My computer shut down as I was downloading photos from my Iphone. My Iphoto now says "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" I see the photos still in my computer but how do I get them back in Iphoto?

Iphoto shut down in the middle of download

Apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
2 - run Option #4 to rebuild the database.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
1 - download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 - click on the Add Library button and select the library you want to add in the selection window..
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option.
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - Click on the Create button.
Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.

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HT204570 Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable. I the error message from iPhotos after the so called upgrade to Photos which left me with a blank screen

Photos upgrade a disaster. No images appear in Photos. Able to re-establish all images in iPhoto only to have the app crash after uploading new photos from iPhone. Impossible to reload photo library as it needs 161 GB of space. The non functioning Photos library is 107 GB and the original iPhotos library from which it was created is 118 GB. I only have 146 GB available on this 1 TB drive but I am reluctant to trash Photos library in case iPhotos is truly damaged.

And your question is?

My MacBook Pro is giving me this message "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable"

Hello,
My MacBook Pro is giving me this message "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable"
I connected my GoPro camera then my computer frooze & I could'nt click anything so I shut down the computer & when I switched it on again I recieved the above message!!
Help! what should I do now?
Thanks

Try the following:
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
2 - Run Option #4, Rebuild Database, followed by Option #1 if needed.
OT

How do I restore my iPhoto. When I open i get a window dialog "Your iphoto library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable shut down and restart your computer. If problem persists, try rebuilding your iphoto library. To do th

When I try to open iPhoto I get a window dialog that says...
Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable
Shut down and restart your computer, and then open iPhoto again. If the problem persists, try rebuilding your photo library. To do this, quit iPhoto, and then reopen it while keeping the Option and Command keys pressed. You can also try restoring your photo library from a backup.
I have tried the reopen it while keeping the Option and Command keyes pressed.
No change.
I dee nothing but a blank page,
Any help would be appreciated.
Also hace back ups of all images on cd's. dvds and jump drives.
Any advice is appreciated.

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

I was editing photos in my iphotos and it says Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable on me. I shut down my computer and when I restarted I can not access my photos, it keeps giving me

I was editing photos in my iphotos and it froze on me. So I shut down my computer and when I restarted I now can not access them. It says Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable. What can I do to fix this?

What you're describing is the Finder window for your external hard drive. When you're in iPhoto and try to edit a photo what happens?
Are you saying that the photos for your iPhoto library are located on the external HD while your library is in the Pictures folder on the boot drive? That would indicate a referenced library. You can check to see if you're running a referenced library by checking the Advanced Preference pane in iPhoto:
Click to view full size
So based one the Advanced preference pane in iPhoto what type of library are you running. Where is the library itself located? It should look like this:
By default it should be located in your Users/Home/Pictures folder. However, it could be run on an external HD.

I have my iPhoto set to an external drive yesterday when it was in use the usb disconnected i now have a message saying (your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable) I have tried shutting down and restarting.

I have my iPhoto set to an external drive, when it was in use the usb disconected as i was moving my mac air, when i re-conected a message said (your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable).
I have tried shutting it down and then re opening iPhoto but get the same message.
The reason for the external drive was there was not enough room on my hard drive, I have around 7000 photos on it.
is there a simple fix?
Regards
Dale

These are your options:
1. Restore the iPhoto library from the most recent backup that predates the issue.
          Advantages: Always works, if library damage is causing the problem and the backup is intact.
          Disadvantages: Impossible if you don't have a backup. All changes made since the backup are lost.
2. Repair or rebuild the library. Be sure to back it up first.
          Advantages: May solve the problem with no loss of data.
          Disadvantages: May fail. May take a long time if the library is large.
3. Scavenge the library with a third-party application called "iPhoto Library Manager," which you can find in a web search. From the application's menu bar (not the iPhoto menu bar), select Library ▹ Rebuild.
          Advantages: All images and albums should be preserved.
          Disadvantages: All books, calendars, and slideshows will be lost.

When I open iPhoto this appears- "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" I have not used iPhoto before on this computer. I downloaded iPhoto Library Manager as suggested but nothing happened. What should I do?

When I open iPhoto this appears- "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" I have not used iPhoto before on this computer. I downloaded iPhoto Library Manager as suggested but nothing happened. What should I do?

I think the usual advice is to use the Rebuild command in Library Manager.
Regards
TD

After a power failure while iPhoto was running, I get the message "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" and iPhoto will not open????

After a power failure while iPhoto was running, I get the message "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" and iPhoto will not open???? held down the option and the command and tried to run what was ticked off and it just sits there with a spinning wheel and does nothing, can I throw the app away and download a new one? or will it still not open?

, can I throw the app away and download a new one? or will it still not open?
You could, but the error message is indicating that your iPhoto library needs repairing.
Check, if iPhoto will run, if you launch it on a new library. Hold down the alt/option key, while you launch iPhoto. Select to create a new library from the panel that will show. Can you create a new library? If yes, try again to fix the library. Which options have you tried from the Library First Aid panel, when you launched iPhoto with the option and command key held down?
If you have not tried "Rebuild"; do that next. But be sure to make a backup of your iPhoto library, before you try this.

