Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

SeSawaya · Jan 21, 2005, 11:01 AM

Just installed iphoto 5 (twice) and all the photos come up blank. All the albums are in the same spots, they all have the right amount of "photos" in them, but nothing is there.

please help!!!!!!!

thanks

Kent

SeSawaya · Jan 21, 2005, 12:12 PM

in other news, my trackpad is no longer working for clicking.

great

TimmyDee51 · Jan 21, 2005, 01:01 PM

Sounds like there are more problems with your computer than just iPhoto. Back up your files ASAP, try an archive and install, and if that doesn't work, zero the drive and start from scratch. Also, try little things like resetting the PMU (take battery out, unplug the unit, and press the power button a few times) and zapping the PRAM. Hope you get things back to normal.

velocipede · Jan 21, 2005, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by TimmyDee51:
Sounds like there are more problems with your computer than just iPhoto. Back up your files ASAP, try an archive and install, and if that doesn't work, zero the drive and start from scratch. Also, try little things like resetting the PMU (take battery out, unplug the unit, and press the power button a few times) and zapping the PRAM. Hope you get things back to normal.

Not to citicize here, but zeroing the drive might be overkill, and I believe would add a whole lot of unncessary time. Doing a simple archive and install should address any OS-related issues that might be causing problems.

SeSawaya · Jan 21, 2005, 01:23 PM

Originally posted by velocipede:
Not to citicize here, but zeroing the drive might be overkill, and I believe would add a whole lot of unncessary time. Doing a simple archive and install should address any OS-related issues that might be causing problems.

what do you mean, archive and install?

thanks

cpac · Jan 21, 2005, 01:28 PM

Originally posted by SeSawaya:
what do you mean, archive and install?

thanks

he means reinstall mac os x using the "archive and install" option (rather than the "upgrade" or "erase and install" options)

SubGeniux · Jan 21, 2005, 01:33 PM

First things first. Try creating another user, see how iPhoto behaves.

SeSawaya · Jan 21, 2005, 01:52 PM

well I've dropped a couple of new photos into existing albums and it works fine. It just dosent show my old photos. Do I need to reinstall everything (photo wise) or is there a preference I need to delete??

thanks

Big Mac · Jan 21, 2005, 02:09 PM

Have you checked your Pictures folder to ensure that your photos are actually okay? That's what you should be concerned about.

nerd · Jan 21, 2005, 02:15 PM

I think reinstalling the OS is a little overboard without first trying other options.

Isn't there a key sequence to rebuild the iPhoto library? Something like option/shift while launching the program? I'm pretty sure that is the keys but I'm at work and can't test it. Try this before doing anything. Maybe burn a backup CD of the library just in case. The folder for the library is in ~/Pictures/iPhoto Library/

Brad

robre · Jan 21, 2005, 02:23 PM

Repair Permissions

Chris Grande · Jan 21, 2005, 02:46 PM

Hold Shift - Command - Option and launch iPhoto this will force iPhoto to rebuild your library.

SeSawaya · Jan 21, 2005, 03:03 PM

nothing has worked, rebuilt library and repaired permissions.

I swear this happend a couple of years ago to me.

I guess I have to manually put my pics in huh?

JC Denton · Jan 21, 2005, 03:42 PM

Well, I have no experience with Apple Customer Service, since I've never had a problem with Apple software during my complimentary support period, but why don't you give Apple a call? You might as well take advantage of the 90 days you get when you buy the product, since you won't be able to talk to them (as far as I know) after the three months end.

They'll probably tell you similar things (trying another user, reinstalling OS X), but who knows? Maybe there's a iPhoto issue they know about.

AKcrab · Jan 21, 2005, 05:11 PM

Did you delete the thumbnails? I don't remember exactly where they are, but I had to do that after an upgrade once...

bbales · Jan 21, 2005, 05:45 PM

Are your photos still in your computer anywhere? I'd check that ASAP. (And do you have a backup? I made sure to do that first.)

I installed iphoto 5 (but I installed ONLY that component) this morning and everything looks good. I know that doesn't help you, but at least it's not something everybody is experiencing.

yongfook · Jan 21, 2005, 06:25 PM

I had the same problem - about half of my 8000 photos just turned up as blank grey squares, and I couldn't even manually drag the folders back into iPhoto as it complained about not being able to read the files (even though they were just regular jpgs and opened fine in preview).

This is how I solved it.

I used a bit of software called iPhoto Extractor:
http://homepage.mac.com/butlers/iPhotoExtractor/

to get ALL my photos out of the iPhoto library and into some temporary folder, like on my desktop.

Then once I was ABSOLUTELY SURE that process had been done correctly, I deleted my iPhoto library. This meant I lost all my albums - although in retrospect it may be possible to save the album files and drop them in at the end.

Then I trashed my iPhoto preferences.

Then I started up iPhoto - it said it couldn't find a library so I asked it to make a new one.

Then I simply dragged that temporary folder I made with all my photos in it, into the fresh, blank iPhoto. After importing them all, everything was back to normal (dates preserved etc) apart from my albums. Better than losing it all, I suppose!

Anyway, thats just one solution - perhaps there are better ones.

Good luck!

Spheric Harlot · Jan 21, 2005, 08:17 PM

(from the back of the hall: )

"Get a Macintosh!"

:ducks: