Problem copying photos

[06161959]

I was trying to copy photos, and I ended up with a home screen full of the jpg files, quadrupled! I have no idea how to remove what I believe are temp files ??

 

[IWT]

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

It's nice to have you along, but we need a tad more information because you know what you did, and how, and you can see the screen & we can't.

So, please: I assume you are on a Mac rather than an iOS device?

You were trying to copy photos from where? To where? By what method (drag/drop or Export or third party app?).

When you talk about "Home Screen", do you mean on an iOS device or do you mean the Desktop on a Mac?

Sorry to bother you with questions rather than answers, but at this stage we are in the dark about what's going on.

Ian

 

[06161959]

I was transferring photos from my iPhoto's to a flash drive (from my Mac). After I removed the flash drive all the photos Jpg showed up on my home screen. Each time I tried to remove they diplicated( not that I knew how to remove obviously) I took a photo of the screen but not sure how to post it in this forim

 

[06161959]

Ok this is on my mac. I was transferring photos from iPhoto's to a flash drive. After I removed the flash what appears to be all the jpg photos are now on my Mac home screen. When I tried to remove, not that I knew how, the kept duplicating

 

[IWT]

Thank you for coming back.

I suspect, but am not sure, that you may not have been following the recommended method for copying images from the iPhoto database. Please do not be offended; it's just a thought anyway.

I need to know the method you used;

but the usual way is to open iPhoto, select the images you wish to copy then Go to File > Export > choose Kind (JPEG), Quality, Size, etc from the menu > Click Export - then choose the destination (in your case the Flash Drive which should be shown on the left side of this window under Devices) > Click OK

If you did it another way, say for example, you tried to Drag and Drop, this will not work. iPhoto is a Database and you can't drag images from it to a destination.

By the way, again no offence, to keep the terminology on a mutual understanding; your Mac does not have a Home Screen. It is called the Desktop. (Home Screen is found only on iOS devices like iPhone and iPad).

So did you copy the way I mentioned above or by another method?

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

Also, given you are trying to copy to a flash drive, if you removed the drive before the copy is done you set up all kinds of weirdness. Don't know that I've ever seen copies to the Desktop, but anything can happen.

 

[06161959]

Yes Ian , and no offense taken. I apparently did not do it the proper way as explained by you. I did click and drag. Am I ever gonna be able to remove these from my desktop?

 

[06161959]

Any suggestions on removing these files from the desk top?

 

[IWT]

Okay. Problem number one solved. You know how to copy in the future

Now, let's start on the Desktop. In your first post you said there were many, many files - you thought JPEG and maybe temp files?

What have you tried already? For example, again no offence, presumably you have tried to drag them to the Trash; or highlighted them and hit Cmd + backspace to move them to Trash?

Another thing I'd try, reboot your Mac. I don't know what's on your Desktop, but they might be gone after a reboot if they are temp files............

If any of these options gets rid of them great. If not, any chance you could post a screenshot of your Desktop? (Screenshot is Cmd + Shift + 3. To post the screenshot, have a look at the menu bar at the top of the Quick Reply window - third from the right - hover cursor over it - it shows "Insert Image". Click on this. Select "From Computer" > Select Files and navigate to your Desktop, I presume that's where the screenshot is saved > choose it and Insert)

Ian

 

[06161959]

Ok this is where I am at, they are now off my desk top and in the trash bin. BUT. These are photos from my sons wedding and I do not want to loose, even though they are on the flash drive. How can I move what's in the trash bin back to my iphotos

 

[IWT]

I understand. But what you did, or tied to do, was COPY the pictures from iPhoto to your Flash Drive.

So, two things to do:

1. Open iPhoto and make sure they are still there. They certainly should be. Whatever you did doesn't MOVE them.

2. Open your Flash Drive (Mount it, and double click on icon to see contents). If your copying worked, they will be there too. Confirm they are there.

From the above, you should find original photos in iPhoto and, hopefully, ALSO on your Flash Drive.

If that's the case, you have 2 sets — one in iPhoto, and another on Flash Drive. You can delete from Trash.

However, fear not. It is quite easy to return them from Trash to wherever you want. No point in doing this if they are still in iPhoto - just creates duplicates and/or complicates things.

Post back what you find, please.

Ian

PS It is late night where I am. Could be tomorrow am before I get your post — unless you're very quick

 

[IWT]

I've thought of another idea.

Over and above all I said in the last post, you could do this:

On a "blank" Desktop, Right Click on the Desktop and from the Dropdown Options, Choose "New Folder". Name it, say, Backup Wedding Photos.

Now open Trash. Click on one photo to highlight. Now do Cmd + A. This should highlight them all. Now Drag them all into the folder you created on the Desktop. Don't try to put them into iPhoto yet because I'm almost certain the originals are still in iPhoto. Instead, keep this folder as a Backup — perhaps put it in Documents.

Ian

 

[06161959]

Ian thank you for all your help! I think I have it all figured out with your help. My desk top is clean, I was able to transfer the photos from the flash drive back into iPhoto. Thanks for taking the time and helping me out , Erin

 

[IWT]

Erin,

It was a genuine pleasure. I'm delighted things have resolved to your satisfaction. That is what we are all here for in the Mac-Forums.

I'd be interested to know if your original photos were still in iPhoto as they should have been; but that's in the past now.

Happy computing.

Ian

 

[06161959]

No the photos were not there, but I have them so that is all that matters!

 

[MightyGem]

If you did it another way, say for example, you tried to Drag and Drop, this will not work. iPhoto is a Database and you can't drag images from it to a destination.

Errrr...yes it does, and yes you can. Drag and drop works perfectly. I used to do it all the time. So much quicker than using the Export route. I only Exported if I wanted to reduce the size.

 

[IWT]

Okay, M-G, I stand corrected and apologise for misleading the OP.

Strange thing is: I have iPhoto on my older iMac running Mavericks and I tried this out before posting as I usually do if I can. It didn't seem to work for me. I got thumbnails instead of proper copies.

Nevertheless, I recognise I was in error.

Good that you mentioned this for the sake of others reading this thread in the future. Thank you.

Ian