I tried to create new library, now iPhoto can't find them

Question

i had so many photos in my iphoto library and it was taking forever to load up, so i wanted to create multiple libraries.
i first tried the following protocol from the help but couldn't find the 'Create Library' command in the toolbar.
1.Quit iPhoto.
2.Rename your current iPhoto Library folder in the Finder or move it to a new location on your hard disk.
3.Open iPhoto.
4.Click Create Library.
5.Type a name and choose a location for your new photo library.
6.Click Save.
then i manually tried to rename my original iPhoto Library file in the Pictures folder, and create a new folder where i dropped all the photos from 2006 and 2007 so i could just boot from my recent photos. i've learned since that tinkering with files manually in the iPhoto Library is a no-no, but how do i go back? i moved all of the folders with year names 2002-2007 back under the folder iPhoto Library, but i now have two folders. one called iPhoto Library and the other iPhoto Library 2. they are both within the Pictures folder and they each have copies dir.data, iphoto.db, iphoto.ipspot, iphotolock.data, etc.
Help! please!
thanks
iBook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

Answer 1

If iPhoto does not recognize either library, then the data files may be messed up. I would create a new library and import the photos from the old library. This will get you back in the running.
Close iPhoto
Rename your messed up iPhoto Library to "iPhoto Library_old"
Drag this library to your desktop
Hold down the Option key and launch iPhoto
This is the window you will get
Create a new library or choose a library to open
Choose to create a new library
Once this new empty library is open it is time to import the images from your old library
Go to File>add to library
Navigate to the old library on your desktop and highlight it in the window, then click the "import" button.
iPhoto will start importing the images from your old library
This is what to expect:
Your images will be imported in nice dated rolls. (make sure your view is set to sort by rolls to see it) There are a couple of caveats to this. You will get rolls named "Originals" These rolls will contain your video clips and your original images that you had edited. If you had RAW files they would be in those rolls too (I don't do RAW, so I don't know for sure) Delete what you don't want from those rolls. You will also get the jpeg pointer files to your video clips imported. They will just be jpegs and will not point to the video clips anymore as iPhoto made new ones when the clips were imported again. You can delete those. they should be in a roll right next to the newly imported video clips so they are not hard to find. The thumbnail files don't get imported as iPhoto makes new ones when the images are imported.
Once all you images have been imported, check through the library and make sure everything looks ok.
You can now start making your Albums, and do your keywords or any other organizational steps.
You can also delete the old library on the desktop.
It is also a good time to backup this new library to CD/DVD by burning the iPhoto LIbrary folder in the Finder, or copying the iPhoto Library folder to an external drive formatted for Macs, or copying the iPhoto LIbrary folder to an iPod.
Good luck!