Unrecognized file type

There's a few posts on this topic but no conclusive answers.
When I try to import into iPhoto 08 i get the following message -
"The following files could not be imported (they may be an unrecognized file type of the files may not contain valid data).
I copied the photos to my desktop andtried again but same results.
The jpg's are find and FINDER can view them. There wasr no problem last week but now??
As an example the address of the files shown in the dialog box reads as follows -
/private/var/folders/zz/ZZy5x7B9EI8VU0rHf5s-Lk+TI/-Tmp-/iPhoto/P1020462.jpg.
There was also an upgrade from Apple I believe earlier this week?? - thanks.

Have you run Disk Utility to repair disk permissions on your HD? You might also try deleting the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist. It will be recreated when you launch iPhoto.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier versions) 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 created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), 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. There are versions that are compatible with iPhoto 5, 6, 7 and 8 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
NOTE: The new rebuild option in iPhoto 09 (v. 8.0.2), Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup" makes this tip obsolete.

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Can't import pictures I once could Unrecognized file type

I recently had to reinstall some system software because my computer wouldn't reboot. When I opened up iPhoto 5 nothing was there. I went to a back up and imported the latest Librarty. When I went to import the rest of the photos I got this error message... "The following files could not be imported (they may be an unrecognized file type or the files may not contain vallid data)." All my pictures are the same file type and size and come from the same camera. They all open in the Preview application.

Diane
Are they in the iPhoto Library Folder? Because iPhoto wont import pics from the iPhoto Library Folder - a precaution against duplication. Drag them to the desktop and try again.
Regards
TD

Photo will not upload my pictures from the same camera that always worked in IPhoto. Says "could not be imported (may be unrecognized file type or files may not contain valid data). So how do I do it?

Photo will not upload new photos from same camera that always worked in IPhoto. Says "could not be uploaded )may be unrecognized file type or files may not contain valid data). Help!

Try image capture or a card reader - after the photos are safely on your Mac then use the camera's format command to reformat the memory card
LN

"Unrecognized file type" message

After importing numerous batches of photos from my camera I discovered the weird, randomly named folders iPhoto had put them into and tried to rearrange them. After discovering the mess I'd made I threw out the existing iPhoto database and preferences and tried to start over. Somewhere in there I got a prompt to update iPhoto (from what older version I can't remember), which I OK'd; it took about half an hour to "convert" to iPhoto 4.0.3. Now I can't import any photos at all: I get the "unrecognized file type" message even though I don't have any trouble opening any pictures in Preview or Photoshop. I've tried both the Import menu and dragging photos from the Finder.
Please help.
PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9) iPhoto 4.0.3

Dutchie
Here is the simple answers first.
1. You made the most common mistake with iPhoto You tampered with the database trying to change all those weird folders. You can't do that. More on this later.
2. When you get that unrecognizable message your are probably trying to import something that was already in the database. Can't do that either.
Read what follows first and then we can get you back up and working.
iPhoto Terms
iPhoto
The application is designed to do EVERYTHING working in the application with the options available in the window and menus. Basically, once a photo has been imported into iPhoto (file copied to the database) that file is available only through the application. To use it some place else (that is not an iPhoto option) - export, or drag it from the window.
Photo Library
Note: that is "Photo Library", not "iPhoto Library". This is the option you see in the source window to display all the photos imported into iPhoto.
iPhoto Library (Folder)
To avoid grief please read this carefully!. The iPhoto Library is a folder that iPhoto creates and by default puts in your user Pictures Folder. This folder is the database where iPhoto actually stores everything you have done in the application. iPhoto keeps this folder in a special way, with special files, folders and subfolders.
Leave this folder alone. Don't add, delete or change anything in this folder. If you do - the database can collapse like a house of cards. Don't browse through it with other applications, like email, one slip can mean disaster.
iPhoto can work with several databases - iPhoto Library folders - but can only open and work with one at a time. These folders can be renamed and stored anywhere - as long as iPhoto knows the name and location - and is directed to open with the folder you select. If you want to move or backup the iPhoto Library folder - you must work with the ENTIRE folder. Don't try to move or backup pieces of the folder.

