under iPhoto 4) to iPhoto 5.
You would only need the CDs/DVDs if you have two libraries you want to merge, one being an iPhoto 4 Library, and the other being an iPhoto 5 Library.
There is a guy named "Old Toad" who sometimes comments in this forum. He probably has a better way of doing this.

Relink iPhoto videos on an external drive to iMovie projects?

In iMovie 9 on Leopard, how do I relink iPhoto videos to iMovie projects after I've moved the iPhoto library to an external drive? iPhoto works fine, iMovie not. Thanks

It occurred to me that I could test this. I recently got a new Mac, and I moved my iPhoto Library from the SSD to the hard drive. I usually use Aperture so I have never opened iPhoto on this machine. In fact I moved my whole Home Folder to the Hard Drive.
iMovie was not seeing the iPhoto Events. I opened iPhoto (for the first time). Then I restarted iMovie.
It offered to generate thumbnails for iPhoto. I did not have to restart the Mac.
I know your situation is different. I just thought I would report what I did in case it might help.
I am not seeing any of the yellow triangles, but I am still looking.

My iPhoto 6 thinks my external drive is a camera!

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