IPhoto '08 doesn't open my library anymore

I am sure that this is addressed in some earlier post, but I am at my wit's end as to what to do and just need someone to tell me how to fix my problem. Here is the situaion:
I had moved my iPhoto Library to an external HDD, because it was getting too big for my 120 GB HDD (internal). It had been working well enough, and even had it working through a network hub so I could be anywhere in the house with my MacBook and still be able to synchronise and download photos into iPhoto.
For some reason, all of a sudden, last night when I opened iPhoto, it said that my thumbnails needed upgrading. That's the first time I heard of that, but I needed to get to some photos and clicked "Later" as it said that it would take some time and I could always do it later on. Then it just wouldn't load my library. I have a 50.6 GB library, with photos going as far back as 2003, when I first started taking photos. I have my wedding photos in this library. I can't afford to lose it. iPhoto doesn't recognize it, even when I employ the "Choose Library" feature and specify that that is the library I wish to use.
The photos are very much intact, because when I click on "Show Package Contents" after I highlight the library, I am able to see the individual photos and movies in Finder. This is actually the second time that I have had this problem, and I was able to work around it the first time by moving the photos to individual folders on my External HDD, and then access them using Picasa. I like Picasa, but wouldn't mind using iPhoto due to the seamless integration with the rest of Mac world that is my MacBook. Please help me to be able to use iPhoto again with my present library, as I don't know if I can trust it ever again. I am going to move those folders out of my Library, as I need access to them to be able to do what I need to do right now.
Anyone's help will be greatly appreciated.

Try these in order - from best option on down...
1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.
2. Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.
To create and populate a new *iPhoto 08* library:
Note this will give you a working library with the same Events and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
In the iPhoto Preferences -> Events Uncheck the box at 'Imported Items from the Finder'
Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop
Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.
Go into the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Event Folders to the iPhoto Window and it will recreate them in the new library.
When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.
In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, you might like to make a copy of the library6.iPhoto file whenever you have made changes to the library as protection against database corruption.
Regards
TD
Edit: One other thing: what format is that externa drive? iPhoto needs to have the Library sitting on disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Users with the Library sitting on disks otherwise formatted regularly report issues including, but not limited to, importing, saving edits and sharing the photos.
Regards
TD
Message was edited by: Terence Devlin

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