Having problems emailing with iPhoto 9.2.1 on all my devices. Photos either do mot arrive or arrive as an unrecognized file type, or sometimes go straight through. Apple support has been unable to resolve. Does anyone have any suggestions???

Photos either do not arrive at all or arrive as an unrecognized file type, or sometimes go straight through. Apple support has been unable to resolve. Does anyone have any suggestions??? I am experiencing this on all my devices -- MacBookAir, iMac, both running most current version of Lion; iPad v1.0; and iPhone 4S

Turnmerv wrote:
Photos either do not arrive at all or arrive as an unrecognized file type, or sometimes go straight through. Apple support has been unable to resolve. Does anyone have any suggestions??? I am experiencing this on all my devices -- MacBookAir, iMac, both running most current version of Lion; iPad v1.0; and iPhone 4S
If you can not send from any of these devices then it has to be your e-mail service - the e-mail clients for OS X and for IOS 5 are totally different - the only common thread between all of these devices is your e-mail service
LN

Unable to save xls file from website in the "Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003 Worksheet" format. The browser is saving in unrecognized "File" Type

The version I am using is 3.6.11
The file is stored in the server in the format "Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003 Worksheet"
But when I download it, it gets saved in the unrecognized format type "File"
The servlet code written to download the file sets the content type to "application/vnd.ms-excel"
I am able to save the file in Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003 Worksheet format using Internet Explorer Browser without any issues.
But it does not work with the Mozilla Firefox. Any plug-in needed to make it work?

Did you try to add the .xls file extension yourself to those files?

Searching for source in unrecognized file types

Using DW CS5, I'm unable to find text while searching that is in some of my files. I think this might be because these files are not recognized as source code by Dreamweaver. They are PHP files but they have the extension .ctp instead (because they are Cake files).
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Thanks,
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Stephen,
Using DW CS5, I'm unable to find text while searching that is in some of my files. I think this might be because these files are not recognized as source code by Dreamweaver. They are PHP files but they have the extension .ctp instead (because they are Cake files).
Is there any way to get Dreamweaver to consider these files when searching? I have already specified that Dreamweaver should be used to edit these files in Preferences -> File Types / Editors.
Yes. This TechNote explains it:
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/164/tn_16410.html
Randy

PSE 6 with Raw 4.4.1 plugin, unrecognized file type

Mac OS X 10.5.2, Photoshop Elements 6. Downloaded / ran Camera_Raw_4_4_1.dmg and put Camera Raw.Plugin in root\lib\Application Support\Adobe\Plug-ins\CS3\File Formats\. When I try and open a *.CR2 image, I get "... does not recognize this file type", but when I select <Photoshop Elements, About plug-in, Camera Raw...> it recognizes version 4.4.1. Same result using Bridge. Within PSE, If I select <File, Open> with All Documents Enabled / Photoshop Raw Format, *.CR2 opens as a dot pattern. Camera Raw Format I get "... file-format module cannot parse the file". I'm lost. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Thanks,

Good call, the file was toast. I'd used Image Capture (resident with OS) rather then the EOS Utility to download images. Using software that came with the camera everything works fine. Really appreciate your help.

PREVIEWS for unrecognized FILE TYPES?

i have some .rvb files that can be opened in TEXTWRANGLER and which come from a windows based 3D software program. These open as TEXT and I am finding that I /sometimes/ see the TEXT previews for these files and I sometimes don't see the previews for these files. When I don't see the previews I just see a blank page without the text.
this does not /appear/ to be related to whether the file has been opened recently and it appears to change visibility when I /move/ the files to a new folder (in this case the previews went away).
i also notice that the icon is sometimes correct and sometimes just blank.
can anyone help me troubleshoot this a little so i understand how to keep the previews as this is invaluable for my editing workflow.
thanks.

