Why is iPhoto Library Still 20+ GB?

I have just about stopped using iPhoto (mostly use Lightroom now), and so have been deleting all of the "events" I'd stored there over the past year in order to free up some disk space on my MacBook HDD.
When I started, I had about 25GB in my iPhoto library (according to "Get Info"). I then proceeded to delete all but a few hundred MB of events and photos using the "Move to Trash" function in the "Photos" menu. When I was done I emptied the trash. Don't worry, all the photos are stored on another computer.
So how come my iPhoto Library says it's still using up 20+GB? Is there some default value in iPhoto that accounts for that?
If so, I might be tempted to delete iPhoto altogether. Like I said... never use it.
-PS

How have you been deleting the photos from iPhoto? Are you emptying the iPhoto Trash bin via the iPhoto->Empty Trash menu option? What does the finder say the library's size is? It will be larger than what iPhoto reports since iPhoto only lists the Original files.
If you never use iPhoto then do delete it, after exporting the files to folders so you don't lose them. There is a lot of overhead in a library, thumbnail files, database files, etc. You must have another application that you use for digital asset management so you can use iPhoto just for those special jobs that only iPhoto can do, books, calendars, etc. I use iView MediaPro/Expression Media as my DAM application and create libraries for those special projects like books. When I'm done with a book and have ordered it, I burn the library to a DVD via the Finder to archive the book in case I may want to order another copy at some time in the future. After burning to disk I delete the library.
iPhoto may be not for everyone. But don't go deleting it before saving the photos that are still in it.
NOTE: Lightroom and iPhoto do not play well together with iPhoto getting the short end of the stick. Making edits with lightroom or adding metadata with it and writing to the files can cause those files to be iPhoto incompatible.
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) 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. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. 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: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Similar Messages

Why does the old iphoto library still remain after the upgrade? Takes up HUGE space on my laptop

Why does the old iphoto library still remain after the upgrade? Takes up HUGE space on my laptop

Why does the old iphoto library still remain after the upgrade? Takes up HUGE space on my laptop
Actually, it only looks like it takes up additional space. The file size shown is misleading. When you migrate an iPhoto library to Photos, both libraries will show the media files using hard links. The actual file content of the image files and videos is shared by hard links:
See this linked document: Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries - Apple Support
You will gain no free storage at all by deleting either the iPhoto Library or the Photos library. So keep both libraries until you are very sure, that Photos is working well on your Mac and your iPhoto library has been migrated correctly. Also, check, if you like the workflow in Photos. It is very different from iPhoto and some iPhoto features are not supported.
There will be no easy way back to iPhoto, if you delete your iPhoto library or the iPhoto application. Apple does not sell it any more.

Photos and photo albums disappeared, but iPhoto library still has 60 GB.

Photos and photo albums disappeared, web gallery titles remain but show (0). iPhoto library still has 60 GB size. How do I retrieve photos, events and albums. Thanks in advance.

Are you getting an "!" in the window when you try to edit a photo. The "!" means that the library has lost the file path to the original file. This happens when there has been an interruption to iPhoto while it is writing to it's database file, Library6.iPhoto. Moving, renaming files or folder inside the library package while in the Finder is another way you can get that indication. Try the three fixes below in order as needed:
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys depressed and follow the instructions to rebuild the library. Select the first three options.
2 - rebuild the library using iPhoto Library Manager as follows:
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
1 -Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 -Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your User/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File->Rebuild Library menu option
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - Click on the Create button.
Note: It may take some time to create the new library if you have a lot of photos. Report back on how long it took and how many photos you have in the library so we can give other users an idea of how long it may take.
3 - start over with a new library and import the Originals folder from your original library as follows:
Creating a new library while preserving the Events from the original library.
Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
Open the library package like this.
Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
Drag the Originals folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.
This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library if you have the Finder checkbox unchecked in the Events preference pane.
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 created 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 and Leopard. 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.

