How do I restore an iPhoto library from Time Capsule

My iMac was stolen. I have a MacBook Air running Yosemite version 10.10.2. The iPhoto Library was not on the MacBook. How do I restore my iPhoto Library from a Time Machine backup on my Time Capsule onto my MacBook? I am using iPhoto version 9.6.1.
Two complications:
1. I have several hundred photos from a different iPhoto library on my MacBook.
2. I think the iPhoto library that is hopefully on my Time Capsule is too big to fit on my MacBook. I have 50 GB free space remaining on a 256 GB SSD.
Thank you.

If the library to be restored is too big for your boot drive you'll need to get an external HD, formatted OS X Extended (journaled) with ownership set to be ignored, and restore the iPhoto Library to it according to the instructions in the following screenshot:
With the restored library up and running you can use the paid version of iPhoto Library Manager to merge the Macbook library into the restored library on the EHD. A possible candidate for the EHD is the OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro USB 3.0 / FireWire 800. It lends itself nicely for portable use.
Once you are satisfied that the merge was successful you can delete the Macbook library from the Pictures folder.

Similar Messages

Help! How can I restore iTunes/iPhoto library from Time Capsule to new Mac?

Sorry to trouble you, because it looks like this should be an easy thing, but I can't find an answer anywhere...
I've got an 2008 MacBook Pro that suddenly began to suffer start up problems. Sometimes it boots to a black/grey screen and sometimes the screen/mouse freezes after only a few minutes of use.
I've borrowed my brother's Mac until I can find out how to get mine repaired, so I'd like to copy over my iTunes and iPhoto stuff from a Time Capsule (where I'm hoping it hasn't been damaged) to his Mac. I only want to copy the iTunes and iPhoto stuff, without filling up his computer with all my other junk.
Is there an easy way to do this? Thanks!

Hi ...
I've found a solution to my problem.
Time Machine locates extenal HDD backups differently depending if they were done via a network or via a USB/FireWire/Thunderbolt connection.
My initial backup was done via a direct Thunderbolt connection. I ran into the above issue b/c the second time when I tried looking for the backup file the HDD was conencted to my iMac and I was accessing it via a network conenction.
I simply connected the drive directly to my MacBook pro and ... voila. I was able to see the backup, select the iPhoto library and begin the restore.
Hope this helps.
BTW - I found this out by reading the 'blue box' selection on this page: http://pondini.org/TM/E2.html
(Thanks goes to Pondini!)

How can I restore an iPhoto library from Time Machine (ML) - when I TM doesn't see the backup??

Hi,
I recently did a Time Machine backup of my MacBook Pro (Mountain Lion) onto an external HDD. Around the time of the last backup, my system was behaving funny so I decided to rebuild the OS X.
Because the last TM backup was of a system that as mentioned, was somewhat 'unstable', and I only had a few backups available (didn't have TM running too long beforehand) - I decided not to use TM to 'restore' my system. I just did a clean install of ML and planned on pulling files over manually. I'd done this before and it worked a treat.
This time ran into a snag. The backup disk TM used was an external HDD which I wanted to upgrade (suffice to say it works fine). So, I needed to move the backup.backupdb directory to my other HDD. The copy seemed to work fine ... so far so good.
I installed the new ML OS on my MacBook Pro and that was fine too. I was able to pull most of my files over by going into the TM backup and copying what I needed.
BUT, for some reason, this didn't work for the iPhoto library?
Alas, I found that you need to do a 'restore' iPhoto library file from whithin TM. So I fired up TM and noticed that it didn't recognise the old backup file located on the HDD. I.e. when I turned on TM, pointed it to the external HDD (where I copied the previous backup to), it started a fresh backup.
So ... my question is - "How do I restore the iPhoto library if I can't get to it from TM?"
Thanks in advance to anyone that can help! The last 15 years of photos are stored in this library!

