IPhoto 9.3 - all libraries damaged and unreadable (and un-rebuildable)

Since the update to the 9.3 version of iPhoto NONE of my previous libraries can be opened. I had always updated iPhoto at each update in the past, but it has never happened something like this.
Every library I try to open, it gives me the following error: "your iphoto library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup".
I tried to repair the libraries in many ways, as suggested in other posts on the support website (e.g. using PhotoLibraryManager or with the Rebuild function of iPhoto itself), but none of them worked.
I have backups in time machine, but none of them works even if restored.
If I try to create a new library, it forces me to create it with the extension .photolibrary, which never happened before and sound quite strange (and may be an hint for the problem)...
Any idea?
Thank you in advance.

You can start over with a new library and import the originals from your problem library into it. It will give you the same Events (but not all events will have the same event name) but no albums or keepsakes, keywords, places, faces or other metadata.
Here's how:
Start 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 Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the open iPhoto Library package into the open iPhoto window.
Click to view full size
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.
OT

Similar Messages

Iphoto upgrade examines my photo library and says its damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened.

For some reason, iphoto automatically goes to an upgrade window upon launch. I believe I still have iPhoto 09 but since it won't launch i can't check that out. But it was created on 3/13/09 and last modified on 9/20/10...so I'm sure it's still the 09 (or is the 08?) version.
At any rate, when I launch iPhoto I automatically arrive at an upgrade window (which tells me that after upgrade my photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iphoto - OK, fine, I hit the upgrade button). Right after I hit the upgrade button, I see that my photo library is being examined. Which results in a message telling me that my photo library is damaged or unreadable and must be restored.
OK, I go to Time Machine and restore the latest. After restore, I see all the files. But when I launch iphoto, hit the upgrade button, it again examines the library and finds it unreadable. I've done this several time now.
Now what?
Thanks, Jim

Well that's a Catch-22 isn't it. You can't open the Library but need to for the rebuild.
Coupled with the dodgy back-up I think your only option now is to create a new Library, recover the photos and start over.
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.

I downloaded the new iphoto to my macbook pro. Now when I open it, there is a message telling me that "your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup." What do I do I had 16,000 pictures.....PLEASE HELP!!!!!

I downloaded the new iphoto to my macbook pro. Now when I open it, there is a message telling me that "your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup." What do I do I had 16,000 pictures.....PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Try download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.

I just upgraded to Yosemite, downloaded iPhoto 9.6 and get this promptYour photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup. Suggestions?

I just upgraded to Yosemite, had to upgrade my iPhoto so downloaded iPhoto 9.6. My photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this new version of iPhoto but when it started to upgrade, this prompt appeared -Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup.
Suggestions?

Try download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.

When trying to open iPhoto I get: "Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup."

I am trying to open iPhoto i get this message: "Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup." I don't know what to do... Please help

What happens when you restore your backup as suggested?
LN

"Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened"

"Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup."
THIS IS THE MESSAGE i just got!! i was importing photos off my digital camera.
I NEVER HAVE HAD A PROBLEM BEFORE?
And i got this message..
as far as "back up" uhhhh never did that on my I photos pictures. what can i do!?!
Ann L
LasVegas

Using iPhoto 08?
Easiest solution: restore from your back up. When you say "uhhhh never did that on my I photos pictures" then you're telling us that you don't really care about them. Only a fool has any important data on a computer without a back up.
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. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.

Iphoto is 'damaged or unreadable' and I can't re-create!

I searched the board and found a link to manually rebuild the Library but when I tried to manually recreate, the 'Originals" or "modified" folders did not show up in the Content folder. I do have a backup on an external drive but b/c of some Iphoto issues in the past, on the Hard drive, it's all completely unorganized and there are a ton of photos that were in a Canon program vs Iphoto, so I'm not sure if I actually just drag all those photos right back into a new Iphoto library on my computer?
I was using Iphoto last night fine, put the laptop to sleep and now it's not working. Help?
Thanks!
Bernice

What do you mean by manually recreate?
Do you have a copy of the library that you were using when it stopped working correctly? If so try the following on it: make a temporary, duplicate copy of your library and apply the two fixes in order as necessary.
Fix #1
Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
Select the options identified in the screenshot.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
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

IPhoto backup TimeMachine - all libraries?

I am planning on moving my iPhoto libraries to an external drive. In fact, I have a copy of the largest one there, now.
At the moment I have several libraries because I was trying to cut down the size of the default iPhoto library which was getting huge. Back to huge again and too much trouble swapping various libraries depending on the subject.
Will Timemachine look at all libraries when it backs up iPhoto even if some are on an external drive?
Thank you

