Corruption in iPhoto

Hi,
I am having a problem viewing some of my older photos. I think that haste in uploading files that i later deleted haphazardly has led to corruption of my library. I can see the thumbnails, but cannot view these files (maybe 10% of all of the photos), and see a grey dotted border box with an exclamation point inside. The rest of the photos (for the most part, more recent) seem fine.
I tried to recover them from the originals folder, by dragging to the desktop and then dragging to the iphoto icon. it seems to work, but unfortunately creates a new folder each time i do this. Is there any way to avoid this?
Can I somehow restore them without risking further damage/loss/corruption?
If I make a backup of my pictures, will what gets burned to the DVD also be corrupted?
Thanks,
LP

I tried to recover them from the originals folder, by dragging to the desktop and then dragging to the iphoto icon. it seems to work, but unfortunately creates a new folder each time i do this. Is there any way to avoid this?
No.
What you're doing is importing the pics to a damaged library, not fixing it.
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.
Regards
TD

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Corrupt Library6.iphoto - empty albums

Hello, guys, hope someone out there is smarter than I (and smarter than "I-Photo").
I have a corrupt library6.iphoto here. About 100 of my albums show zero pictures (only one is populated). But all 40Gb of photos are still intact in the 'Original' and 'Modified' folders. I believe the problem is a corrupt slideshow I just created. I think that because when I try to click that slideshow, iPhoto quits abruptly (i.e. no obvious way to delete it).
I read this thread (and many similar) http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9861491&#9861491
and the three options described there will cause a lot of work:
Option 1. "Back-Up": My latest backup is about 15Gb ago (yes, that's a human error), and I've modified a lot of pictures since then, so I estimate I would lose about 20 to 30 hours of work.
Option 2. "Rebuild": I'm in the process of rebuilding another 40Gb Library, but I guess it won't work since the corrupt Library6 file is a fraction of the size of my last backed up library6 file.
Option 3. "Re-Populate": Not all the Rolls correspond to Albums, so there isn't an easy way to re-create my albums (another, 5 to 10 hours of work).
My questions:
A) Since I see the empty Album-structure intact in the corrupt library, is it possible that the album-data is still stored somewhere (despite the fact that the Library6 file is a fraction of what it was)?
B) Is it possible to rebuild the libraries using all available photos in the Pictures folder? (i.e. using both folders 'Modified' and 'Originals'?)
C) Is it possible to kick that slideshow out of the database, thereby leaving the empty Album-structure for me to re-populate?
A thousand thanks to anyone who can help.
-Stuart

Stuart
That library6.iphoto file is toast. There is no going back to it. Even if you could “repopulate” it somehow, you would be bringing data into an entity known to unstable - nothing too wise there
As you don’t have an up-to-date- back up your choices are two:
The first attempts to leverage the data about your albums mentioned here:
A) Since I see the empty Album-structure intact in the corrupt library, is it possible that the album-data is still stored somewhere (despite the fact that the Library6 file is a fraction of what it was)?
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.
or
Rebuild from Scratch.
B) Is it possible to rebuild the libraries using all available photos in the Pictures folder? (i.e. using both folders 'Modified' and 'Originals'?)
Yes, simply import the photos from both Folders. But you will have massive duplication as each will be treated as a new photo in itself. If you don’t have a working back up and/or if rebuilding with iPhoto Library Manager fails there is +no way+ to re-construct the relationship between the Original and Modified versions.
C) Is it possible to kick that slideshow out of the database, thereby leaving the empty Album-structure for me to re-populate?
No.
To create and populate a new *iPhoto 6* library:
Note this will give you a working library with the same Rolls and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop
Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.
Go into the iPhoto Library on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Roll Folders to the iPhoto Window and it will recreate them in the new library.
When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.
In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, you might like to make a copy of the library6.iPhoto file whenever you have made changes to the library as protection against database corruption.
Regards
TD

All photos appear blank/corrupted in iPhoto 6

Suddenly all photos in iPhoto appear as gray squares with dotted-line borders, and their titles look like Chinese symbols. A partial screenshot is here:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g80/melissa_sinclair2003/iPhotoscreenshot2.png
If I try to click on a thumbnail to edit a picture, again a gray square appears with an exclamation point in the middle.
All the photo files are in their places in the iPhoto Library folder and can be viewed. I have not moved the files in the Finder (I know not to do that). Also, I have tried to rebuild the library, but nothing changed. I have restarted the computer as well.
The problem exists in all albums as well as in the main library. The number of photos seems correct, they are just all blank and with garbled titles. Also, all the info (in Show Info), other than the title, is fine, including keywords.

