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Downloading photos with Image Capture

In Sonoma Image Capture allows me to download photos from my cameras to the Finder file of my choice. When I try to download photos from my iPhone to the same Finder file, Image Capture disobeys and sends the photos to the Pictures files and automatically opens Preview. How do I get Image Capture to send photos from iPhone to the Finder file of my choice?

MacBook, macOS 10.13

Posted on Oct 20, 2023 9:42 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 21, 2023 12:00 PM

You might try to quit Image Capture.app, then open ~Library/Preferences and move the following files to the Desktop (I am on macOS 13 so YMMV):


com.apple.imagecapture.plist

com.apple.Image_Capture.plist


Then try again, if it works, trash those files.

12 replies

Oct 20, 2023 11:54 AM in response to Nairoboy

So you can't use the "Other…" option in the Import to menu to pick another location?


Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.


NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files


NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.


Oct 21, 2023 9:45 AM in response to Nairoboy

I'm a huge fan of PowerPhotos and know of no setting which would cause what you're experiencing.


Try this: create and log into a new, basic, admin user account, Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac and see if the problem persists. This tells us if the problem is limited to your user account or is system wide.


Note:  do not launch any 3rd party apps in the account so as to not install any of the supporting files that most create.


Oct 21, 2023 10:50 AM in response to Nairoboy

That tells us there may be some software in your user account that is the culprit.


Download and run Etrecheck. Be sure to give it Full Disk access before running.



Copy and paste the results into your reply. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.


Copy the report


and use the Additional Text button to paste the report in your reply.



Then we can evaluate the report to see if we can determine the cause of the problem.



Oct 20, 2023 11:45 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks, Old Toad, however the problem remains. Photos from my camera and from my iPhone are sent to the same Finder file but while the camera photos reach their destination folder, the iPhone photos go to the Pictures folder and are opened by Preview. In short, Image Capture doesn't do what it's told. I have been trying PowerPhoto and perhaps it is the cause of my problems.

Oct 21, 2023 10:43 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for all the help. I have done as you suggest and for the moment there does not appear to be any problem for the new user. Everything works perfectly for the new user. But logging out and logging in back to me as a user I now see that if I have an iPhone plugged in, as soon as I turn on Image Capture, my Mac automatically creates a NEW folder in Pictures and it is to there that it sends the new downloads, thus overriding my choice of a different folder. And then triggers Preview.

Oct 21, 2023 11:52 AM in response to Nairoboy

I don't see any of the usual suspects but not having a Silicon Mac I've reached by help limit.


I did notice you have the Flip4Mac WMV Plugin installed and that's been unnecessary for quite a few years now. I'd uninstall it accordingly.


Also you have a lot of files in the Clean Up section of the report. Rerun Eterecheck and remove those files that are in the Clean Up section.

Downloading photos with Image Capture

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