I prefer not to use iPhoto to manage my photo collection. How can I prevent iPhoto from automatically starting whenever I connect a camera to my computer, or insert a memory card into my card reader?
It is possible to stop iPhoto from automatically prompting you to import your image files. This behavior can be disabled through the preferences of a program called “Image Capture”. A user on the Mac OS X Hints forum figured this out for himself a while ago, so you don’t have to.
The first step is to get into the Image Capture program. If you have Spotlight search, hit CMD+Space and type “Image Capture” sans quotes. Otherwise, Image Capture is located at /Applications/Image Capture.
With the Image Capture program open, click on “Image Capture” (in the menu bar), then click “Preferences”. Next to “When a camera is connected, open:”, change the drop-down box to “No Application”. Close the Image Capture Preferences window, and exit Image Capture. The next time you connect your digital camera, or insert a memory card into your card reader, nothing will happen.
3 responses
January 10th, 2008
Andrew says:
I will never know that! Thank you for this post!
January 10th, 2008
Tim says:
Why on earth didn’t Apple put this in System Preferences, as with “what to do when a DVD is inserted” etc. Thanks for the tip though, very very helpful indeed.
January 10th, 2008
Talia says:
Thank GOD someone posted this. This has been driving me crazy. You would think that Apple would have put that option on the iPhoto preferences, but obviously not.
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