Canon Image Browser EX Landmarks and Groups do not load

[Marcoli]

I have been using Canon Image Browser EX for a little under a year, and I have a recurrent problem with it. I have a lot of pictures stored in my computer, and I have cross-referenced the pictures by Landmarks and by Groups. By default, of course the program also lists pictures by Shooting Date, and this is how the pictures are sorted in the Pictures file on my computer. Normally, when I run the program the Shooting Date, Landmarks, and Groups are listed on a left column in the window. I can select a particular Landmark, for example, and all the pix listed for that become available for perusal. Same for Shooting Date and Groups. These tools are essential.

BUT, every couple months the Landmarks and Groups lists fail to appear. Those lists are empty in that left column. The Shooting Date list still appears. The Landmarks and Groups data still exist b/c when I click on a given picture that data appears under the Additional Info tab on the right. I can also enter one of the Locations or Groups names in the search window, and pix listed under those then appear as thumbnails.

I can rebuild the missing lists by using the Create Landmark and Create Group tools,  but it takes about an hour to do. Once rebuilt, the program runs fine for maybe a couple months and then it fails to load the Landmarks and Groups lists on the left again. Once that starts, it NEVER loads the lists and I have to rebuild all over again. I am very tired of it. I have had a good discussion with a representative from Canon and they made reasonable suggestions about possible interference from some other program, but the problem was never resolved.

I am running Image Browser EX 1.5.2. on a MacBook Pro that is on OS 10.9.5. This version of IB EX is up to date. I hear a lot about problems with Microsoft Silver Light. My version of Silver Light is 5.1.41212.0. I am told this is up to date.

Suggestions?

[Richard]

Hi Marcoli,

To the best of your knowledge, does this issue occur with a with any updates to your computer or the use of any disk cleanup utilities?

[Marcoli]

Not that I am aware of. When I re-build the lists that are missing, the Image Browser works for a time (a couple months, generally), and then they stop appearing. I did delete a couple programs that were installed near when the problem 1st appeared. That did not work since the problem had re-occured. I have recently installed a disk cleanup utility called CleanMyMac, but that would not explain the earlier problems. I can delete this utility.

[Richard]

Hi Marcoli,

The primary cause for the loss of landmark & group data is the use of other software or utilities (including operating system untilities) to move, rename, delete, or otherwise alter any images that are registered within ImageBrowser EX.

The only other thing that comes to mind is the use of software or operating system/ software updates that could similarly affect the folders, registered in ImageBrowser EX, or the images they contain.

[Marcoli]

Thank you. These are prompt and helpful suggestions. The effected images are in a Pictures folder, and as far as I know the Canon software has set up this folder for itself and uses it exclusively. That is I do not know if that folder existed previously.

So what I do to upload images from my camera to my computer is to attach the camera to the computer by a USB cable. Turning on the camera starts the EOS Utility application, and from there I select what images to download. These go into a Pictures folder, and the route to that folder is: Macintosh HD / Users / sturteva / Pictures. There is a different Pictures folder found along a different path that is used by iPhoto. So if I upload pictures from my iPhone for example, they go to that different Pictures photo. The effected pictures are not accessed by any other program that I am aware of. I am sure that I am not running software that might interfere. For example, I am not running iPhoto or any image processing program.

The Landmark and Groups data is not lost, technically, since they are still tagged with every picture within CIB Ex like I mentioned, and these form the basis of regenerating the Landmark and Groups lists.

When I get the chance I will review my software downloads from this summer (when the problem started). I am not sure how to track the history of updates, but that is a possibility too. I am sure there were several updates. I do not know how to undo an update to a previous version if I find one.