Hi Sven,
It sounds a lot like you have a corrupt iPhoto Data Base file. The only way to fix this is to create a new iPhoto Library unfortunately. You will lose any modified files, but retain all originals.. It simply means that you will have to re-create any modified photos or slide shows you previously had. (Unless you have a Back Up of your iPhoto Data Base file... "Library6.iPhoto") The good news is that all of your "Original" files can be re-imported into a new Library so not all is lost.
1. If you are running iPhoto 6, you need to take your "iPhoto Library" folder inside your ~/Pictures folder ~denotes your home directory. Drag it to the desktop. Launch iPhoto and it will ask you if you want to create a New Library or open an existing one. Choose Create a New Library.
2. Now go back to your iPhoto Library on the Desktop and take the "Originals" folder and drag it into the open iPhoto window. (You could probably use the Import option in the Menu Bar and then select your "Originals" folder if you like but dragging is fine too) This will put you right back to scratch, but at least your photos are intact. This is the best you can hope for.
3. If you are using iPhoto 7 (iLife 08') then the process is slightly different in that your iPhoto Library is now a Unix file in your pictures folder and not a visible folder. Don't panic, its just Apple's way of preventing people from getting into trouble by changing the names of folders when they SHOULDN'T. You still need to drag the iPhoto file to the desktop the same way as you would in the first step. All your iPhoto data is within that file. Again, Launch iPhoto and you will be asked to Create a New Library or Open an existing one. Select Create a New Library. Now go back to your iPhoto Library file on the desktop and either right click on it or control click and you will see an option to "Show Package Contents". Select this and you will find your "Originals" folder. Once again, simply drag your Originals folder to your Open iPhoto library and allow them to import. Once you have your library up and running, you can delete that iPhoto Library on the desktop. You can keep your modified Photos if you like but don't import them into iPhoto as you will have numerous duplicate issues due to a new Data Base file that cannot recognize them.
I hope this gets you up and running again... Good luck.
Regards,
Ben.

Photo corruption post iPhoto 6.0.5 update

Recently downloaded iPhoto 6.0.5 update via software update and multiple photos in the library appear to be corrupted or have a portion missing. Some but not all of these photos have been modified and appear fine in the "Original" folder and in their thumbnail view but appear corrupted in the full screen view. By corrupted, I mean that a portion of the photo from the top down to a certain point appears as it should and then objects in the photo are shifted, color distorted, and sometimes overwritten with colorful vertical bands from that point down. In slideshow view, these pictures are all black. I have backup copies of the originals but can't work on any of the current projects without encountering these problems.
Is it possible to remove the 6.0.5 update if it is, indeed, the cause? Thanks
mac mini (Intel 1.66 GHz Core Duo) Mac OS X (10.4.7) Base model: 1.66 Intel Core Duo, 512 Ram, Combo Drive, 60 GB HD - external FW HD, recent software update to OSX 10.2.8, iphoto 6.0.5

I tried the instructions to rebuild the iPhoto library. Not knowing exactly what the problem was, I checked all the boxes to rebuild all thumbnails, find orphans, etc. The process executed in less than 10 seconds. Now, iPhoto only shows 6 photos in my library (there were several hundred before). One has the colors all messed up in certain parts of the photo, one is about 3/4 of the picture and the bottom 1/4 is blank, one only appears as a grey, dashed outline, and 3 appear as they should until I try to view them full screen and I get an infinite rolling beach ball.
To answer your question, TD, when using Finder to navigate to my iPhoto library and opening jpgs from the "Modified" folder, the files appear incomplete. Some are normal and continuous from the top down to a certain point - a different point in each file - where they go blank from there down. Others appear completely black in Preview. Still others appear completely normal, as they should. Even the jpgs that show as normal in Preview, however, no longer appear in my library when I open iPhoto.
The beach ball started rolling before I started this post. Its still rolling...
mac mini (Intel 1.66 GHz Core Duo) Mac OS X (10.4.7) Base model: 1.66 Intel Core Duo, 512 Ram, Combo Drive, 60 GB HD - external FW HD, recent software update to OSX 10.2.8, iphoto 6.0.5

