IPhoto Library package deleted

Mac; OSXYosemite 10.10.13. Didn't realize this until my college son was home, asking where are all the pictures, he couldn't find on iPhoto. I showed him i saved them on a drive in different file folders, a few months ago...maybe in March 2015. When we opened those folders, the pictures looked lighter, and not all my pictures were there. He was looking for the iPhoto Library. Couldn't find it, anywhere. When I moved my pictures over, I also deleted everything I thought I didn't need..... then...I deleted the trash....

Thanks for sharing this example of why everyone must always have a good backup and anytime you move things around you just verify each step before going to the next one - sorry about your photos but thanks again for sharing and hopefully saving others from losing their photos
LN

Similar Messages

Can the iPhoto Library package file be recreated?

I recently moved my iPhoto library to a new LaCie solid state external hard drive, because it had reached 130GB in size and was taking up too much space on my hard drive. My iPhoto library has 30,000 photos with lots of events, smart albums and metadata (faces, keywords, etc.). Unfortunately the external hard drive failed and I had to pay for data recovery services. When I got the external hard drive back, the Masters folders were all there with my photos, but the iPhoto Library package file seems to be missing. Is there anyway to recreate the iPhoto Library package to include all the files AND the associated metadata?
I found instructions on how to start from scratch by importing the Masters...but this method does not retain metadata. Any ideas would be really appreciated. Worst case scenario, I can go back to a Time Machine back-up from June 2014 and use that as a starting point, but I'd much rather not have to take that route.

but the iPhoto Library package file seems to be missing.
You cannot recreate the iphoto library package from your Masters folder. It is an intricate web of linked files. Use your most recent backup as a starting point, and then add the newer files from your recovered Masters folder.

From some reason (i'm not sure why..) my whole iphoto library got deleted. I restored the whole library from my backup. The photos are blank but steel have the photo info. (date, res., size etc.) Do you know what's the prob.? why can't i see my pics.

from some reason (i'm not sure why..) my whole iphoto library got deleted. I restored the whole library from my backup. Now all the photos are blank but steel have the photo info. (date, res., size etc.) Do you know what's the prob.? why can't i see my pics.

It's says that file does not exist. How come? And why does it still show the image info.?
Where can i find those files (i have a daily backup)
The original image files are missing form your iPhoto library or iPhoto cannot find them, because the link to the originals has been broken. The image info is stored in the internal libraries, independent of the original files. That is, why you are still seeing them.
I restored the whole library from my backup.
Try restoring from an older backup, from before you first noticed the problem.
How large is the library, that you restored? Is the file size large enough to hold all your photos, or has the size been reduced? If the library is still large, the photos may still be inside, even if iPhoto cannot find them.
It's says that file does not exist. How come?
What happened, before your iPhoto library got deleted? Which applications have you been running, or which new software have installed or upgraded? Have you moved the library to a different disk or tried to use it from different user account or access it over the network?

Iphoto library is deleted

I dont know how it happened but i guess my iphoto library has deleted itself and now I have just the pictures left I also had in different folders. Now about 95% of my pictures (40GB) are away and I cant find them anywhere on my mac
Do i have a chance to get the other pictures back or are they away for ever
thanks for helping me

1 - the iPhoto library does not "delete itself" - either you (or someone using your computer) deleted it if it is gone
2 - if you have a hardware or software crash while using iPhoto your library may be damages and not display in iPhoto
Do i have a chance to get the other pictures back or are they away for ever
Not possible to tell unless we know more - usually there is some possible way but to make a suggestion it is necessary to know more - it could be as simple as repointing iPhoto to the library and as complicated as using disk recovery software to find the photos
LN

Can't Import iPhoto Library "package" into Aperture 3

Hi there, I've recently made a backup of all my data and did a clean reinstall of Lion, so the problem is that I won't be using my iLife 11 Suite, so as for my photos I want to take advantage of my recently purchased copy of Aperture 3 but when I ever try to import my iPhoto Library Package, it won't let me, this message pops:
Invalid iPhoto Library
Importing libraries from versions earlier than iPhoto 7.1.5 is not supported. Please upgrade your iPhoto library with iPhoto 7.1.5 or later.
So, searched into some discussions and realize I had to upgrade or restore my library using iPhoto.
Is there any other way to get all my photos and videos in that package, into my aperture library?
One thing to consider is that I can right-click this package and open its contents and then I can get individual files and view everything, but since there's this function for importing all of the library, I would really love to do it this way, not individually.
NEED HELP PLEASE!

Ii you are sure that all of your iPhoto images have been transferred safely, you can remove the you iPhoto Library from your system drive. But keep a backup copy of it on an external drive or thumbsdrive- sometimes you'll notice only later that some images could not be imported properly because of some corruption in the iPhoto library, and then it will be very helpful to still be able to open your old iPhoto Library.
Regards
Léonie

Determining folder sizes inside iPhoto Library Package, eg Originals/2009

In iPhoto '09 is it possible to determine (in an automated fashion) the size of the folders inside the Originals folder inside the iPhoto Library Package.
I'm working on a MacBook Pro with limited space so I wanted to identify the folders that are taking up the most space and try to remove them.
Specifically, I'm looking at the following location:
Originals/2008/...
Originals/2009/...
Those seem to be the largest folders, so removing some of the largest ones will really help for a trip I have coming up.
Thanks for the insights.