Why is iPhoto Library growing?

The iPhoto library on my iMac has grown from about 6000 pictures to over 26,000! It seems that many "face thumbnails" have been created although there also seems to be many duplicates. I have never used "Find faces."
I have searched all drives and found 10 iPhoto Libraries! (Yes, ten!) Some of these are old and smaller, less than 6000 pics, others are backups. I am using iPhoto Library Manager to sort out the mess but still would like to know why all the thumbnails were created.
I have the main iPhoto library on an external drive. Backup on another external and am gathering all "redundant" libraries into a forth drive in a folder named "Old iPhoto ..." to keep all that out of the way.
iPhoto has got to be the most screwed up of Apple's many screwed up programs. iPhoto Library Manager is a total life saver!!
Any advise on any of this is welcome.

Thanks for your responses -
Terence, seems the face thumbnails are both in Events and in Photos. The Library that I am working with (the largest on the assumption it will have at least one copy of all my photos) has 1,148 Events and 26,151 Photos. On a review I found "faces" in both.
Yes, I am sure I have created all of the Library's - I have used iPhoto for years; started with ver. 6 I believe. Been through several drive crashes, moved from Windows to Mac, and several Mac's. So I consider myself lucky that I still have all the photos that I do.
Old Toad, you may be onto something also; Some events have Face thumbnails and then duplicate events do not. There seem to be three copies of most, if not all the events. So yes, probably one of the Libraries picked up face thumbnails. I don't know how iPhoto chooses to make them other than "Find Faces" which I see occasionally at the bottom . (Now that you guy's have mentioned it it seems that I could have lost my mind somewhere along the line and hit something to generate face thumbnails)
My plan to try and fix this Library is to first manually browse and search for duplicate Events and Merge those that I find. To trash all face thumbnails I can find. Then use "Duplicate Annihlator" to find duplicates - seems to do a good job but not exhaustive. With this many photos it's going to be a tedious process.
Any ideas you may have will be appreciated. Oh yeah, I am using iPhoto 11 ver 9.5.

After installing Aperture and leaving photos in iPhoto library, why did iphoto library size almost double?

I installed Aperture and chose to leave all my images in the iPhoto library until I became more comfortable/familiar with Aperture.
I was looking at my hard drive space and see that the available space went way down. In Finder, the Aperture library.ap library is 17.97 gb and the iPhoto library is 122.75 gb.
When I open iPhoto, it says that it contains 19349 images/87 gb.
What happened? Is that extra size related to the Aperture referencing the images? Should I delete and start over, and move all the images into Aperture so that they are managed there?
I'm just figuring my way around Aperture, and I'm trying not to over-think the organizational differences, but this size discrepancy seems a bit too much.

I wish I had more info for this but I'm stumped. As I said there is no reason Aperture would increase the iPhoto library size by importing iPhoto's library.
BTW how did you do the import, that might shed some light on the problem.
The image count between the backup and the live iPhoto libraries seems fairly consistent so why the jump in size I can't say. And as for the increase in the number of images in Aperture, you started with an empty Aperture library, correct? And did you import anything directly into Aperture since you did the iPhoto import?
I'm still a little confused on the whole thing where Aperture shows both original and edited versions of an image, and some show both RAW & JPEG versions of an image,
Well Aperture really doesn't show both the original and edited versions, all you ever see are the versions unless you specifically ask to see the master. When you import an image into Aperture a version of the master is automatically made and displayed. Because at this point the version is no different then the master (you haven't made any adjustments to it yet) the version looks exactly like the master but it is the version you are seeing.
As for the RAW & JPG thing, if you shoot both RAW + JPG's in your camera when you import them you have the choice of which to make the master or to make each one a master. Not sure if that is what you are referring to.
I'm wondering whether I would have been better off just moving the whole iPhoto library into Aperture at the beginning, and deleting the iPhoto library.
That is definitly one option and the option most users who switch eventually make. You're not going to want to have both programs handeling your photos. But you should probably hold off until you;re more omfortable with Aperture and make sure you have a good backup of the iPhoto library before you do anything.
Remember when you import the iPhoto library into Aperture you're only choice is to copy the images not move them. This is done so that you can make sure all went OK before doing anything with iPhoto.
If you have the room you could try bringing in the iPhoto library backup, and trying the import again into a new empty Aperture library.
regards