hotwheels 22 wrote:
I am finding that I /sometimes/ see the TEXT previews for these files and I sometimes don't see the previews for these files. When I don't see the previews I just see a blank page without the text.
When you say "TEXT previews", do you mean Quick Look?
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/14119.html>
If so, QL deals with files based on type code, file name extension, or UTI. If your .rvb files come from Win, then they have neither the former, nor the latter, and the name extension is not declared by any app, so QL doesn't know what to do with them. Here's what you can try:
(1) Set the default app to open these files to TextWrangler in the usual way. This might or might not work, I'm not sure.
(2) Use RCDefaultApp to associate .rvb files with TW. Again, this might or might not work, I'm not sure.
(3) Use the following AppleScript to create a droplet (save it in AppleScript Editor as an app).
--script begins
(* We use "name contains" instead of "name extension is" because the latter doesn't seem to work reliably. *)
on open theFiles
 tell application "Finder"
 repeat with i in theFiles
 if name of i contains ".rvb" then
 set file type of i to "TEXT"
 end if
 end repeat
 end tell
end open
--script ends
The type code "TEXT" will be assigned to any Finder item dropped on it which contains the string ".rvb" in its name. This should work.
(4) Edit TextWrangler's UTI type declaration to add .rvb. The issue is described here
<http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20071028184428583>
(Scroll and look at the hint about Coda—it applies to your problem, mutatis mutandis.)
(5) Use extended attributes, as described in here
<http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100112100027790>
Methods (1) and (2) may or may not work, I'm not sure. But it's easy to try them out.
Methods (3), (4), and (5) will definitely work. But you may find (4) and (5) a little too complicated.

Llvm-nm: FILE_NAME.c.o - Unrecognized File Type : Cannot find Linker Input

Hi All,
Having an issue with linking here... I've attached a screenshot that says it all.
I'm sure someone else has ran into this... any help would be much appreciated.

I wonder if you're experiencing what I am on the Mac....
You wouldn't happen to have a 64-bit install of gcc and tools under cygwin, would you?

TS4036 i restored from my iCloud and now all my photos in my camera roll are all fuzzy and are an unrecognized file type. does anyone know what to do about this?

i restored from my icloud and now all my photos are blurry and my movies appear to be gone..
can anyone help with this problem please
it has loads of shots and video from my wedding and honeymoon
thank you

Don't spend a lot of time trying to change it. It's an iCloud problem that's happened before, and when it happened in August it went back to the correct colors in a few days. Just be careful when you add new items to the calendar to use the right calendar (even if the color is wrong), otherwise you'll have things out of synch when the correct colors come back.

Mail no longer can open unrecognized file

In iOS 4, if mail encountered an attachment of unrecognized file type I would have the option of opening it with another application (e.g., FileApp, Evernote, etc.); when trying to open the same file in iOS 5, I get "Mail cannot open this attachment." And I don't see a way to map the attachment file type to another application.

Workaround of sorts - mail will recognise .zip extension so if you know someone is sending something to you get them to zip first if your target app supports that - still bad show by apple.

Interesting iPhoto "unrecognized file" issue....

My wife scanned in a bunch of photos on her Intel iMac running 10.6, using an HP scanner and the scanner drivers built into Snow Leopard.
iPhoto refused to recognize about half of them. They would open just fine in Preview and in the quick-look, but iPhoto wanted no part of them.
Photoshop had no problem with them, so I opened them in Photoshop and saved them as JPEGs. iPhoto still would not import them.
Same for JPEG-2000 and PNG.
Saving them as TIFF files worked and iPhoto would import the TIFFs.
Now here's where it gets REALLY odd.
I had iPhoto export the images it (finally) accepted as TIFFs to a folder, in jpeg format.
You guessed it - iPhoto would not re-import the files that iPhoto had created. Returned the same unrecognized file type error.
Totally weird.
Matt