Hi ...
I've found a solution to my problem.
Time Machine locates extenal HDD backups differently depending if they were done via a network or via a USB/FireWire/Thunderbolt connection.
My initial backup was done via a direct Thunderbolt connection. I ran into the above issue b/c the second time when I tried looking for the backup file the HDD was conencted to my iMac and I was accessing it via a network conenction.
I simply connected the drive directly to my MacBook pro and ... voila. I was able to see the backup, select the iPhoto library and begin the restore.
Hope this helps.
BTW - I found this out by reading the 'blue box' selection on this page: http://pondini.org/TM/E2.html
(Thanks goes to Pondini!)

Restore just iPhoto Library from Time Capsule, to a new machine

Hi,
To free up space on my MacBook Pro, I backed up my iPhoto library to Time Machine before moving the library to a seperate external hard-drive. My EHD was excluded from automatic time machine backups, and when it subsequently got unrepairably damaged about 4 weeks later I lost about 4 weeks of photos - luckily not a big problem. I checked time-machine and my old iPhoto library was still there in an earlier backup, not the latest - naturally that shows the current state of my MPB without an iPhoto library.
Now, I'm trying to restore the iPhoto library to a Mac Mini rather than to my MacBook Pro, however, I'm not having much luck. I've tried the following:
Use migration assistant, selecting only photos - this created a new account, (even though I didn't want it to) but the photo library was blank. I think this may be because my last time-machine back up was after I'd moved iPhoto to an EHD
Use finder to navigate to the correct iPhoto folder in time-machine... I get an error message saying I don't have permission to access the file
I have used the same apple ID when setting up the the Mac Mini as I did on the MBP, but the accounts have slightly different names.
I would appreciate any help you could give.

Setup Assistant would be my recommendation for this if possible.
Migration Assistant can work, but there may be some issues with file ownership and permissions.
See Pondini's great support document on this:
http://pondini.org/OSX/Setup.html

How do I Restore my iPhoto library from my time machine if it does not give me the restore option?

How do I Restore my iPhoto library from my time machine if it does not give me the restore option?
When I go into my backups and click on the iPhoto library it does not come up with an option to restore it just says open and of course then won't let me open it because it is a back up in time machine? I need these photo very important.

Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support
For detailes TM support post in the forum for your OS rather than the iphoto forum
LN

HT4927 I have tried to restore my iPhoto library from Time Machine. It starts then I get an No permissions error. What do I do?

I have tried to restore my iPhoto library from Time Machine. It starts then I get an 'No permissions' error. What do I do?

See #E9 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

How do I restore my iphoto library from backup

Hi,
I'm trying to find instructions on restoring my iPhoto library from a backup that is not based on Time Machine. I have an external hard drive with the entire user folder information which includes all the photos. I'd like to know if I should delete current file and replace with the backup, or something else?
Thanks much!

The risk free way to do it is to drag the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder on the Back Up to your Desktop.
Then open it and check it:
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
If it's all there and working correctly, then - and only then - delete the one currently in your Pictures Folder.
Regards
TD

How to restore an Iphoto library from Time Machine

I backed up last sunday onto time machine -all went well. Due to sillyness lost my Iphoto library from my 13 inch afterwards;I was trying to transfer my data to another mac (my 15 inch that had a new hard drive )using migration assistant . no Iphoto libray in either but I assume it is in Time machine( sudays one)
How easy and how does one restore from Time Machine something like the Iphoto Library ? this is my only record of 3211 photos so dont want to stuff it up ??!!
thanks to anyone ,as my wife will kill me if I get it wrong??!!
Amr

If you are using iPhoto 7, just launch iPhoto and then enter Time Machine. You can browse back through Time Machine with iPhoto's own interface.
This doesn't work in iPhoto 5. With iPhoto 5, you have to use a Finder window in Time Machine to navigate back to your iPhoto Library folder (in homefolder -> Pictures by default) and restore it.
I'm not sure which way it works in iPhoto 6.

How do I restore my iPhoto library from my old macbook (stored in time machine) to my new iMac?

I have my old macbook backed up on my time machine. The problem is, when i enter time machine on my new iMac, I can only restore files from the current iMac's backups. I can go to finder, and find my files under the "shared>airport time capsule" menu, but I don't know how to safely and accurately restore the iPhoto library to the current iMac's iPhoto.
Most of the searches I did on this topic kept advising to enter time machine, find your file and hit restore, but I can not select files from my macbook's backup in time machine on the current iMac.