Larry,
Actually, I wanted to exclude the iPhoto libraries from TimeMachine because my photos are taking up too much room on the 3TB TimeMachine drive.
That is another reason why I do the exports, it's another way of backing up my photos. Glad to hear iPhoto will support up to 1 million photos. I'm at 114,000 in that one huge library alone :-)
The original game plan has been:
Download all photos into iPhoto.
Export to 1TB drive where I keep my photos
Backup 1TB to a 2TB that has just photos and movies (now) - using ChronoSync
Also, iPhoto is being backed up with TimeMachine
The new game plan was to
Use the 4TB for media [photos, movies, tunes] which would mean using this drive for default iPhoto library
Export photos to 1TB as usual ---hmmm might run out of room.
Backup 1TB to 2TB as usual
Which now leaves me with only the two copies of photos in addition to what's in iPhoto.
Oh, I also do a lot of genealogy with much of the data on the 1TB backed up to the 2TB
So, you see, I cannot keep iPhoto in the TimeMachine backup due to the size of the libraries.
Also, I found that external drives are not happy on the hub. Got a powered one, but still wary of that since I ruined an external drive on my MacBookPro.
This iMac has only four USB ports in the back. Now, with the 4TB, I have to keep swapping out drives depending on what I am using. Apple could have supplied me with more ports.
Almost got at 4TB Thunderbolt drive [RAID], but the reviews weren't very good. If I had a Thunderbolt, that would free up a USB port.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I sure am tired of losing sleep over this....yes, I wake up and can't get back to sleep pondering these issues.
Thank you.

When i open iPhoto it says my photo library is unreadable and will not open. How can i fix this without losing my photos?

"Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable... Shut down and restart your computer, and then open iPhoto again. If the problem persists, try rebuilding your photo library. To do this, quit iPhoto, and then reopen it while keeping the Option and Command keys pressed. You can also try restoring your photo library from a backup."
How do i solve this problem? Dpes rebuilding your photo library delete all your photos? I have thousands of photos with no back up HELP!!

Well if you have no back up you need to make a back up now. It might be too late, but you're not going to know until you fix this.
Most Simple Back Up:
Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.
Slightly more complex: Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically.
Example of such apps: Chronosync - but there are many others. Search on MacUpdate or the App Store
Then try:
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.
Regards
TD

Iphoto library is damaged or unreadable

Please help!
I just imported photos to my computer, erased originals, then read the following message on my computer "Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup." I noticed earlier today that I haven't backed up my computer in 71 days. Please tell me I haven't lost all of the photos I have imported since then.
Ideas?

Thanks so much for your help. I am planning to try your suggestions but have a few questions. When you say make a copy of my bad library, should I just use time machine with my external drive like I usually (but not in the last 71 days) do?
TM is ok but for this if you have disk space I would just duplicate the iPhoto library as an extra measure until you complete this
AS to TM - you really need to have it going all the time - it is a great tool but if you only run it once in a while it is virtually useless - the time you need it (maybe now) it will not have what you need
Also, when I rebuild as you suggested (#3), do you think my most recent photos will be there?
We have no idea - that is why you need a current backup at all times - rebuilding does what it can but sometimes it can not save some photos - the only way to find out is to do it - and that is why you need a current backup just before you do it
I just tried to "insert photo" on Word and it does show the most recently imported photos. I am just hoping I won't lose them. (I imported from 2 different cameras in the last few days.)
that is good
Again, thanks for your help. *I will be backing up on a more regular basis after this*. Learning the hard way...
YES!
LN

Photo library is damaged or unreadable

Hi I can not open photo's and have this message. Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup. How do I fix?

You may be able to repair your iPhoto library by doing the following -
Make a copy of the iPhoto library first. It is located (usually) in your Pictures folder.
Launch iPhoto while holding down the option key on your keyboard.
In the resulting dialog you will see several choices to repair the library. Take them from the top down, testing after each repair to see if iPhoto will launch normally.
If this does not work, you will need to use whatever backups you have of your iPhoto library. You do have a backup I hope?
Best of luck.

Repair itunes library (damaged) file. Multiple iTunes libraries on an external harddrive. All libraries have been working fine. Do some "housecleaning" on a one of the large libraries 296GB. iTunes quit and now has damaged file. 296 GB still on HD.

How to repair itunes library (damaged) file. Multiple iTunes libraries on an external harddrive. All libraries have been working fine. Do some "housecleaning" on a one of the large libraries 296GB. iTunes quits and now has damaged file. 296 GB still on HD.

The duplication is unnecessary. Exporting creates a duplicate of the file. So now you'll have a duplicate of a duplicate. Exporting is not "working on" a file.
No it's not merging, it's exporting from one to the Finder and into another. No matter what lose something. If you export the Original you leave behind all the work you've done in iPhoto. If you export anything else, you lose the non-destructive editing and the ability to revert to the original. With merging you preserve that work. Yes, you can trash the old Library when you have completed the manoevre but no it's not the same thing as merging.
This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue. But in brief:
Current gets you the iPhoto Preview, used for sharing via media browsers. It's a jpg, medium quality missing metadata. Original gets the file you imported, unchanged and then you can export different version of the current version at different qualities. If you choose to export anything except the Original you do not get a Raw. There's no such thing as an "edited Raw", and you lose the connection between the original and the exported version. That means you've taken a non-destructive workflow and turned it into a destructive one.
The Tiff will certainly be higher qulaity and less likely to suffer generational loss in future editing but the file sizes are vast, often more than 10 times the size of the jpeg.
Put it this way, it would be cheaper to buy Library Manager than the disk you'll need to contain all the Tiffs. Unless you plan on a lot of editing, I'd go for a high quality jpeg as a reasonable compromise.
To be clear:
So, I guess my new question is, how can I edit the Raw image and keep it in a RAW format that IPhoto recognizes so that I can reprocess without any loss at a future time, or is it that once you edit a RAW image, then it is no longer a RAW image?
Once you edit a Raw it can no longer be a Raw. End of.