IPhoto library still 20GB in size, but only shows 500 photos in iPhoto

HELP!
My iPhoto library (which is placed on an external HDD) is about 20GB in size. Unfortunately, everytime I open iPhoto now it has forgotten about 9,500 photos. I know that they are still there due to the size of the file, but iPhoto will not read all of them. If I create a new library and import the old one in to the program all photos are recovered but I lose all of my albums both on the computer and online. Any suggestions?!!?

John:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. It sounds like there was an interruption of some sort, maybe between the external HD and the computer, when accessing the library and the library's database file, Library6.iPhoto, has been damaged.
You can try rebuilding the library as follows: launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys depressed and follow the instructions to rebuild the library. Select the first three options.
If that doesn't resurrect the library you may have to start over with a new library and import just the Originals folder from the old library as follows:
Creating a new library while preserving the Events from the original library.
Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
Open the library package like this.
Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
Drag the Originals folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.
This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library if you have the Finder checkbox unchecked in the Events preference pane.
To recover from similar problems in the future see the tip at the end of my signature below.
Happy Holidays
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 created 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 and Leopard. 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.

Why does iPhoto library

why does my iPhoto library (total) take up 85GB while I only have 20GB of images?

The iPhoto Window reports the size of the resulting folder if you exported everything at the "current" setting. The iPhoto Library in the Finder contains all your photos, their previews and thumbnails along with database and cache files.
Regards
TD

Why is iPhoto library so big? When I have only 4,000 pics, the size is over 31G!!

Is there a way to know what is taking so much space in photo library?
I have only 4,500 pictures, but Iphoto library is taking 31.5 GB.
The most part of it is from a folder called "Masters", I am not sure what's in it.
Thanks

Do you sync photos to an iPod or iPad? If so there will be a folder inside the library titled iPod Photo Cache that can grow to rather large proportions if you sync alot. That could be the reason for the undue size of your library.
Also if many of your photos are in the portrait orientation iPhoto will make a second copy of the photo, rotate it and use it as the original file. That can add to the library size.
OT

Safari save image to iPhoto library still broken?

I have also run across the problem where I choose (right click in Safari) to save an image to the iPhoto library and the only thing that happens is that iPhoto opens. The image is not saved. I have done this on 8 different machines now, all running 10.4.2 with the latest Safari and iPhoto and all do the same thing. I see this has come up for discussion here before and it doesn't look like Apple has solved this yet. Does anyone have any idea of how this can be fixed?

Hi Arthur, I've been trying to figure this issue out for MONTHS. I gave up a while ago but have now found the solution! At least for me this works, some steps may not be necessary but this is what worked for me:
1) Backup your iPhoto Library and then move it to the desktop (or just move it to the desktop)
2) Backup your iPhoto LIbrary plist file (located in ~user/library/preferences or move it to the desktop (its called: com.apple.iPhoto.plist)
3) Delete iPhoto from the Applications folder and reinstall JUST iphoto from the iLife 05 disc
4) Repair permissions with the Disk Utility App
5) Launch iPhoto and then quit (this will create a new library folder and plist file
6) Download the iPhoto 5.0.4 updater and install, repair permissions again
7) Then, move your backed up (or if you just moved it to the desktop) iPhoto library folder back to the Pictures folder replacing the new one that was created and do the same for the plist file you backed up
8) Finally, launch iPhoto again and it should work, let me know, good luck.