Thanks for the info on DiskInventoryX. Unfortunately it cannot look inside of the iPhoto Library Package, so I guess I need to keep looking into the true format of a package... Is a package similar to a tgz file?
It is unfortunate that the Mac doesn't automatically list the size of the contents of folders in the finder. Having that information listed in the finder would be very beneficial...
Since it sounds like iPhoto is so sensitive about folder structure modifications and does not have the ability to adapt to changes, I may need to look into another program that is a bit more forgiving for working with large numbers of photographs that are only temporarily on the MacBook Pro before being moved over to the Desktop. My workflow requires that most photos and videos are temporarily stored and worked on the MacBook Pro and then (a few weeks over) moved off and over to a desktop for permanent storage and further editing.
Thanks again for all the thoughts and insights, as it is much appreciated...

IPhoto '08 - can I browse "iPhoto Library" package with Terminal?

I have a need to access via Terminal the files and subfolders of the "iPhoto Library." As we know well, Apple made the iPhoto '08 library into a "package." I can right-click on the package, select "show package contents" and then browse via Finder as normal. Can I do the same in Terminal? I try to open the iPhoto Library package and I get an error that it is not a folder. Is there a command to open Apple package files?

In the Terminal, enter 'cd' without the quote marks, type a space, and then drag the package into the Terminal window.
(23659)

Cleaning up iPhoto Library "package"

I've been using iPhoto, probably since it first came out, and the iPhoto Library seems to have some legacy folders and files and it. I'd like to clean it up as much as possible. Which files and folders should I keep?
Thanks,
Tony

Well the bad permissions were 777 when I think they should be 755. Anyway, as I said, I ended up restoring an old version and the permissions in the backup were 777, but when I restored them they were 755, which is weird, but is also exactly what I wanted.
Also, I understand that many of the files in the package are important (although a lot of them have also been deprecated in previous versions and have been renamed to other things). The only item I deleted was the "2006" folder, which has no contents (besides .DS_Store), its total size was 8 kb, and it was created in March 2006 and last modified in May 2006. I don't plan on touching the package anymore. I am still also able to open iPhoto, see that my thousands of photos are in there, and was able to transfer them to my iPod just now as well. I assume this means the database still works, and hopefully it won't die on my in the near future after what I did to it, although I don't think it will.

IPhoto Library package HUGE!

Hi, I'm new with iPhoto, I've install the 09 version but I already have my pictures organized and want to keep it that way on my external hard drive so I didn't select the copy option in the advanced preferences panel. When I finished the import of my 137Gb picture collection The size of the iPhoto library was 52Gb!!!! I think it too big. Am I right? Is it supposed to be THAT big (almost half of the original folder)?
If there is any way I can minimized the size of this library please let me know... maybe I'm doing something wrong when importing...
Thanks, nae

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
This sounds too big all right. Do you have many photos that have auto-rotate flags?
When you use a Referenced Library, iPhoto creates an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder. So if you have many auto-rated photos that will cause this issue.
Can I caution you strongly about the dangers of running a Referenced Library when the Library is on your Internal and the Files are on an External.
If you lose the link between the alias in the Package and the File on the external the only way to correct this is to re-link each alias one by one.
You can quickly recreate your current structure in iPhoto. Simply start at the bottom of your hierarchy and drag a folder of images to the iPhoto Source Pane (that’s the left hand pane) and iPhoto will create an Album of these pics. You can then create the enclosing folders in iPhoto (File -> New Folder and drag the album to it.
Mind you, if your folder hierarchy is based on date then that’s rather pointless with the Calendar tool in iPhoto and date based Smart Albums.
Some general comments on running a Referenced Library
There are a number of potential pitfalls using this system.
1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
Always allowing for personal preference, I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organisers.
If disk space is an issue, you can run an entire iPhoto Library from an external disk:
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library as an entity from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
If you're concerned about accessing the files, there are many, many ways to access your files in iPhoto:
*For Users of 10.5 Only*
You can use any Open / Attach / Browse dialogue. On the left there's a Media heading, your pics can be accessed there. Apple-Click for selecting multiple pics.
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
You can access the Library from the New Message Window in Mail:
Uploaded with plasq's Skitch!
*For users of 10.4 and 10.5* ...
Many internet sites such as Flickr and SmugMug have plug-ins for accessing the iPhoto Library. If the site you want to use doesn’t then some, one or any of these will also work:
To upload to a site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. However, if you're using Gmail you can use iPhoto2GMail
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser.
*If you want to access the files with iPhoto not running*:
Create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use this free utility Karelia iMedia Browser
Other options include:
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
Regards
TD

IPhoto Library package changes

Time Machine looks for files that have changed since the last backup. Since the iPhoto Library file is a package, does adding, deleting, renaming or editing a single photo result in Time Machine creating a backup of the complete package or just the files and folders within the package that changed? Or does the package just act like a folder?

