How to Restore iPhoto Library from BackUp?

My iPhoto library has gone blank, although its trash has the 4,555 images. And all organization, albums, keywords, photo names, gone. Recently my backup storage, where library kept, went blank. I got a new backup, and a pro restored most of old data, and transfered to new one. So, I have the Library on the new backup, and need to restore it in the iPhoto Library, rather than create a new one, which as I understand will lose albums, keywords, etc. A friend says that way to hold down a key when opening iPhoto that will have it look for old library and restore? Not in Help or elsewhere.
I had a MacBook Pro, when this first happen. Now have iMac and have iLife 09, but don't want to instal it until photo library restored.
Sounds basic, but how to restore.
Thanks,
Armando

Armando
The simplest way to restore is to put the Library in the Pictures Folder and launch iPhoto.
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' To select a Library.
Regards
TD

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Restore iPhoto library from backup

I am running iPhoto '09 (v.8.1.2) on a 2006 iMac. I installed OSX (v.10.5.8) in early 2010. A few backups were performed before it started crashing while trying to backup. I am not able to upgrade at all due to hard drive constraints spacewise, so I have to work within the versions I have.
The hard drive has been diagnosed as dying and needs to be replaced. I've put it off due to financial reasons.
Meanwhile, I had moved my photo library to external HD #1 to free up space on the iMac HD.
The few backups that worked were sent to external HD #2.
External HD #1 has died.
I can see that there is a photo library in my backup from last March, but need to know how to restore it.
I tried a solution I found (close iPhoto, in Finder, open the folder with the current library, enter time machine, choose a backup, and find the library and click restore), but I was not able to click restore - it wasn't an option.
Right now, I have another photo library that I use when I open iPhoto. It's on the same external HD as the backup. Will this be a problem to restore from the same disk?
I have a new external HD that I haven't connected yet (will be doing that tonight) - if I need to employ it for this process, I can do that.
I know that there are special steps to do this, but with such old versions of everything, it's hard to find an answer that applies.

Nikononkin wrote:
if I try to use load it holding option while opening iPhoto, I get the message that says "The iPhoto library is a Time Machine backup and cannot be used as the main library."
That's correct; you can view or restore from the backups, but you can't use them with the app itself.
When I enter TM while in iPhoto, I see only one set of photos, and it's the library currently loaded as my library (a photo library under another user account of mine on this computer).
In that case, you can't use the special iPhoto Time Machine browser. You'll have to do it the old-fashioned way, via the Finder:
Since the original disk (external #1) is no longer attached, use the procedure in #E3 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting. Navigate to the iPhoto library in question, select it, and click the Restore button. Select the destination, and it should be restored.

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.

How to restore ITunes Library from Backup hard drive?

My computer crashed. I restored it -- but ITunes was wiped clean. I have all my music files and ITunes Library backed up on an external hard drive. How do I get the library from the external drive back to the computer with playlists, artwork and all intact? I guess it is more complex than just dragging the file labled library into ITunes becuase the computer won't let me do that. When I go to the original songs they are all individually in folders accorging to the artist and album -- that will take days to copy each album 1 by 1 -- I have 3,700 songs.

What you first need to do is Place the music it the Location they was in before you restored. If you had songs on the C drive in My Music folder, place them there. If iTunes was reading the music from the external, not much you have to do sincve there already there.
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How to restore iTunes library from backup?

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See if any of these articles help:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302392
(see restoring from backup disk section)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93313

How do I restore iTunes library from Backup files on External Hard Drive?

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Restoring iPhoto library from time machine

How does one restore iPhoto library from time machine. When I attempt to do so time machine downloads 2/3 of the library and then says: operation cannot be completed because you do not have permission to access iPhoto library. Any advice? I am using so 10.8.2

Try the methods pondini gives here.
http://pondini.org/TM/15.html
Look at the specifics for iphoto..
It is not easy as the versions have changed.. if you are trying to restore a version older than the OS.. not sure what willl happen.
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IPhoto crashed. When reopened, 70 some events were grayed out (no photos). Restored iPhoto library from Time Machine, fewer grayed events. Said yes to a msg on fixing library, 3K more photos. Still wrong. What next to do?

iPhoto crashed. When reopened, 70+ some events were grayed out (no photos). Restored iPhoto library from Time Machine, fewer grayed events. Said yes to a msg on fixing library, 3000 more photos. Still wrong. What next to do?

Do you still have the library that you were using when the crash occurred? If so apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
2 - run Option #4 to rebuild the database.
Fix #2
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1 - download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 - click on the Add Library button and select the library you want to add in the selection window..
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option.
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - 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.
OT

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?
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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 can I rebuild my iphoto library from backup

Can I rebuild my iphoto library from the Time Machine backup?
Somehow the iPHoto libary structure(?), if that's the word, has gotten corrupted.
There phtos are still these, in their year/month/day folders, but though iPhoto
opens it does not show Events, Slideshow, etc.
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You don't rebuild a library from a backup, you replace the library with the backup:
If you'll describe what happend when you tried rebuilding the library with iPhoto maybe we can offer another possible fix like try using iPLM as Larry suggested.
OT

Restore iphoto library from external disk backup

Dear all,
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I tried to find a solution in the website http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2504 but it's not valid in my case.
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Depress and hold the option (alt) and command keys and launch iPhoto - rebuild your iPhoto library
LN

Restoring iPhoto Library from Time Machine Backup

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It is an option. You can overwrite or keep both when you restore
LN

HT4927 Restoring iPhoto library from Time Machine backup

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Restoring iPhoto Library from a backup

Hi, I recently bought the backup program "Backblaze" just in time! I few days ago I accidentally lost my entire iPhoto library. Luckily after a 12.4 GB download (which took about a day and a half - man backblaze is awesome!) I had my library back. There is one difference. Instead of a package with a cute icon called "iPhoto Library" the restored version has the same file structure except that the package is now just a folder named "iPhoto Library." This means that I can't simply drag it into the photos folder.
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In case that was confusing, here is a picture:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1347667/SnapNDrag66.jpg

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How to Restore iPhoto Library from BackUp?

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