Linc Davis wrote:
While in Time Machine, press the key combination shift-command-C. The front window will show all mounted volumes. All snapshots should now be accessible. Select the one you want and navigate to the files you want to restore.
If you need to restore from a backup of the hidden user Library folder, first select a snapshot, then press shift-command-G. A Go to Folder dialog will open. In it, you'll enter the path to the folder. The dialog will help you by automatically completing the parts of the path when you start to type them.
The path begins with slash character ("/"). Enter that. The rest of the parts will be separated by slashes.
The next part is the date and time of the current snapshot. Enter a "2", and the rest of the date should be filled in automatically. Press the right-arrow key to jump to the end of the path. Enter a slash to start the next part.
Next is the name of the volume (usually "Macintosh HD" unless you gave it a different name.) Start to type that, then jump to the end and enter a slash.
The next part is "Users", followed by a slash.
Next is your (short) user name, which is also the name of your home folder.
Finally, enter "Library", then press return. You should now be in the Library folder. From there you can get around as in the Finder.
This seemed to do the trick. I found the iPhoto library file and chose restore. The question now is where to put the iPhoto library file.

How do I restore iPhoto library from time capsule?

My iPhoto library has blank events whre there have been photos, how can I restore from time capsule from a date and time I know all was well?

Here's a screenshot of what Larry is describing:
OT

Restoring your iPhoto library from Time Machine for reinstall of iLife '09

I found a problem in going back to iPhoto '09 (after discovering the various issues with iLife/iPhoto '11). I tossed iPhoto '11 and my converted iPhoto library (unreadable by iPhoto '09). I restored iPhoto/iLife '09 but now had to restore the '09 library. Time Machine has root ownership of your iPhoto library and will not let you restore a saved library to your Mac. Any number of people have encountered this infuriating problem, but these folks provide a work-around: http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2179262. I used the compression technique, with great success, because I was concerned that entering Time Machine through a blank library in iPhoto would transfer the most recent iPhoto '11-converted photos. To me, the most aggravating aspect of iLife/iPhoto '11 is its incompatibility with AppleTV. I find it incomprehensible that Apple would purposefully sabotage the operation of one of their own devices - and which I enjoy a great deal.

the most aggravating aspect of iLife/iPhoto '11 is its incompatibility with AppleTV.
iPhoto 11 is compatible with the Apple TV:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12465276&#12465276
Regards
TD

HT4927 How do I restore my iPhoto library from a time machine back up of a macbook pro to an iMac?

My Macbook Pro is in a coma, but luckily I backed up on the 20th May. I managed to get my itunes library back on my new iMac; but cannot figure out how to do the same with iPhoto. Any ideas out there?
Thanks in advance!

Again - this is not the way to do this and generally does not work - you must use TimeMachine as designed - instructions link again http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
Note especially
Restoring data from Time Machine backups
With Time Machine you can go "back in time" to restore files, versions of files, or your entire system. Make sure your backup drive is connected and mounted (if not, Time Machine will alert you that "Your Time Machine backup disk can't be found."
If prompted, enter an administrator name and password to proceed with the restore.
Restoring specific files or folders
Choose Enter Time Machine from the Time Machine menu and the restore interface appears. You can literally see your windows as they appeared "back in time."
You can use the timeline on the right side of the window to reach a certain point back in time (the timeline shows the times of all backups on your backup drive). If you don’t know exactly when you deleted or changed a file, you can use the back arrow to let Time Machine automatically travel through time to show you when that folder last changed.
Note: Dates in pink indicate the data resides on your Time Machine backup device. Dates in white indicate the data resides on your Mac. In OS X Mountain Lion and Lion, portable Macs have the feature of local snapshots. See thisarticle for details.
You can also perform a Spotlight search in the Time Machine Finder Window search field to find a file. Simply type the Spotlight search field and use the back arrow to have Time Machine search through your backups to find what you are looking for.
Before you restore a file, you can also use Quick Look to preview a file to make sure its the one you want. Highlight the file and press the Space Bar to bring up a quick look.
To restore, select the file/folder and click the "Restore" button. The file will automatically be copied to the desktop or appropriate folder. If the file you are restoring has another file in the same location with the same name, you will be prompted to choose which file to keep or keep both.
Restoring your entire system from a backup
If you are restoring a backup made by a Mac to the same Mac
With your backup drive connected, start up your Mac from the Recovery system (Command-R at startup) or Mac OS X v10.6 installation disc. Then use the "Restore From Time Machine Backup" utility.
Note: If "You can't restore this backup because it was created by a different model of Mac" appears when restoring a backup that was made on a different Mac, follow the onscreen instructions.
If you are restoring a backup made by one Mac to a completely different Mac
Important: If the backup you are about to restore is from a completely different Mac, use the Migration Assistant to transfer data from the backup, as described in the next section.
Migrating a Time Machine backup to a new Mac
When you buy a new Mac, you can transfer all of your applications, files, settings, and other information from a Time Machine backup you've already made.
You will be asked if you want to transfer files when you start up your new Mac for the first time. Or, you can use theMigration Assistant (located in Applications/Utilities).
After Migration Assistant completes the transfer and you select your existing Time Machine backup drive, you will be prompted with "Inherit Backup History". Once selected you will be able to continue to use your existing Time Machine backup on your new Mac.
And again for detailed TM answers go to the Time Machine forum
LN

