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

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How do i import an iPhoto library from a time machine backup?

how do i import an iPhoto library from a time machine backup? I did a back up and i formatted my machine. How do i get iphoto to be the same?

This screenshot shows how to restore a library from Time Machine.
There is NO importing necessary. One should never import one library into another. Just restore it to your Pictures folder and launch iPhoto.
OT

Trouble with restoring an iPhoto library from a time machine backup.

I'm having trouble restoring my iPhoto library from a time machine backup.
I have created a new library in my pictures file.
When I try to restore the library the restore process is trying to copy it to an external drive that no longer exists - it failed and I had to have it recovered and all the recovery (including backups) data is now on a different external hard drive.
iPhoto had been using that old external drive location to start. iPhoto is now pointed to the newly created iPhoto library in my pictures file on my MacBook Air.
Is there a way to have the restoration process point to that new iPhoto library that is now empty and not to the old external drive?

You might try this with the restored library:
Starting over from scratch with new library
Start over with a new library and import the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from your original library as follows:
1. Open the library package like this.
2. Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
3. Drag the subfolders of the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the open iPhoto Library package into the open iPhoto window a few at a time.
This will create a new library with the same Events (but not necessarily the same Event names) as the original library but will not keep the metadata, albums, books slideshows and other projects.
Note: your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

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

Can I make one iphoto library from two time machine back-ups?

Hi
I have recently purchased a new Mac Book. I previously had two MacBooks, which I backed up with time machine onto two separate external hard drives.
I did a straight transfer of all data from one of these time time machine back-ups to my new laptop. I'd like to migrate select data from the second time machine back-up to my new Mac Book, and I'd like to start by transferring photos.
My laptop has an iphoto library, so I would like to know if I can import select photos from this second time machine back-up, and how do I do that?
many thanks
Linda

First you need to restore the second Library from the back up. You need to restore the whole library, you can't just gather bits of it, I'm afraid.
Once that's done you have two Libraries. The easiest way to do what you want is to merge the Libraries with the paid version ($20) of iPhoto Library Manager This can be set to avoid duplicates. See the Help on it for more.
This is the only way that will get all the versions and all the metadata.
Other than that you'll need to export from one Library and import to the other.
Regards
TD

Restoring a single iPhoto library from multiple Time Machine backups

My daughter traveled for six months in SE Asia with her MacBook Air with the Lion OS. She routinely deleted all iPhoto 11 content after backing up with Time Machine on a 1 TB external drive as the drive on her Mac reached capacity. My question: how can she create a single, complete iPhoto library on an external drive from these multiple backups?

Your daughter will have to restore the iPhoto Libraries by going back in time on Time Machine and extracting the different libraries at the points in time before they got erased.
iPhoto does not have a feature to merge these libraries. So she could either export the images from each library and then reimport those into one selected library or use the iPhoto Library Manager application to extract photos from one library and to import them into another. Using iPhoto Library Manager she could preserve keywords and captions, but this software is not free.
Next time your daughter should simply create her iPhoto Library on her external volume, so that she has enough space to collect all pictures in one library.
Regards
Léonie

How can i restore an iphoto library without using time machine

I somehow created a new iphoto library and my old one was deleted and wasn't saved using time machine. Is there any way i can get my old library back. Please help!!!

The dock icon always enters the last IPHOTO library opened - so all may not be lost ..
Look in Macintosh HD/Users/*your name on your mac/Pictures
iPhoto Library is the default - if you have another iPhoto library with some extension that may be the new one -- so simply click on iPhoto to reset the dock icon.
If you use time machine - and the Iphoto library is empty - Enter time machine while in this folder and back up through time until you find the last one with pictures.

Trouble transferring iPhoto library from a time machine back up.

Hi!
I recently upgraded to the new OS and decided to do a clean install as my mac book pro is running a little slow. I did a time machine back up to save my files. When i went to put my iphoto library back it would not work as i needed the newest version of iphoto (i think i had the same one from when i got the laptop in 2009!). So i updated to the newest version and was able to retrieve the photos. The problem is i now have multiple copies of photos some with good and some with poor quality. I also have multiples of many photos and thousands of 'faces' grabbed by iphoto. Now with almost 40,000 photos its almost impossible to sort through. Any ideas how i can get my old, organized library back?
Thanks so much!
Erin

You need to restore the library from the TM backup by opening TM
and doing it from within TM:
OT

HT4116 How do i get an iphoto library off my time machine back up and exported to a file of just photo images?

I have backed up my imac that died, but how do i get the photos that are in time machine on the back up disc exported to another mac i have that also has an iphoto librbary?

This should be of help in merging the libraries: Fat Cat Software - iPhoto Library Manager Help - Merging libraries
OT

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Press F10 or press and hold the Alt key down to bring up the "Menu Bar" temporarily.
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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.

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 do I retrieve my iphoto library from the Time Machine back-up drive, when the original iphoto library was on a separate external hard drive that has crashed?

I recently backed up my iMAC and Simpletech external hard-drive to a 1 TB WD Passport external hard drive, using Time Machine's back-up utility. Today, I tried to access my iphoto library from the back-up drive, but received a message saying "the iPhoto library is a Time Machine back up, and so cannot be used as the main library. Relaunch iPHoto with options key held down to choose another library." Since my Simpletech died on me, what other iPhoto library is it expecting me to access? I know approximately 169 GB were backed up, and my iPhoto library is roughly 54 GB.
Angie in Charlotte

Thanks. I will try going through TM. Since my Simpletech is on the way out, I'll be plugging in a new external hard drive (other than the back-up drive) and trying to restore the library to the new drive. Any advice or warning if this is NOT the right thing to do?
Meanwhile, that is a great tip to do an alternate back-up using a different means. It's been tough to figure out how to "preserve access" to digital images and files for posterity, knowing the hardware will always fail/obsolesce sooner or later, and that "clouds" are only as good as their consistent and reliable accessibility. Upping the odds with redundancy will help dull the edge of my "access anxiety", though logically, it can never relieve it. Will look into
Carbon Copy Cloner.

How do I move my iphoto library from one external hard drive to another?

how do I move my iphoto library from one external hard drive to another?

Drag it there in the Finder and then launch iPhoto with the Option key held down. Point it to the new instance of the library.
(58012)

How can I move my iPhoto Library from one Mac to another without losing the comments on the individual photos in the process?

How can I move my iPhoto Library from one Mac to another without losing the comments on the individual photos in the process? The source Macbook (OS 10.4.11 and iPhoto 6.0.6 (3.2.2.)) is with my husband in Germany, the target MacBook Pro (OS 10.8.5, iPhoto 11) is with me in Japan. Thanks for your help.

I copied the iPhoto Library to a CD and from there to the new MacBook
If you copied the library to the CD via the Finder it would be no different than the methods Terence suggested. If you used the Share ➙ Burn menu option from inside iDVD you'll get a mini library that has to be accessed from the open library and the events/alubums copied into the destination library. Not the same as the other methods.
The Share ➙ Burn method is no longer supported with iPhoto 9 and later.
OT

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

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