New to iPhoto: Database Corruption and iPhoto Package

Coming from the PC I'm used to individual files with Picasa and Photoshop and I'm confused about a few things:
1. Is the iPhoto database separate from the iPhoto package file that stores all of the images?
2. And if you were to lose your database because of corruption, do you lose all of your individual photos?
3. Or if the package somehow became corrupted, do you lose your original images?
4. Slightly off-topic -- does Aperture store the images separately or does it use the same "database package" concept as iPhoto?

1. Is the iPhoto database separate from the iPhoto package file that stores all of the images?
Yes and No. It depends on the settings you choose. In the default setting both the photos and the database are contained within the Library Package. For more see below*.
A Package File is simply a folder that looks like a file in the Finder. The change was made to the format of the iPhoto library because many users were inadvertently corrupting their library by browsing through it with other software or making changes in it themselves.
Want to see inside? Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
Standard Warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
2. And if you were to lose your database because of corruption, do you lose all of your individual photos?
No. The db is a couple of files inside the Library. The photos are at no more risk that when a file goes bad in any folder.
3. Or if the package somehow became corrupted, do you lose your original images?
There's no way for a package to become corrupted. Like I say, it's just a folder.
Of course, the protection for any data on your computer is a good up-to-date back up.
4. Slightly off-topic -- does Aperture store the images separately or does it use the same "database package" concept as iPhoto?
Yes and no. Depends on the settings you choose.
* And this is the below piece to see:
There are two kinds of Library: Managed and Referenced.
A +Managed library+, is the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing. In this scenario iPhoto is responsible for File Management.
A +Referenced Library+ is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.
*How to do it:*
Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.
*What Happens:*
Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. To do this it will create an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder.
*Some things to consider:*
1. Importing and deleting pics are more complex procedures. You have to to put the files where they will be stored before importing them. When you delete them you'll need to remove the files from the HD yourself.
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
4. Because iPhoto has no tools for managing Referenced Files, if, for some reason, the path to the photos changes then you could find yourself resolving aliases for +each photo in the Library+ one by one.
My own opinion:
I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organiser
If disk space is an issue, you can run an entire iPhoto Library from an external disk:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library as an entity from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
If you're concerned about accessing the files, There are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Command-Click for selecting multiple pics.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
Many internet sites such as Flickr and SmugMug have plug-ins for accessing the iPhoto Library.
If you're using Gmail you can use iPhoto2GMail
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
*If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running*:
For users of 10.6 and later:
You can download a free Services component from MacOSXAutomation which will give you access to the iPhoto Library from your Services Menu. Using the Services Preference Pane you can even create a keyboard shortcut for it.
Other options include:
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
*Using iPhoto with Photoshop*
You can set Photoshop (or any image editor) as an external editor in iPhoto. (Preferences -> General -> Edit Photo: Choose from the Drop Down Menu.) This way, when you double click a pic to edit in iPhoto it will open automatically in Photoshop or your Image Editor, and when you save it it's sent back to iPhoto automatically. This is the only way that edits made in another application will be displayed in iPhoto.
Note that iPhoto sends a copy+ of the file to Photoshop, so when you save be sure to use the Save command, not Save As... If you use Save As then you're creating a new file and iPhoto has no way of knowing about this new file. iPhoto is preserving your original anyway.
Aperture - which is somewhat more expensive that iPhoto - has much better tools for running Referenced Libraries. I have no reservations about running Aperture in that mode.
Regards
TD

Corruption of iphoto

I had some kind of corruption on my finder. I now cannot open iPhoto and when I try to reinstall OSX Snow Leopard it won't let me because of iPhoto

You have posted this in the iPhoto for iOS forum. Perhaps posting in the OS X or the Mac forum wil provide some answers.

Date Corruption in iPhoto 9, other bugs (possibly from migration?)

