# iPod Photo Cache



## GuyWalters (Dec 4, 2005)

Does anyone know the effect of deleting my ipod Photo Cache in my iPhoto Library folder? At the moment it's taking up 5.25 GB on my powerbook, 5.25 GB which I'd rather like to use. I've had a good look round the Web, and haven't yet found any conclusive evidence of the effects of deletion. At the moment, I have some 7000 photos in iPhoto which I sync with my 60GB iPod Photo every 2 to 3 days. I'm terrified that if I delete the Cache then the next time I come to sync, it will take years, and will only create yet another monster cache. Anybody have any ideas? I've seen
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300225
but it is vastly unhelpful...it says you can delete, but gives no clue as to the effect. Presumably the cache is there for a reason.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Guy

p.s. I'd rather not store my iphoto library on an external drive, as I rather like to have my photos with me wherever I go...kind of the point of a laptop!


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## kainjow (Dec 4, 2005)

Yep, it uses it for updating the photos on your iPod. If you delete it, it'll recreate it. It appears to be basically a duplicate of the /Photos folder on your iPod (although in a slightly different format).

Before I deleted mine, it was over 500MB. Afterwards, it's only 440MB. So if you want to spend the time, you might be able to get some space out of it. But if you want photos on your iPod, you need to have that folder there.


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## GuyWalters (Dec 4, 2005)

Many thanks for that. I gather from somewhere that the files are something to with TV resizing, but I cannot now find the webpage. Anyway, I'll give it a go and do a new photo sync overnight...


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## kainjow (Dec 4, 2005)

The iPod creates 4 different formats of each image. One for the thumbnail, one for viewing "full screen" on the iPod, one for TV output, and I forget the last one.


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## GuyWalters (Dec 4, 2005)

...and one for using up your memory so you have to fork out for a new external hard drive...


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## GuyWalters (Dec 4, 2005)

Well, I deleted my iPod Photo Cache. It was 5.25 GB. I then plugged in my iPod and deleted its photo library. I then reloaded the photo library from iphoto. And guess what the Cache came to? Yup. 5.25 GB. With my 1.33 GHz G4 powerbook with 2GB RAM, it took some 2 hours to optimise 7000 photos, and via firewire another 15 mins to copy them to the iPod. Moral: If you want to sync regularly - ie 3 to 4 times a week, then keep the cache. If you sync only once a week, then it may be worth deleting the cache and setting aside a 'sync time' once a week while you bring your ipod up to date. however, you'll have to remember to leave enough memory for the cache to be built in, so all in all, you're pretty much stuck with it. What i'd like to be able to do is to keep the cache on an external drive, but keep the rest of my iphoto files on the built-in drive. doesn't like that's possible at the mo, so an email to apple is called for...


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