Aperture cannot import iPhoto library

I am unable to import iPhoto library into Aperture. It complains that the iPhoto version is older than 7.1.5 and thus not supported. However, I'm working with iPhoto version 9.4.3.
Any clues how to address this - rather odd... Just bought the software and have some urgent work to perform with it - so any quick helping advice would be great.
J

Jens,
which version of "Aperture Install Notes" are you referring to? Is your Aperture version the most recent donwload Aperture 3.4.5 from the AppStore? You need at least Aperture 3.3. to be able to share the libraries between iPhoto and Aperture and to use the iPhoto Library as your Aperture library.
Now, should I re-install Aperture and wipe the "imported library" to make sure I have a clean sharing between iPhoto and Aperture or does it not matter? I do not want to have double the copies
It is not necessary to reinstall Aperture, if you want to start over with a new Aperture library. The Aperture Application and the Aperture libraries are completely independent. You can simply trash the current Aperture library (by default it is in your "Pictures" folder and called Aperture Library.aplibrary). Only make sure, that your original iPhoto Library still contains all your photos. When you imported to an earlier version of Aperture, you may have moved your originals from iPhoto to Aperture. That is why I am concerned about your Aperture version.
Regards
Léonie

IPhoto 11 cant open iPhoto Library "library made on newer version?"

So I upgraded to iPhoto 11 library and transfered over my iPhoto library from the older version however it says it can't be open because it was made on a newer version of iPhoto? I have the latest iPhoto 11 updates and it still will not install. I even uninstalled iPhoto and reinstalled iPhoto 09 and 08 and had the same error. The iPhoto library still is 27gb in size and I am just trying to find a way to get my pictures off of it to transfer over to my iPhoto library. It has years of pictures and I am not quite sure why this is happening when there is no newer versions that I know of.

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

IPhoto Library photos deleted!

A couple of days ago I opened iPhoto and all my photos were deleted! But I checked my pictures folder and my iPhoto library still has all of the photos and when i try to import the photos in each roll its says unable to import because this file is already in your iPhoto library. Can some one please help me, I have a lot of important photos in my library! Thanks you.

I'm glad you were able to re-create your library. Here's an explanation of what happened to you, which is a bit different from the person who posted this topic. (iPhoto 4 is very different from version 6.)
You got an error message saying something like "you can't open your iPhoto library with this version - quit and upgrade to iPhoto 4 or later." Was it something like that? And when you clicked "OK" or whatever choice you were given, your library was corrupt. That update message is a very misleading error message; I've seen it reported by iPhoto 4 users many times. Sometimes people get that error when they try to launch iPhoto while they have a CD or DVD in their Mac's optical drive. In that case, ejecting the disc is the solution. Other times, when iPhoto is launched and detects a problem with its database file, this message is generated. It means that your library was already corrupt, and there was little you could have done to prevent the damage you saw.
Either way, when you clicked to close that error you did not receive any update to iPhoto 4. The highest version available is 4.0.3. There is no download that will update this further; to upgrade to v5, v6, or v7 requires you to purchase an install disc.
If you should encounter this error in the future, there are 2 things you should do. First, eject any disc in your optical drive. Second, hold down Shift and Option as you launch iPhoto. When you get a box asking you to confirm a rebuild, click 'Yes,' then Rebuild. If the damage is minimal, iPhoto will be able to correct it and you won't lose your albums and metadata. If the rebuild fails, your database is too corrupt and you must recreate the entire library. For more info on the rebuild procedure, read this Apple article.
Regards.

I tried moving an album from iPhoto to Pictures. It took the entire iPhoto Library. Now I can't use it, and I cannot open it. How do I get it back to just iPhoto?

I tried moving an album from iPhoto to Pictures, but the entire iPhoto Library moved.
I now cannot open iPhoto. How can I get it back?