Just upgraded to iPhoto 9 and upgraded my library, then imported some new photos. I'm seeing the following problems:
- Some photos from my old library that were rotated are reverted to their original position. Not sure yet if I also lost any other edits.
- All movies have had their dates changed by +3 days. Maybe +2. Even the movies I imported after upgrading have this problem.
- When I uploaded photos to Flickr (via Flickr uploader, the integrated thing is not working) several dates were corrupted in Flickr. But they're still okay in iPhoto.
Any idea how to fix this?

launch iPhoto while depressing the option (alt) and command (apple) keys and rebuild your library
LN

? Corrupted Library6.iPhoto file?

I updated iPhoto to 7.1.2 a few days ago. On opening iPhoto the next AM I noticed that all my pictures from summer 2006 to present are missing when running iPhoto; those before summer 2006 remain. It was a few days since I had looked at pictures before the upgrade. Fortunately, all my pictures appear to be in the correct place and are viewable with Preview when I click on the photo file (user/Pictures/iPhoto Library/) on the internal hard drive. Whew!
I've reviewed the forum for the last 2 hours and assume that I have a corrupted database file. Not sure if it is the Library6.iPhoto file or albumData.xml file. I have tried copying both of these from my SuperSuper backup volume (done last Sunday evening automatically before I knew I had a problem) on my external hard drive without correction of the problem. Should I also try to copy over the Library.iPhoto file? I didn't see this recommended elsewhere.
Prior posts recommended copying over the Library6.iPhoto file if a backup was available, and if no improvement, to rebuild the library using iPhoto Library Manager. Before jumping into this, I want to make sure that is what others would recommend. I've got the program downloaded and see the command to rebuild. It will save the new library as "rebuilt library" in the pictures folder. Is this my best action?
If I rebuild, shouId I then throw away my old "iPhoto Library", then change the name of the rebuilt library to "iPhoto Library"?
What are the ramifications of rebuilding the library? Although I have a lot of albums, I only have a couple slideshows, only 1 web gallery item, and no cards. I assume I'll have to rename events; no big deal.
I am a little surprised rebuilding the library is not built into iPhoto somewhere. Good thing someone wrote a program.
Given this corrupted file, should I be checking my drive for other problems? Permissions are correct and the disk verified fine with disk utility.
Thanks,
Justin

jcgraff
Try these in order - from best option on down...
1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.
2. 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 back.
3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.
To create and populate a new library:
Note this will give you a working library with the same Events and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
In the iPhoto Preferences -> Events Uncheck the box at 'Imported Items from the Finder'
Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop
Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.
Go into the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Event Folders to the iPhoto Window and it will recreate them in the new library.
When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.
In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, you might like to make a copy of the library6.iPhoto file whenever you have made changes to the library as protection against database corruption.
Regards
TD

Corrupted Library6.iPhoto file. New Library from ext. drive?

My Library6.iPhoto file is corrupted. How do I create a new 'Library' when all the 'original' stills are on an external drive and will not fit on my 'desktop'?
Ben

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto 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), 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. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. 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.
Do you Twango?

Corrupted database iPhoto 6.0.6

My main iPhoto library resides on an external HDD. I have several other smaller iPhoto libraries on the iMac and I use Brian Webster's iPhoto Library Manager v3.2.4 to switch between them. Also, I occasionally access my main iPhoto library over the wireless network from my daughter's MacBook, again using iPhoto Library Manager. This has all worked fine until now. Last evening we launched it from the MacBook. Today when I launched from the iMac there are about 1500 photographs missing according to iPhoto. Apparently I have no photos more recent than April 2006. The originals and modified versions are all there but iPhoto doesn't see them. I was prompted to rebuild the thumbnail cache when I launched and I did....I think it had already decided the photos were missing.
Any help in restoring things to their previous state will be much appreciated. I really don't relish the thought of reimporting, adjusting and relabelling so many pictures.

