My iPhoto Library files seems to be self replicating . . . help!

Question

This is a hard dilemma to explain, but I will do my best. I recently created a new library using the free version of iPhoto Library Manager & downloaded new photos off my camera into the new library. It seemed to work fine. MY 2 active iPhoto libraries are called iPhoto library and Africa August ’08.
Then I created a third library, which is still empty. (I had some confusion creating that third library but since that may not have any bearing on the problem I am having now, I won't go into the details, especially because I didn’t take good notes, but the confusion was about where the new library should live.)
Anyway, I wanted to move some files from my primary library (called iPhoto library) into the new third, empty library, but realized that I would need to buy the $20 version of Library Manager to do it easily. I was prepared to do that, but decided to back up to my hard drive first.
Because I recently put so many new photos onto my computer, I could no longer fit three full back ups onto my lacie 250G harddrive, as I had been doing. So I erased two back-ups, leaving one back up on the Lacie. I proceeded to back up my computer and then I had two back-ups. Or so I thought . . .
When I checked carefully, I discovered that the older back up was not complete - somehow, inexplicably, it was missing my primary iPhoto Library. I would have sworn I had checked the back ups carefully, but I am human, maybe I missed it. Either way, not good!!
The back up I did last night was complete – but it was more than complete. It contained a whole new file folder that I did not create. Here is it's name: 073B7094-F3BB-4D5A-805F-493F40A7ABD7-4095-0000597ED685353C (call this folder “Thing One”)
Inside I found 10 items:
3 files folders -
iPhoto Library
Photo Booth
YEARBOOK Library
3 misc. items (one jpeg, a few data files, and iPhotoLock.data)
Here is what I found inside my Pictures file on the back up (19 items):
2 active iPhoto libraries (called iPhoto library and Africa August ’08)
6 File folders -
photo booth
YEARBOOK library (just a folder, not actually a library)
auto import
AIM Buddy icons
2 files of personal photos
11 misc. items
(jpegs, psd & data files, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, iPhotoLock.data & iChat icons)
So it seems that for some reason my computer made a whole new file & replicated three file folders (iPhoto Library, Photo Booth & YEARBOOK Library) and also 3 of the misc. items from my Pictures folder.
Why would it do that?? But wait, it gets weirder still. I went back to find this new file folder on my HD (remember, so far I only saw it on the external HD). Not only did I find it, but I found two more that the computer created, called “79ECEA25-DE1C-4E51-BE8B-BD44F028387B-1440-0000213F8D9ABA99” (call this folder “Thing Two”) and “2A25C51D-CFBE-472D-81CC-AB9394E6F6AC-1433-00002111046024D3” (call this “Thing Three”)!!
“Thing Two” is identical to “Thing One” but “Thing Three” contains 15 items - 5 more items from my pictures file – four file folders (Africa August 2008, AIM Buddy Icons, Auto Import, iChat Icons) com.apple.iPhoto.plist, and (the kicker) – something that seems to be my main iPhoto library but it is only 85.6 MB big, so it can’t really be.
These new extra files (“Things one, two & three”) appear to be huge – 28, 30 & 45 GB But how can that be?? My whole HD is only 120 GB and my two active iPhoto libraries are together 45 GB! But when I ask the computer to “get info” that is what it tells me.
I would like to erase these “Things” . . . but I am afraid to until I figure out what they are, why they were created & whether erasing them will cause me to lose any data.
Help!!
FranArt

Answer 1

Oh, my gosh, TD, you hit the nail on the head! I went to the Silverkeeper site and found this:
Special note for people upgrading to Leopard:
v1.1.4 of SilverKeeper is not compatible with OS X 10.5.x, Leopard. LaCie does not recommend using SilverKeeper v1.1.4 with Leopard. A fix is being investigated.
What to do????????? This means I am not really backed up - that is bad!
Silverkeeper/LaCie recommends using Time Machine - they claim that LaCie drives are compatible with OS X 10.5.x and Time Machine but is that true of all LaCie drives? How can I find out? They also say, "You can use the System restore capability of Apple Disk Utility to make a complete disk backup." what does that mean?
I need to get these "cache files" (Things 1 2 & 3) off my computer and I need a good back up right away. What would you do?
Thanks!!!
--Fran