Received message: your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable". How do I fix this???

iPhoto will not open. "Your photo library is either is use by another application or has become unreadable. Shut down & restart your computer….". I did this and it still will not open. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Do the following:
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down to open the First Aid window. Be sure to follow the circled recommendation in the screenshot.
2 - Run Option #4, Rebuild Database.

I was trying to move iphoto library to my external hardrive, realised it was incompatible with Mac. The iphoto will not open now, message is "Iphoto library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable". I have read other posts.

Hi,
I was trying to save a copy of my iphoto library by copying images to my external harddrive. I wasn't sure how to do it, realised the hard drive is not compatible. Now the iphoto library wont open and reads "iphoto library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable".
I have tried to use options command and click on iphoto then rebuild yet nothing happens and same error message occurs.
I have gone to my personal drive, desktop, iphoto library, and found file Albumdata.xml and when i click on it, there is a lot of text in it, i am assuming these are all my photos.
I have tried clicking and dragging this file to iphoto app and it doesn't work, as the same error comes up in iphoto being in use or unreadable....
What am I meant to do with albumdata.xml file and how do I reopen Iphoto from here on in?
Please help as I am not technically minded and still trying to understand how to use the Macbook at all as I am used to Microsoft.
Thank you very much,
KS

Rule Number One - NEVER go directly uinto the iPhoto library - there are no user servicable parts in it and making any change no matter how small can corrupt your library and cause data or photo loss
Exactly how were you trying to save a copy of your iPhoto library?
Albumdata.xml does not contain your photos - and again NEVER make any changes to the content of the iPhoto library - no dragging - no changes - never go into the library
We need to know exactly what you did
And probalby the easiest solution is to load your backup from before you messed things up
For reference after you get things working
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
LN

I-Photo keeps coming up with the following error -Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable.

Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable. The solution suggested is restart and hold option/command down. I have done this and the options given make sense but when I try to run any of the suggested solutions the same error comes up as above
We have back ups to Time Machine but I am concerned that these backups may be corrupt as well so before trying I wish to try and repair
Has any one come into this issue before?
Running Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Thank you

Tell us more please - so it is hard to guess.
Sometimes really another program is using your library - then a simple "restart" of the system should fix this. If iPhoto is trying to open the wrong library, you may be seeing this error message. Then try to switch to the correct library by holding down the ⌥-key while launching iPhoto.
If really something is wrong, weneed to know more:
When did this start? Have you been importing new photos? Did iPhoto crash? Have you moved your iPhoto Library to an external drive? Where is your iPhoto library located? If on an external drive, how is the drive formatted?
Also, what is your version of the iPhoto application?
Have you updated any software recently or installed new software, before the problem first occured?
Have you run any maintainance programs, that help to clean your Mac, like MacKeeper?
Regards
Léonie

How do you fix this error? Can't access photos Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable

How do you fix this error? Can't access photos----" Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable"

Try this: launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and create a new, test library. Import some photos and check to see if the same problem persists. If you can create and use a new library then your current library is damaged.
If that's the case make a temporary, backup copy (if you don't already have a backup copy) of the library and apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
Select the options identified in the screenshot.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
Click on the Create button.
Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
OT

"Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" How do I regain access to iPhoto. All I get is an instruction to "quit"

When accessingh iPhoto all I get is "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" How do I regain access to iPhoto. All I get is an instruction to "quit"

Hi LarryHN,
I was loading images via a flash memory card which was inserted into a USB holder – during the 'download' the connection was broken [faulty USB connection]. I then re-inserted the card via the USB holder the connection was 're-broken' with a screen message indicating that 'force eject' was an option. I clicked the 'force eject' option and when I re-inserted the card/holder 120 images [approx] were missing and when I tried to open iPhoto the screen messages detailed above were displayed.
Current software is: iPhoto v9.2.3; Snow Leopard v10.6.8.
Using TD's Option 1:
i.e. “hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database” resulted in .
"Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" with a window request “quit”
& Option 2 “Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function”.
Resulted in the following message:
“The library could not be loaded because an error occurred. The library database could not be loaded; no such table RKVersionFaceContent. The album data file for the library 'iPhoto Library' could not be read” - [my italics]
Followed your instructions, re. 'new library' and it worked perfectly. All I have to do is select 'iPhoto Library2' and proceed as normal.
Thank You very much for your excellent advice and solution.
p.s. And this is completely 'off the wall' as I don't expect a positive outcome, but is it possible that all the images 'deleted' from my flash memory card could be somewhere in/on my HDD? If so, how would I proceed to recover them?
Many thanks again.
im.higgs boson

Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable. How do I fix this?

Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable. How do I fix this?

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

Hi, I have a brand new imac which i got today and when I open Iphoto all i get is the error message "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" any ideas? thanks

Hi, I have a brand new imac which i got today and when I open Iphoto all i get is the error message "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" any ideas? thanks

Are there photos in the Library? If not then just trash it and launch iphoto. It will make a new one.
If there are pics in it then Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.

My computer shut down as I was downloading photos from my Iphone. My Iphoto now says "Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable" I see the photos still in my computer but how do I get them back in Iphoto?

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