The fading memory has, I think, remembered the real story about the v7 update. It was nothing to do with Software Update trying to distribute it. I think I downloaded it on her MacBook because I thought we should be running v7 already if Apple had just released iLife '08. So easily confused!! When it failed to install I trashed it.
I've been researching further, particularly on Brian Webster's iPLM site, and reckon the corruption is to do with permissions. Some file's and folders have my wife's permissions and some have mine. Before moving the library to the HDD it used to be in the shared users' public folder and we both accessed it via aliases in our own Pictures folders. I showed my wife how to download and import pictures from her camera (from her user area) last Sunday. This was the first time she had done it and probably was when the problem occurred.
My March library seems to be working fine so I suppose I will just have to reimport the more recent pictures to it. Any suggestions about how best to do this? I'm thinking I'll just have to bring in the Originals and then redo any modifications.

Videos corrupted in iPhoto after import from iPhone 4S?

My videos seem to get corrupted when I import them from my iPhone 4S. They are fine on the iphone, and I can view them on my computer through iPhoto, but if I send or try to post them, they are black, though they "play" if you try to play them. They appear as .MOV files when I attach them to e-mails, etc. Anyone have any ideas about this? Are my videos all ruined?

No, your videos are OK and not damaged.
You have to export them out of iPhoto via the File ➙ Export ➙ File Export menu with Kind = Original set. Then add to email, or whatever.
Know that many email servers limit attachment file size to 10 or 20 MBs and movie files are often too large to email.
OT

Weird cross-imaging image corruption in iPhoto 4.0.3

Hey all,
Ive had a search through this discussion and cant quite find my exact problem but have pretty much decided that rebuilding the library is the way to solve it.
But before I do that, here is my problem:
When I select an Album that Ive created and filled with particular type of shots, it shows most of them correctly but about halfway through the 900 or so images, iPhoto starts to show distorted images from other Albums. The titles and keywords are the same (and correct) and when I open the picture its the correct one.
Now the weird thing is, when I zoom in and out, more or fewer of the images show as the wrong ones until if I zoom in to about 6 images, they are shown correct.
Finally, if I click on the scroll bar to move down through the images when zoomed most of the way out, the images that are wrong very briefly snap to show correctly before snapping back to the incorrect image.
What the **** is going on here ?
Hope someone can help me.

How much free space remains on your hard drive? If there's not much left, then a rebuild will likely only make things worse.

Canon RAW Photos Corrupted in iPhoto

In the last few weeks my Canon RAW photos are importing with some photos corrupted (half good half another photo or unrecognizable), Anyone experiencing a similar problem recently?

It's an SL1 but as the photos import fine into other photo apps I don't believe it's the camera. It (and all of my Canon cameras imported fine prior to the last raw update)

CS4 Bridge appears to have corrupted my IPhoto 09 library !

I have MAC mini 10.6.8 Iphoto 09 and recently installed Adobe PS8 including CS4 bridge.
I accessed teh briedge and browsed to my master IPhoto library.
Now when I try and access the libraray through IPhoto I have at least the last year's photo missing.
I have no backup and these are irreplaceable.
Lee

I accessed teh briedge and browsed to my master IPhoto library.
Don't know how you did that, bridge can't view the content of the library by default, it only shows the icon for library??
Now when I try and access the libraray through IPhoto I have at least the last year's photo missing.
If you have deleted files using Bridge they should still be in the trash, maybe you messed with the folders in the library and did move the year folder to an other location.
I have no backup and these are irreplaceable.
I'm sorry to hear that, don't think you should be in panic right now, there is still a lot to investigate, just don't empty the trash and try to investigate further.
For instance use the finder and select the iPhoto library, Then use right mouse click and from the menu choose show package content. Navigate through the files and find either the folder called Masters (or originals, believe they changed the name once)
Inhere should be different folders for each year containing a lot of subfolders. Copy (Copy, don't remove!) these folders to a new folder outside the iPhoto library and point bridge to this new main folder. Then in bridge go to the menu View and choose show items from subfolders and let Bridge cache. Then see what has been left of your files.
Also open the trash (click on on the icon in the Dock) and see if there is a folder with the year called or other files you recognize. Just drag them out of the trash to a new location.
In general, it is not a question of if your HD is going to die but when, they all die, some sooner then to be expected. Also the human factor is by far from trusted so always, (always!!!) make a back up of important files!!
And don't try to mix iPhoto and Elements/Bridge without learning more about this way of working, iPhoto uses a library with hidden files and creates a lot of spin off with different versions, thumbs sizes etc. they are by default not developed to work together

Corruption in iPhoto

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