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Question

loading photos from external drive into iphoto

Nov 10, 2011 4:12AM PST

Hi - Every time I try importing photos from an external drive into iphoto it tells me that 'volume for [name/number photo] cannot be found' and tells me to connect or attach the drive. This can be overruled by selecting 'cancel'. BUT I have to do this for EVERY single photo!!!! This means I can't just leave it to run by itself - and I have thousands of photos!
I'm running iphoto 09 /ver 8.1.2 (424) in Snowleopard.
Thanks for any help you can suggest. (Even my son can't fathom this one!) Blush

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Put all the photo's in a folder on the external
Nov 10, 2011 7:35AM PST

now drag that folder onto the desktop of the Mac.
Once done, launch iPhoto
Choose Import to Library from the File menu
Navigate to that folder on the Desktop. Don't open it
Choose Import and go from there.

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Thanks - and can i then delete the folder from the desktop?
Nov 10, 2011 5:09PM PST

Thanks - and can I then delete the folder from the desktop? I suspect not - The whole idea of putting our photos on the external drive is so that I save space on the computer, in fact I don't have space for all my photos on the computer - even the signifiant ones.
Thanks for your help.
B
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OK I've tried that but same as before!
Nov 10, 2011 6:00PM PST

Hi again,
Thanks for your suggestion. I've tried putting photos in a folder dragged onto the desktop but the result is the same 'The volume for [ident] cannot be found' etc. - and of course for each photo. They aren't thumbs - they are the full 2.3mb versions and once I click on 'cancel' for each one it imports into iphotos OK but what a faf !!!<div>Any ideas?
Thanks for your help!
B
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strange behavior
Nov 10, 2011 9:19PM PST

Try this:

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the 'copy items to the iphoto library' box is checked
Nov 10, 2011 10:59PM PST
Hi P,Yes it does seem to be strange behaviour, my son is very 'into' macs and he can't fathom it.
<div>Thanks for your suggestion but I'm afraid the box is checked.
It's not that the internal HD is getting full but it would get pretty full if I put the significant photos on it and 'more than full' if I put all the photos on it.
How do i move the library to the external drive? - or any other suggestions?
Many thanks for your help,
B
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To move the entire library
Nov 11, 2011 12:12AM PST

shut down iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library from the internal to the external.
Doesn't really matter where on the external, just make sure you drag the entire thing, not just pieces and parts.