Cannot restore iPhoto Library from Backup Files

Help! All of my photos in the iPhoto library are suddenly gone. I read through a number of threads addressing similar problems and have tried the following fixes to no success:
1. I dragged the Photo Library to my desktop and opened iPhoto while holding down the Option key. When I tried to import my library into iPhoto it says that most of my files are unreadable. The photo files seem to be all there on my hard disk, but they are saved as "data" files and not as jpgs or other photo files. Now--some of the photos did import, but only about 30% of the previous library.
2. I restarted and then opened disk utility to repair my permissions, but Disk Utility was unable to complete the operation and I received an error message stating that Disk Utility lost contact with the Disk Management Tool. ??
I downloaded Backup to my computer a couple weeks ago, and after I began using this program, this is when all of my photos disappeared from my iPhoto library.
Does any computer genius know how to restore photos to iPhoto that are saved as "data" files on the hard drive? I fear I've lost all of them.
I'm using iPhoto 4.0.3

Move the iPhoto Library folder back into the Pictures folder. Find the "com.apple.iPhoto.plist" file in your user account's "Library >Preferences" folder and move that file to the trash. Then start iPhoto while holding the option+shift keys. Confirm that you want to rebuild the photo database, then click "Save" in the next dialog. See if that brings your photos back.

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Cannot restore iPhoto Library from Backup Files

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