Need advice on upgrading OS and iPhoto with multiple altered libraries.

I am going to upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard (Bundle Pack) and from iPhoto 6 to iPhoto 8. My wife and I have separate accounts on our MacBook Pro and I have combined our iPhoto Libraries onto an external hard drive using iPhoto Library Manager. Afterwards, I opened the Mac HD icon on my desktop, opened the pictures folder, went through the iPhoto Library folder, and opened the Originals folder. I deleted my photos through here which kept the thumbnail data (when I open iPhoto, I can see all of my photos, I just can't enlarge them beyond a certain size or I get a grayed out image with an exclamation point). I have since done the same for some of my wife's photos to free up space. This has been sort of useful to know what photos we have while not eating up the hard drive.
How do I install iLife '09 with a clean iPhoto Library? I do not care about seeing thumbnails anymore. However, is it possible to keep the thumbnails on my wife's account? When I open the iPhoto Library on the external HD, will it automatically convert it to the updated version?
An Apple Tech once told me that altering the iPhoto database like I did can corrupt it and they have since removed that ability in the latest version of iPhoto. I know I screwed it up and am unsure about the best approach once I do upgrade. Any advice is much appreciated.

bustercharlie wrote:
I am going to upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard (Bundle Pack) and from iPhoto 6 to iPhoto 8. My wife and I have separate accounts on our MacBook Pro and I have combined our iPhoto Libraries onto an external hard drive using iPhoto Library Manager. Afterwards, I opened the Mac HD icon on my desktop, opened the pictures folder, went through the iPhoto Library folder, and opened the Originals folder. I deleted my photos through here which kept the thumbnail data (when I open iPhoto, I can see all of my photos, I just can't enlarge them beyond a certain size or I get a grayed out image with an exclamation point). I have since done the same for some of my wife's photos to free up space. This has been sort of useful to know what photos we have while not eating up the hard drive.
How do I install iLife '09 with a clean iPhoto Library? I do not care about seeing thumbnails anymore. However, is it possible to keep the thumbnails on my wife's account? When I open the iPhoto Library on the external HD, will it automatically convert it to the updated version?
Installing iPhoto '09 will work smoothly and seamlessly for operating libraries - I have no idea how it will react to the ones your have corrupted but suspect that it will upgrade them so they will operate in the same crippled way they do now
To have a fresh library you depress the option key and launch iPhoto and use new library option
An Apple Tech once told me that altering the iPhoto database like I did can corrupt it
that is correct as you see when you try to enlarge a photo in the libraries you have modified
and they have since removed that ability in the latest version of iPhoto.
not removed but made more difficult so it is less like to happen by mistake - you can still do it in a number of ways but it is not a good idea
I know I screwed it up and am unsure about the best approach once I do upgrade. Any advice is much appreciated.
My advice is to use standard operating procedure - backup everything up and do your upgrades (I would do the OS and wait a few days and then do iPhoto myself) - the good library will be updated and work as before - the corrupted libraries may or may not upgrade but i would guess they will and work as before too
LN

HT1338 Why am I getting a message "You can't open the application iPhoto because it may be damaged or incomplete" - v11, purchased and installed before Lion upgrade

I get the message "You can't open the application iPhoto because it may be damaged or incomplete." This is a currently support iPhoto'11. Purchased and installed prior to OS X Lion upgrade. Was working, and now it is not. What might have happened? I saw that Apple updated iPhoto in the App Store, but that is not where I purchased this. I tried Software Update, but it said all the software was up to date.
Suggestions?

GrandmaGG wrote:
I get the message "You can't open the application iPhoto because it may be damaged or incomplete." This is a currently support iPhoto'11. Purchased and installed prior to OS X Lion upgrade. Was working, and now it is not. What might have happened? I saw that Apple updated iPhoto in the App Store, but that is not where I purchased this. I tried Software Update, but it said all the software was up to date.
Suggestions?
Do you have iLife '11 Discs or did you download it from the App Store?

I can't view old iphoto libraries. It wants me to use a new version of iphoto but from all the commits here, no one likes it. Help! how do i get to my old libraries???

I can't view old iphoto libraries. It wants me to use a new version of iphoto but from all the commits here, no one likes it. Help! how do i get to my old libraries???

With the amount of information you've provided it's impossible to offer a potential solution. We can't see your computer so we need to know the details of your problem and setup, i.e.:
what version of iPhoto are you using?
what system version are you running?
what do you see when iPhoto opens?
what fixes have you tried?
where is you library located?
did you apply any updates or upgrades just prior to the problem occurring?
are you running a "managed" or "referenced" library?
what type of Mac?
how much free space on your boot drive?
OT

IPhoto 9.3 - all libraries damaged and unreadable (and un-rebuildable)

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