Help for a Crashing iPhoto ’11
If you’ve seen this error message in iPhoto ’11 (v9.2), before you panic – like I did – here is the solution.
Symptoms
The application will no longer open, or consistently crashes while importing new photos.
Solution
- Using Finder, click on the root Macintosh hard drive and navigate to the /Library/QuickTime folder.
- DELETE this file: 3ivxvideocodec.component.
- Problem solved!
This happened to me this morning, and I hope this fix saves all our Mac users out there some time and anxiety!
Clay Nichols
10/24/2011 at 6:48 pmThanks for the help! Worked perfectly.
Samantha
10/24/2011 at 7:11 pmGlad it worked Clay. Cool site you have! I shared with my husband.
Amy Suardi @ Frugal Mama
10/25/2011 at 1:46 amThat sounds gray-hair producing, Samantha! I’m so sorry you had to go through that, but it sounds like you managed to find an easy fix. Phew!
Paula
10/25/2011 at 1:52 amIt didn’t work. I still have the same problem.
Samantha
10/26/2011 at 1:52 amHi Paula – check your crash report. Does it specifically cite that filename? Mine did. Also, make sure to delete or remove that file from the directory (folder) – not just rename it. I tried that first, and it didn’t work. I hope you can get to the bottom of this!
Bob Fleischer
10/25/2011 at 3:13 amEXCELLENT! Worked for me too. Many thanks.
Boshvideo
Nancy Largent
10/26/2011 at 1:47 amYou are a genius! Works perfectly now!! Yea!
Robert Friess
10/27/2011 at 2:37 amSamantha – thanks for fix, been driving me crazy. But what did I just do? What was purpose of 3ivxvideocodec.component and what are implications of deleting beyond fixing my iPhoto problem??
Samantha
10/27/2011 at 3:45 amRobert, have you used a Flip video camera in the past? I did a little research and it seems the Flip’s software is responsible for installing this component. My Flip is loaded with videos that I can’t download (the device is “corrupted”) and the product is no longer supported. After removing the “3ivxvideocodec.component” file I also tested some QuickTime movies and they run just fine. So, at least for now, it seems like this fix is fairly safe. But if you use a Flip, I would test it out – try downloading some video to your computer and see what happens. Let us know the results too!
Jean Christie
10/30/2011 at 7:11 pmThank you, Thank you. Just one question WHY did it work?
Jean
Samantha
11/12/2011 at 11:08 amFYI to all – the latest iPhoto update, v9.2.1, addresses the 3ivx crash: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20126196-263/apple-iphoto-9.2.1-update-addresses-3ivx-crash/. If you already deleted the “3ivxvideocodec.component” file, and you run into a video file that won’t play – I haven’t yet – you probably need to reinstall 3ivx. Find it here: http://www.3ivx.com/download/
Cathy
12/04/2011 at 8:31 pmThank you – this also solved my problem. And yes, I use a Flip camera. Very relieved as I’d been told I’d need to re-image my computer.
Samantha
12/04/2011 at 10:08 pmGlad it worked Cathy! Thanks for stopping by. If you’ve copied a DVD using Mac the Ripper, this could also explain the 3ivx component. Just reinstall it (link above) if you run into problems with this software. Avoid re-imaging when you can.
Jerry P
01/17/2012 at 10:28 amOK, I just upgraded to Lion (10.7.2) about 10 days ago, and then to iPhoto 9.2.1 4 days ago. iPhoto crashed the first time I tried opening my large library, but was successful converting it the second time. The issue I have is that it crashes when i try to activate preferences – every time. I have deleted iPhoto and redownloaded/installed it and, even with a clean, new library it will crash on preferences. Then I tried creating a new user on the computer and it works fine there. Obviously it’s got something in my active user that’s conflicting. I couldn’t find 3ivx on the computer, but saw your comment here about Mac the Ripper. Supposedly 9.2.1 fixed the 3ivx issue, but just to be sure, where would I find 3ivx for Mac the Ripper, and would it possibly be lingering somewhere with other rippers like Handbrake, etc? And OBTW, other suggestions were to remove Photostream, but I have not yet activated iCloud or Photostream. Any further ideas?
Samantha
01/18/2012 at 9:33 amHi Jerry, sorry you’re having so much trouble! You can download 3ivx for Mac here: http://www.3ivx.com/download/macos.html. Although to me it sounds like an unrelated problem. A great clue was the new user test. Maybe it’s not the user but a photo or photos associated with the user? Check this out: “Specific photos cause crash in iPhoto” – https://discussions.apple.com/thread/810096?start=0&tstart=0.
Also, you could try this “The Answer to iPhoto Startup Woes and Crashes” – http://www.macgurulounge.com/answer-iphoto-startup-woes-crashes/. Make sure you have a backup before rebuilding the iPhoto database. Good luck and I hope this helps!
Jerry P
01/18/2012 at 1:53 pmThanks for your response. I should reiterate that iPhoto does NOT crash when manipulating my current library, either in the prime user OR the test user. The crash DOES occur when I try to go into the preferences menu if I wish to make adjustments (prime user only). The crash DOES occur even in a fresh, new, empty library (prime user only). The crash DOES NOT occur when I open preferences in the test user, either current library OR fresh, new, empty library. I don’t think there’s any corruption in the library. I just need to keep searching for the conflicting culprit in my prime user (other than 3ivx or PhotoStream). I’ll come back and post a followup if and when I find the culprit.