Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iPhone

[AugieM]

I occasionally export entire groups of photos from iPhoto to my hard drive where I keep them in folders. I don't want them on iPhoto because they are private so I don't want people seeing them when I'm showing them stuff from iPhoto.

Today I noticed iPhoto is automatically scanning my hard drive and importing those folders back into iPhoto as events. This is crazy. I'm going through and deleting images from iPhoto, wondering if they are actually also deleting from my hard drive.

I've never noticed this before. I can't find a setting for this. Anyone who can help?

 

[Kaveman]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

automatically scanning my hard drive and importing those folders

nope, iPhoto doesn't do this.

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Thanks for your response. I'm afraid it has done it though. When I opened iPhoto today there were dozens of new "events" that were exactly the names of the folders I had exported the photos to and contained exactly the photos I had exported.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

If those photos are still on your camera is there a possibility that when you connect your camera they are constantly being re-imported? iPhoto only imports photos from a camera and doesn't randomly scan internal drives.

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Thanks for your response Spawn_Dooley, but these pictures have long long ago been erased from my camera, and remember this important detail: [the events are named exactly the same as the folders on my hard drive. they were never events that I had named. i only named the folders. I realize this is very unusual, and perhaps it is a bug, but it did actually happen, many many new events with exactly the name and contents of the folders.

 

[oldscribe]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Hi,
I use Aperture but iPhoto acts the same, how are you exporting these groups of photos?
1) Project as new Library.
2) Version
3) Original

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Thanks for your response oldscribe.
When I export I click on the photos I want, use the File/Export command, then I choose "new folder" and name that folder what I want it to be and put it where I want it to be on my hard drive. iPhoto doesn't have "project" and "library" settings with version and original.

 

[oldscribe]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Hi,

Sorry it has been a while since I have used iPhoto, but I have tired all routes to recreate your issue and it is impossible, the only way I can get iPhoto to automatically import images is by going to my iPhoto Library file > Control-clicking on the folder and selecting Show Package Contents from the pop-up menu and doing a little tinkering.
So technically iPhoto can auto import images but I just don't see how you are having this issue unless you have been down this route and are exporting to the created dedicated folder.
If you wish I can post how you create a dedicated auto import folder for iPhoto. But do not see how this would help.

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Thanks for the exploration, oldscribe. To be honest I can't recreate it either. I'm sort of wondering now if this is something that happened when I upgraded to a new version of iPhone or something. Perhaps it asked if I wanted to import all images to iPhoto and I said yes. . . . You're right I've never been down the route you describe.

Another interesting thing, when I look at the main directory in Finder, the first choice is "all my files" and the first category is "images" and in those images are the recent tests I've run to try to recreate the problem as well as other images I've exported to folders--the same images that are showing up again in iPhoto as "events."

Thanks for engaging with me on this.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

i mean iPhoto above, not iPhone

 

[oldscribe]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Hi,

Another interesting thing, when I look at the main directory in Finder, the first choice is "all my files" and the first category is "images"

That is interesting and suggests you have done a personal modification within finders preferences or its side bar at some point, as I would have thought the standard file hierarchy would have looked like this.

All my files
Air drop
Desktop
Your named files
Applications
Documents
Other Apps such as Dropbox
Devices

Did you modify finders side bar at some point in time ? IE ( added this images folder) to the sidebar, by doing the following.

1) Opened a Finder window.
2) Clicked and dragged this images folder to the sidebar.
3)After which a horizontal line would have appeared, indicating the location that this images folder should occupy when you release the mouse button IE directly below All my files.

As you know like the desktop, the sidebar can quickly get cluttered. You can remove a file, folder, or application you added by clicking and dragging its icon out of the sidebar. It will disappear in a puff of smoke. Don't worry, though, the item itself is still safe in its original location; only the sidebar alias was incinerated. But you will have to find the location of this images folder first.
Here is a screen shot of the default preferences window. Sorry for the long post.

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Thanks oldscribe. I certainly didn't know about the finder preferences. I'm definitely going to play with that.

And I'm thinking of calling Apple with my other problem. I'm still perplexed by it.

Thanks again,
Mark

 

[oldscribe]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Hi Mark,

Just another thought, when you first created this images folder was it created as a smart folder?
Also as I said if you have the original location of it, then just drag the folder from Finders side view and it will be gone.

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

I didn't create the Images folder in "all my files." It just showed up as the first category. Hope you can see the screen shot.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Kaveman]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

"All my Files" is a collection. Just like when you Spotlight or search a folder, they are the result of a Search. "All my Files" is not a location.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

If I had folders on my HD that were being 'scanned' by an app (iPhoto) and I hadn't first set this action up then my first line of attack after initially hitting a brick wall would be to relocate those particular folders including their contents ( which are being scanned ) to a new directory and if that didn't gazump iPhoto then I would create new folders and transfer the contents over to these newly created folders ( either in their original or a new directory ) and then delete the original now empty folders in the hope that whatever link that exists between iPhoto and these folders which brings about the *rogue scanning/importing behaviour would be broken and therefore the issue would be resolved without ever knowing the real why's or wherefores .... sometimes they aren't important especially if they aren't in the *book to begin with ... do whatever you need to to fix the issue works for me when I have a *ghost issue like you're experiencing.

 

[AugieM]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

LOL. That is really wise Spawn_Dooley. I'm going to do that. Thanks for taking the time to put so much detail in your response. Everyone has been great that has responded to this thread.

Thanks again.

 

[oldscribe]

Re: Help with iPhoto auto import from hard drive: nothing to do with the camera or iP

Pictures say a thousand words now we have seen your snap shot. As I said from what you mentioned I was under the impression this images folder was in Finders side bar.