iPhoto 06 Upgrade

[UberMac]

Huzzah! I got my new iMac today D [which needs to go and be repaired...but thats a whole other story]) but I'm having a little trouble with iPhoto 6.

I'm trying to use my iphoto 5 library in iPhoto 6. I can't. I would just transfer my files accross using the migration assistant, but I dont have a FW cable so I thought "I know, I'll copy all the files to my iPod and stick them in the iPhoto folder on the iMac..."

How wrong could I be?! (very) iPhoto doesn't see any of them. Any ideas on how I can get iPhoto to read the files. I don't want to re-import them as then I lose all of my albims and comments etc.

Thanks Uber

 

[robbieduncan]

What, exactly, did you copy? Just the images? Or the whole library folder, complete with all the xml files and stuff?

 

[UberMac]

Well I copied everything but it didnt load any pictures at all when I opened iPhoto 6 so I was a little confused. I thought copting EVERYTHING sould just work :s

Ah well. Thanks

 

[Eidorian]

iPhoto 06 uses a new folder structure. You'll need to Export your images from iPhoto 05 onto your iPod and then import them back in 06.

 

[robbieduncan]

I would have thought it should work too, but clearly not. As you have a complete backup on your old Mac we can experiment a bit. Quit iPhoto and start it up holding down command+option+shift. You should get a rebuild window. Choose all 4 checkboxes and make some coffee. If it works (i.e. finds all the images) it will take some time.

 

[UberMac]

I would have thought it should work too, but clearly not. As you have a complete backup on your old Mac we can experiment a bit. Quit iPhoto and start it up holding down command+option+shift. You should get a rebuild window. Choose all 4 checkboxes and make some coffee. If it works (i.e. finds all the images) it will take some time.

mmmmm...already tried that. It just zips through and doesn't "find" any images even though they are in the iPhoto folder (ie. "ubermac/pictures/iphoto library").

iPhoto 06 uses a new folder structure. You'll need to Export your images from iPhoto 05 onto your iPod and then import them back in 06.

[thick]How do I do that? I take it that albums et al would be preserved?[/thick] *goes on hunt of export options*

Thanks. Uber

 

[robbieduncan]

mmmmm...already tried that. It just zips through and doesn't "find" any images even though they are in the iPhoto folder (ie. "ubermac/pictures/iphoto library").

OK. Lets just try one more thing. Start iPhoto with alt down and choose that folder via the Choose Library... button.

 

[UberMac]

Awwww man! I thought you were onto something there! *anticlimax* But no, it just loads up without any photos. I've checked that the old file structure on my PB (iPhoto 5) is the same as on my iMac (iPhoto 6) so I thought it would work. As pointed out the structure should be different so I guess this is the issue at hand.

As i understand it if you install iPhoto 6 over the top of 5, iPhoto 6 sorts your files/folders out for you. Shame it doesn't seem to do the same here.

So, this exporting malarky...

Uber

 

[robbieduncan]

I have another (unfortunate) theory. The library is in some way locked.

I got this from the iPhoto help:

To move the iPhoto library folder:
Quit iPhoto.
Move the iPhoto Library folder to a new location on your computer.
IMPORTANT: If you've created multiple photo libraries, be sure to move only the library currently displayed when iPhoto is open. If you want to move a photo library other than the one you're currently working on, you first need to switch to it.

Open iPhoto.
Click Find Library.
Select the library and click Open.

Note the IMPORTANT bit! I note that in my iPhoto library there is an iPhotoLock.data file when iPhoto is open and it's removed when it's closed. Perhaps try removing that file if it exists?

Edit: scratch that. The file seems to stay put

 

[robbieduncan]

One last theory: did you open iPhoto 6 before you copied over the existing Library? If so try copying the Library to a different location and then opening iPhoto with alt and selecting this. I think this might work as it must be able to upgrade version 5 libraries when it encounters them as you could have multiple libraries.

 

[UberMac]

HUZZAH! You rock!

Well I decided to try removing some of the files based on your idea of the lock file thingy-ma-jig. Eventually I removed (trial and error): "ipod photo cache" (folder), "thumb64segment.data" and "library6.iphoto". Then clicked on iPhoto and HEY PRESTO! It works!

You sir deserve a medal! In fact...

There you go! You should sleep soundly tonight my child!

Thanks, Uber

 

[robbieduncan]

Sweet! It's so much better than export and re-import

Based on my last suggestion that you did not need I think that the important file was library6.iphoto. The 6 bit seems to imply that this is the iPhoto 6 library. My current theory is that if iPhoto does not find one of these it will try and upgrade. If it does it just opens that.