How can I quit my iPhoto screen that as crashed and locked on. The locked screen has no iPhoto file list on the left and the part of the screen that should have uploaded photos is blank except for the rotating download icon in the centre of screen. Help?I

Question

My SD card reader has caused my iPhoto screen to be locked with no list of files on the lefthand side and a blank main photo area apart from the rotating download icon operating in the centre of the photo part of the screen.
I have tried to quit iphoto but when I restart it the same locked screen appears.
I believe I caused this problem when I removed my SD device without first ejecting it when the blank screen appeared without downloading my new photos.
Can anyone help a 66 year old computer illiterate fool ?.
Regards

Answer 1

Use Force Quit (under the Apple menu at the top) to close iPhoto.  Then try opening it again.  If it locks up again force quit and 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 the problem does not persist try the following: make a temporary, backup copy (select the library and type Command+D) 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.
Since only one option can be run at a time start with Option #1, followed by #3 and then #4 as needed.
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.
If the problem persists in the test library do the following:  make a temporary, backup copy (if you don't already have a backup copy) of the library and try the following:
1 - delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your
     User/Home()/Library/ Preferences folder.
2 - delete iPhoto's cache file, Cache.db, that is located in your
     User/Home()/Library/Caches/com.apple.iPhoto folder. 
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3 - launch iPhoto and try again.
NOTE: If you're moved your library from its default location in your Home/Pictures folder you will have to point iPhoto to its new location when you next open iPhoto by holding down the Option key when launching iPhoto.  You'll also have to reset the iPhoto's various preferences.
OT