diff --git a/gid.py b/gid.py
index e5565074..85cb5925 100755
--- a/gid.py
+++ b/gid.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #=======================================================================
 
 __version__ = '''0.0.01'''
-__sub_version__ = '''20120315140451'''
+__sub_version__ = '''20120316225150'''
 __copyright__ = '''(c) Alex A. Naanou 2011'''
 
 
@@ -61,12 +61,16 @@ def image_gid(path, date=None,
 	}
 	##!!! this might fail...
 	i = metadata.ImageMetadata('%s' % path)
-	i.read()
+	try:
+		i.read()
+	except IOError:
+		# can't read exif...
+		i = None
 	# check if we need a date in the id...
 	if '%(date)s' in format:
 		if date is not None:
 			data['date'] = time.strftime(date_format, time.gmtime(date))
-		elif use_ctime:
+		elif use_ctime or i is None:
 			date = os.path.getctime(path)
 			data['date'] = time.strftime(date_format, time.gmtime(date))
 		else:
@@ -74,10 +78,12 @@ def image_gid(path, date=None,
 			data['date'] = date.strftime(date_format)
 	# check if we need an artist...
 	if '%(artist)s' in format:
-		try:
-			data['artist'] = i['Exif.Image.Artist'].value.strip().replace(' ', '_')
-		except KeyError:
-			data['artist'] = default_artist
+		data['artist'] = default_artist
+		if i is not None:
+			try:
+				data['artist'] = i['Exif.Image.Artist'].value.strip().replace(' ', '_')
+			except KeyError:
+				pass
 	
 	if hash_func is not None:
 		return hash_func(format % data).hexdigest()
diff --git a/index2.py b/index2.py
index 3ae31c10..b5c3e5d6 100755
--- a/index2.py
+++ b/index2.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #=======================================================================
 
 __version__ = '''0.0.01'''
-__sub_version__ = '''20120315151510'''
+__sub_version__ = '''20120317004325'''
 __copyright__ = '''(c) Alex A. Naanou 2011'''
 
 
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ from gid import image_gid
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-CONFIG_NAME = 'test_config.json'
-##CONFIG_NAME = 'tmp_config.json'
-##CONFIG_NAME = 'tmp_config.json.bak'
+##CONFIG_NAME = 'hdd9_config.json'
+CONFIG_NAME = 'P7000_config.json'
+##CONFIG_NAME = 'staging_config.json'
 
 config = json.load(open(CONFIG_NAME))
 
@@ -262,9 +262,11 @@ def gid_index(index, existing=None):
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 if __name__ == '__main__':
 
-	INDEX_PATH = os.path.join('test', 'index2')
+	INDEX_PATH = config.get('INDEX_ROOT', os.path.join('test', 'index2'))
 
-	FILE_LIST = os.path.join('test', 'flatfilelist.json')
+	FILE_LIST = os.path.join('test', 'flatfilelist-P7000.json')
+##	FILE_LIST = os.path.join('test', 'flatfilelist-120kfiles.json')
+##	FILE_LIST = os.path.join('test', 'flatfilelist.json')
 	BUILD_FILE_LIST = False if os.path.exists(FILE_LIST) else True
 
 
@@ -311,11 +313,12 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 			len([ e for e in lst if e[2] == RAW]), 
 			len(failed))
 
-	pprint(GID_index.values()[0])
+	##!!! this is really slow because it pulls ALL the data... wonder who wrote this? :)
+	pprint(GID_index.itervalues().next())
 
 ##	store.dump(GID_index, INDEX_PATH)
 
-	store.pack(INDEX_PATH)
+##	store.pack(INDEX_PATH)