Tuesday 13 January 2009

Mac OS X Desktop Wallpaper broke after switching from iPhoto to Aperture — Fixed!

Summary: If you've deleted your iPhoto library (e.g. after switching to Aperture) and your desktop wallpaper preferences have stopped working properly thereafter, recreate the iPhoto library (with the same name as before) and it should fix the problem.

I recently tried out Aperture (previously using iPhoto) on my MacBook Pro after purchasing a Canon 450D (in-depth review), and, after deciding I liked Aperture more than iPhoto, I migrated all my photos from iPhoto into Aperture and deleted my iPhoto library completely.

The result of this (apart from the obvious intended one of my photos being in the Aperture library) was that my Mac OS X desktop wallpapers stopped working properly. Going into the System Preferences app, and into the Desktop & Screen Saver pane, I discovered the following:
  • My custom folders were no longer listed in the selection slider on the left – all that remained were the default Apple folders (Apple Images, Nature, Plants, Black & White, Abstract, Solid Colors [sic], Pictures Folder) and my Aperture Projects... twice.
  • Attempting to open either of the Aperture Projects folders caused the second one of them to open (I could click on either, but it would always open the lower one in the list) – selecting any of the projects/albums worked fine (almost... see below)
  • I could no longer add/remove folders (the +/- buttons at the bottom didn't work).
This bugged me since I had previously been using a few folders that I manually added pictures to for wallpapers... so at first I was mildly annoyed and after logging out / rebooting didn't fix it I set up a Wallpaper smart album in Aperture to much the same effect as my custom folder. Fine. Almost...

Every time I went back into the Desktop & Screen Saver preferences, my wallpaper selection would revert (for all active monitors) to the Apple Images selection. I think this also happened on reboot (can't quite remember) and when I plugged in my second monitor (which I only use at work... and thus happens about once a day).

Completely separately and coincidentally I was helping my girlfriend use iPhoto on her laptop (over IM), and wanted to open up my version of iPhoto so I could remember where a menu option was; this required me to create a new iPhoto library. Inadvertently I'd just fixed the problem. I noticed the next day and went into the System Preferences to discover now that the iPhoto Albums had been reinstated in the list, the custom Folders list was also back (along with the ability to add/remove them and the settings surviving reboots and unplugs).

It may be important that I used the same name for the iPhoto library as the previous one (i.e. just the default), so if you've got the same problem it may be important to pick the same name.

I'd be interested to know if there's a "correct" way to delete the iPhoto library that doesn't break the desktop wallpaper settings when switching to Aperture, but for now I guess I'll leave the empty library in place.

6 comments:

Troy said...

Thank you - I just got a new MacBook Pro and was having this problem from the get-go. I don't even remember deleting the iPhoto library, but alas - recreating it fixed the problem!

Anonymous said...

yeah I've heard of that happening to someone else as well, so perhaps the bug is not exactly what I thought and relates more to the lack of an iPhoto album than its removal

Anonymous said...

thank you so much! i deleted the large iphoto library after switching to lightroom and didnt realize this was the cause. great help, thanks.

Anonymous said...

Frog!
Can you PLEASE email me (vcdesign@optonline.net)?
I seem to be having the same issue (Desktop Wallpaper) AAAHH!

I use Aperture, and have not used iPhoto for a LONG time now. I recently upgraded my machine to Leopard OS X. Now My custom wallpaper folder is gone, and I can't add or remove anything either.

Please contact me.

Thanks!
TONY

Anonymous said...

Tony,

If the post doesn't cover what you need, just ask your questions here in the comments and I'll help you if I can. The whole point of the blog is to put solutions into the public domain, so I'd like to keep any discussion equally public.

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