Recovering iPhoto from Time Machine - Project is not recovered, the book is

Question

Having lost a book in iPhoto, I recovered iPhoto from Time Machine. The Project containing the book was there, but the pictures in the book were not. The pictures are in the photos section, but not in the book. I do not want to have to reload the pictures one by one. Any suggestions. Looks like a defect in Time Machine
Richard

Answer 1

I just recovered a library with a couple of books in them and all photos were in the book. You might try recovering a different backup of the same library. Go backward from the time of your last attempt and then, if necessary, forward. If all fail then you've got an problem with TM and that library. Check to see if other files can be recovered satisfactorily. If you use iWeb try recovering your domain file from a time back (select the option to keep both so you don't lose your work to date).
It might be a little late, i.e. the horse is out of the barn, but you might consider using a separate library for your books. That provides a couple of benefits: 1 - working in your primarary library, deleting files, etc. will have no effect on your book; 2 - it's easy to backup and archive the book for ordering additional copies in the future. Old Toad's Tutorials #9 and 9a describe two different methods. I prefer #9a.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier versions) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. There are versions that are compatible with iPhoto 5, 6, 7 and 8 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. Just put the application in the Dock and click on it whenever you want to backup the dB file. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
NOTE: iPhoto 8's new option in it's rebuild library window, "Rebuild the iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup" may make this tip obsolete. We'll know when users have occasion to use it and see if that's the case.