What is a .IPMETA file?
The .IPMETA file extension refers to an Apple iPhoto Metadata File. This type of file is associated with Apple's iPhoto application, which was designed to help users manage their digital photo collections. The .IPMETA file contains metadata, which is essentially data about other data. In this context, the metadata stored in an .IPMETA file includes details about the user's library of images. This includes the structure (schema) of the metadata as well as information that aids in searching, browsing, organizing, and previewing the images within iPhoto.
These files are typically located in the directory path [user]/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Metadata Backup/. Some common names for these files include BackupStatus.ipmeta, Globals.ipmeta, Keywords.ipmeta, Schema.ipmeta, and AlbumX.ipmeta, where "X" is a number. It's important to note that .IPMETA files do not store actual image files; they only contain information about the images.
The primary program that was used to open and manage .IPMETA files was Apple iPhoto 9.6. However, it's important to note that iPhoto was discontinued in 2015 and replaced by the Photos app. Despite this, .IPMETA files can still be found within the directories of older systems that used iPhoto.
If you delete an .IPMETA file, it will be automatically regenerated the next time iPhoto is opened, assuming the application is still installed. This is because the application recreates these metadata files as needed to maintain the library's organization and functionality.
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