How do I restore my iPhoto library from a number of different back-ups (different dates) in Time Machine?

I recently upgraded my internal hard drive to a 1TB. Prior to this, I had been backing up to an external hard drive using Time Machine and then deleting the older photos to make room for the newer ones. Now that I have a large internal hard drive, I would like to restore ALL my photos back onto my MacBook so that they are readily available. I thought I could just go to each of the individual back-ups in Time Machine prior to deletion and "Restore All" and they would be ADDED to my existing iPhoto Library on my MacBook. However, once restored, it had REPLACED the existing library. Luckily, I had just done a back-up prior to this, so I haven't lost anything. But, I want to restore all photos from all back-ups stored on my external HD back onto my MacBook. How do I do this? I have made note of the 3 dates I did back-ups prior to any deletions, so I know exactly which back-up dates to restore.
Thanks for any help!

I recently upgraded my internal hard drive to a 1TB. Prior to this, I had been backing up to an external hard drive using Time Machine and then deleting the older photos to make room for the newer ones. Now that I have a large internal hard drive, I would like to restore ALL my photos back onto my MacBook so that they are readily available. I thought I could just go to each of the individual back-ups in Time Machine prior to deletion and "Restore All" and they would be ADDED to my existing iPhoto Library on my MacBook. However, once restored, it had REPLACED the existing library. Luckily, I had just done a back-up prior to this, so I haven't lost anything. But, I want to restore all photos from all back-ups stored on my external HD back onto my MacBook. How do I do this? I have made note of the 3 dates I did back-ups prior to any deletions, so I know exactly which back-up dates to restore.
Thanks for any help!

I cannot restore my iphoto library from Time Machine

I have lost my iphoto library. I am trying to restore it from a backup and it was located in the My Pictures folder. When I try and restore it, there is a big red circle with a dash in it saying I don't have permission to open the folder it is in. These have all of my prescious photos and I am devistated that they may be lost! Why can't I access this folder and get my photos back - what do I need to do?

Hello kristine515
It all depends on how you are restoring your data. If you are using the Enter Time Machine it should not give you the permissions issue.
Mac Basics: Time Machine
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Regards,
-Norm G.

Restore only iPhoto library from Time Machine?

Due to software issues, my disk was wiped clean and I was advised to restore everything manually, and not to restore from my Time Machine backup, to avoid reintroducing issues. This worked fine for everything except iPhoto. I can see my backup on my Time Capsule, but can't figure out where to find the iPhoto data. And if I find it, is there a way to restore it while preserving edits, titles, and so on?
I can't restore from Time Machine because, as far as Time Machine is concerned, I've never backed up from this machine before. Any ideas?

Your ponly choice is to use Time Machine to restore - you can not manually restore form a TM backup - lots of TM info here - http://pondini.org/TM/FAQ.html
for more help post in the forum for your OS - this is not an iPhoto issue
LN

How do I restore an iPhoto library from Time Capsule

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