Surfguinea,
I had never used Automator before, and I was amazed just how easy and intuitive it is to set up and use a work flow...
To ensure my original photos are preserved, I decided first to copy them to the desk top, and after Automator has completed the conversion, to manually move them to my iPhoto file library folders...
The steps you need to take are...
Open Automator, select Finder, Applications, Automator, then choose the Workflow template...
Then select the Actions from the library, and drag them to the window to build the workflow sequence...
The actions you need to convert the colour profile are...
Ask for Finder items (select from File & Folders)...
Select Start at: and pick the folder that contains your photos...
Select Type: and select Files, and tick Allow Multiple Selections.
Copy Finder items (select from File and Folders)...
Select To: and select Desktop (or another folder if you wish)
Apply ColorSync Profile to Images (select from Photos)...
Select Profile:, Display, and the pick the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 option.
Select the Run button, and you will be prompted to select multiple photos to convert...
The photos selected will be copied to the Desktop (or your new folder),
and the Colour Profile will be converted to sRGB IEC61966-2.1,
which iPhoto is quite happy to import.
Manually move the converted photos from the DeskTop to wherever you want to keep your Photos, or import directly into iPhoto.
I suggest you select a few photos only for your first Automator Run, have a look at the before and photos, and confirm the conversion.
Right click on the photo file name in Finder,
Select Info, then More info, and
Note the Colour profile.
Have fun...

Unrecognized file in iPhoto

hello.
i've been using iPhoto for a couple of months now. i really enjoy the way it organizes my pictures on a by-date-basis. however, i encountered this problem only now.
i was looking at some pictures that are one month old, and i wanted to duplicate them so as i may be able to edit them without losing the original pics. however, i realize that the pictures aren't duplicating. so, i double-clicked on one pic and iPhoto showed the sign. the thumbnails are still ok, but i get that sign when i try to enlarge the pics for editing. i looked at the folder using the finder and i saw that the original pics are still where they are. i tried to re-import the pics by dragging them to iPhoto but i got this message:
"The following files could not be imported (they may be an unrecognized file type of the files may not contain valid data.)"
by the way, i am using iPhoto 6.0.6.
if someone could help me with this. thanks.
gary

gary
The ! or ? turns up when iPhoto loses the connection between the thumbnail in the iPhoto Window and the file it represents.
The most common cause of this is User Activity in the iPhoto Library Folder. Have you altered, moved or renamed anything in the iPhoto Library Folder?
If you haven't, then try rebuilding the database. Hold down the apple and option (or alt) keys and launch iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild.
You cannot import files that are in the iPhoto Library Folder = this is a sensible precaution against accidental duplication.
Also, iPhoto always works on a copy of the Original Pic. In the Photos menu you see the command 'Revert to Original', this allows you to do just that.
Regards
TD

Unrecognized File Msg

Hi,
When I attempt to download images from my camera or add to my iPhoto library, I now get the following message "The following files could not be imported (they may be an unrecognized file type or the files may not contain valid data).
Whe I try to edit any existing jpeg files in any of my iPhoto Libraries I get the spinning gear (the thumbnails are all visible). I am able to view all my jpegs in Preview, and don't believe them to be corrupt in any way (the library data also works fine on my PowerBook).
This probem surfaced after I needed to perform an erase and install of OS X 10.3.5. I Combo'd back up to 10.3.9 (with all the repair permissions, etc...), and have applied all software updates to make the system current. It was after all this that I discovered my problem with iPhoto. The rest of the apps seem fine.
I've erased iPhoto, reinstalled iPhoto 5.0.0 with Pacifist, and applied updates to bring it back to 5.0.4, but have the same error as described in the first paragraph. Permissions have been repaired, as well as the disk via Disk Utility.
I've also reapplied the OS X 10.3.9 update.
Anyone out there have any words of wisdom?
Thanks,
Bob

Found the problem,
Quicktime 7.0.3 had become corrupted (error -50 msg). Applied the Quicktime 7.0.4 upodate, and all's now well with iPhoto.
Whoo Hoo
Bob

Unrecognized file type

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