shrunken video files??

Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hi Guys, Having some problems with all the videos i have stored on my mac and seperate hard drive i use for back up.These are all small video files that i have mostly taken on my iphone and digital camera. I usually just watch the videos in iphoto or VLC.
Anyway, today i went to have a look at some and ALL the files are saying they go for 0.0 seconds and none of them will play. Had a look in finder and now all the video files seem to have shrunk. They are all mostly between 60-300kb now instead of a few MB. The video files are now all smaller than the photo files! This has also happened to the copies of the videos i have on my external hard drive.
Would anyone have any ideas on what has happened and if there is a way to 'get them back'?
They are all the photos of my kids from 2009 until now :(
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks
Amy
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
Where in Finder are they?
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
they are in my "pictures" folder. i also have a back up of them all on my external hard drive and the same thing has happened on there. i have my iphoto library saved on the external hard drive and run it from that to save space on my mac if that makes any difference. everything has worked fine until now i havnt changed anything either.
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
Just free standing in your PIctures folder?
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
what do you mean by free standing? i have them in iphoto and have exported them into folders within my pictures folder. also have a copy on my portable hard drive
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
By freestanding I mean just in the pictures folder not in sub-folders.

It sounds as though the files you describe are the thumbnail images that iPhoto shows when browsing. Once you click on the file iPhoto loads and plays the video.

Can you describe the process from start to finish. From how you copy from your phone to how you export the file
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
oh yes they are in sub folders, sorted by month.

now for the way i get them onto the computer i plug the phone in and iphoto opens. asks if i want to import them, i click "import" and it adds them into my iphoto library. then i goto the new event it just added and export the whole lot to the sub folder that ive created within my pictures folder.
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
Ok. Going forward, if you're going to use iPhoto just for importing you're going to end up with duplicates and other complications. I'd suggest using Image Capture. It's built into OSX and can copy videos and photos straight to folders of your choosing withing adding them to the iPhoto library.

Back to your current issue. If you find the video in iPhoto, right click Show In Finder. Does that take you to the correct, full size video?
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
ok thanks for the tip.
when i click show in finder it takes me to the file that is now smaller in size than it originally was. it is the file i have exported from iphoto.
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
this is driving me crazy. i cant understand how this could happen to the files on my computer and the ones on my hard drive. argh!
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
that it's the same in both suggests it's the import or export that's causing the issue as they are the common factors.

Can you make a 1 min test video on your iPhone. Transfer for it into iPhoto then export. Once exported rename it test1
Then use Image Capture to copy the same video over into the folder where your test1 exported video is. Call this one test2.

Are the running times/file sizes the same?
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
I've had another thought...... what settings did you use in the export panel?
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Screenshot2013-01-24at84002PM_zpsc863a72f.png
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
There's the issue. You've exported them as JPEG image files. Not a videos.

Under 'Kind' you need to have chosen 'Original' to maintain the original format
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
that is exactly how i have been exporting all my videos. ive just had a look through my files and it seems that all my videos from 2011 are fine. its most of the videos i exported from say march-dec 2012 have changed file size for some reason. the ones ive done in the last week or so are fine. i know that the videos that have changed size previously were fine as i have watched them on my computer before.
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
really? but ive just imported that same vid and its exported fine. does this mean ive lost all my videos?
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
wait it didnt work! you are right. but still why would it change the other ones in my iphoto library?
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Points
1
sorry about the flood of messages, lol. do you think there is any way to get the other videos in my iphoto library that now say they only go 0 seconds back?
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
7,163
Reaction score
275
Points
83
Location
UK
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini i5 (2014 High Sierra), iPhone X, Apple Watch, iPad Pro 12.9, AppleTV (4)
Sorry, kind of lost where you're up to now.

But I am unclear as to the change you're seeing in iPhoto itself. That shouldn't be happening as you say

Can you make a new test video on your iPhone. Transfer for it into iPhoto and make sure it plays ok from iPhoto.
Right-click and Open in Finder. Make a note of the size and modified date.

Now export using the settings from your screen shot.

Repeat as above, see if it plays then Right-click and Open in Finder. Make a note of the size and modified date.


Compare size and dates
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top