A folder named Library popped up in Pictures. I didn't want the entire Library, just the one album.
When I open the Library Folder in Pictures, I get sub folders dated with years.
When I open the subfolders, I just keep getting more folders.
This looks like you were viewing your iPhoto Library; the contents of the Masters folder. Is your original iPhoto library still there?
Where do you keep your iPhoto library? In the default location in your "Pictures" folder?

IPhoto library inflates from photos which were rotated in the camera!!!

Hi,
that is awful! I wondered why my iPhoto library is so big. I use the library only for slideshows and creating albums, *NOT for editing*.
I found it out!!!
I have tested it with a folder of 100 photos (approx. 1.5 MB each). One version of the folder (NORM) contains 100 horizontal photos. An Other version of the folder (ROTA) contains the same 100 photos with the EXIF-Flag "Rotate 90 CW" (my camera sets this flag automaticaly). The size of the 2 folders are exactly the same:
<NORM>: 150.871.544 Bytes
<ROTA>: 150.871.544 Bytes
Before I import one of these folders, I create an empty iPhoto library, size: 14.556.512 Bytes
And now the results:
- If I import <NORM>, then the size of library grows up from 14 MB to 24 MB, reason: iPhoto generates thumbnails of every photo. That's OK.
- If I import <ROTA>, then the size of library grows up from 14 MB to *255 MB*!! What the heck!!! iPhoto generates thumbnails AND A VERSION OF EACH PHOTO IN FOLDER MODIFIED!!! The size of every modified photo is bigger then 2 MB now (original 1.5 MB)!! Why?? The photo is NOT modified!!!
Can you enlighten me?

Not searched the forum then? This "discovery" turns up every couple of weeks. And the answer has been the same since iPhoto 1.
Your camera has an Auto-Rotate feature. However, the camera does not actually rotate any pixels in the file, but instead flags it with an instruction: "Display me this way".
Photo, seeing the flag, reads the intention and creates a modified version. Without this version, apps that integrate with iphoto, (like Word Processors, Mail Clients and Web Browsers) would end up with sideways photos. Why? Because they don't understand EXIF tags.
If you then try to Revert to Original, iPhoto will remove the edited version. However, when it then looks at the Original file again, it sees the flag, and creates a new rotated version. This loop will run as long as you Revert to the Original.
The solution is to either a: turn off the Auto-Rotate feature on your camera or b: rotate the photos prior to importing them to iPhoto.
Regards
TD

Exe flle in iphoto library?

I have a huge iphoto library - 124Gb - which is a conversion from iphoto 5 when I recently changed from an ibook to a macbook, and I am trying to update it with photos stored separately and albums in other iphoto libraries on my laptop. I spent some time doing this on an external usb drive which then died just before I had backed it up!! I have started again on a new external drive, and naturally want to make sure it is backed up more often this time! However, I CANNOT get it to copy to another drive! It seems to go fine but then stops at 11.84Gb, same part each time, and says 'the operation cannot be completed because iphoto library already exists'. Clearly this is not so! I presume something must be corrupted but no idea how to find out what! I looked in the iphoto library package, and found there appeared to be photos in part but then empty folders beyond a strange file with a very long name about 50 digits long, which says it is a unix executable file, and is a .exe. Is this a virus or something? I have never seen such a file in an iphoto library! A little further on, I found a jpg with the same strange numbers, which is one of my photos but shouldn't have this name. I deleted both in case they caused the problem - the iphoto library still works, but still won't copy and still stops at the same place each time. Any ideas, please??

Weeble in disguise
Have these photos been stored on a Drive that was formatted for Windows? These two phenomena
beyond a strange file with a very long name about 50 digits long, which says it is a unix executable file, and is a .exe.
A little further on, I found a jpg with the same strange numbers, which is one of my photos but shouldn't have this name.
have been known to occur with files stored on disks not formatted for OS X. So, no, it's not a virus.
The breakdown in the copying could be caused by a simple damaged jpeg. It's going to take some time but I would try and rebuild that Library using iPhoto Library Manager. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

Why is iPhoto Library Still 20+ GB?

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