Just the changes.
When you update an application (also a package), only the changes are backed-up.
Do note, however, that if iPhoto is open when a backup is running, the changes may not get backed-up: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4116
It will "catch up" on the next backup when iPhoto isn't open.

My iPhoto Library was deleted from my computer, not enough space for a time machine back up?

My entire iPhoto Library is gone, inaccessible, doesn't show up in finder. I tried to restore my last Time Machine back up but it says that I don't have enough space on my startup disk. In order to create space I deleted everything nonessential and moved all of my essential folders such as documents, photos, videos, everything, etc. to my external drive, then deleted them from my hard drive. I emptied the trash to make sure that everything was wiped. I tried to do the Time Machine back up of my iPhoto Library again and is still says I don't have enough space. I looked at my storage under About this Mac, and it says that 120.35 GB of my current computer storage are photos, however, I don't have ANY photos on my hard drive at all. I don't know what to do because I can't delete applications and there is literally nothing else I can delete from my computer, so I don't understand how 135 GBs of storage is being used up.
Any ideas? Could there be somewhere my photos are hiding? I just don't understand how this makes any sense, or why my library got deleted in the first place for that matter.

Search for your photos in Spotlight.

IPhoto Library photos deleted!

A couple of days ago I opened iPhoto and all my photos were deleted! But I checked my pictures folder and my iPhoto library still has all of the photos and when i try to import the photos in each roll its says unable to import because this file is already in your iPhoto library. Can some one please help me, I have a lot of important photos in my library! Thanks you.

I'm glad you were able to re-create your library. Here's an explanation of what happened to you, which is a bit different from the person who posted this topic. (iPhoto 4 is very different from version 6.)
You got an error message saying something like "you can't open your iPhoto library with this version - quit and upgrade to iPhoto 4 or later." Was it something like that? And when you clicked "OK" or whatever choice you were given, your library was corrupt. That update message is a very misleading error message; I've seen it reported by iPhoto 4 users many times. Sometimes people get that error when they try to launch iPhoto while they have a CD or DVD in their Mac's optical drive. In that case, ejecting the disc is the solution. Other times, when iPhoto is launched and detects a problem with its database file, this message is generated. It means that your library was already corrupt, and there was little you could have done to prevent the damage you saw.
Either way, when you clicked to close that error you did not receive any update to iPhoto 4. The highest version available is 4.0.3. There is no download that will update this further; to upgrade to v5, v6, or v7 requires you to purchase an install disc.
If you should encounter this error in the future, there are 2 things you should do. First, eject any disc in your optical drive. Second, hold down Shift and Option as you launch iPhoto. When you get a box asking you to confirm a rebuild, click 'Yes,' then Rebuild. If the damage is minimal, iPhoto will be able to correct it and you won't lose your albums and metadata. If the rebuild fails, your database is too corrupt and you must recreate the entire library. For more info on the rebuild procedure, read this Apple article.
Regards.

Will all my iPhoto library get deleted if I buy iPhoto from a new ID?

Hello,
I have iPhoto on my MacBook Air. It seems to be somehow there from both my dad's and my ID, or sometimes just my dad's. I don't know how that's even possible, it's really confusing. Anyhow, I just want to delete it and get it only from my ID. The problem is that I'm worried that if I delete iPhoto, all my photos saved in the iPhoto library from Photo Stream etc. will get deleted. I can't even find the folder where iPhoto saves all the images, so I can copy that folder and create a back up. Please suggest a solution, and please let me know the location of the iPhoto Library folder. Also, how do I find out which application is from which Apple ID?
Thanks!

iPhoto saves all your photos in the iPhoto Library, normally in your Pictures Folder.
Reinstalling the app, regardless of the ID associated with it, will not affect this.
But always, always have an up-to-date back up.

Pictures missing, but are inside iphoto library package

I have all my photo's on an external drive. My pictures where imported and showing up in iphoto, but it crashed and now some photo's are missing. Using finder I can see them, but they don't show. What can I do to make them show up. I tried a repair but that didn't seem to work.
Thanks
Robert

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 Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 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, 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-file deleted - and originals missing in Aperture....

Just moved my Aperture-library to my new iMac. Unfortunately almost all pics came from my old iPhoto-library which is gone now.
I can't do anything but look at the pictures. Can't edit, export, share etc.
When trying to e.g. export a file Aperture says 'The selected original image is either offline or not found. Please reconnect it and try again.'.
Don't ask about the backup from Time Machine - that too is gone...
Now what?
Thanks.
Thomas

How did you import your old iPhoto photos? And with what Aperture version?
Before the unified Aperture - iPhoto library has been introduced, it was possible to import an iPhoto library as referenced. This left all originals in the iPhoto library, so iPhoto continued to work, but Aperture could use the master files. Is that the way you imported your iPhoto library, with the master files in there original location?
When trying to e.g. export a file Aperture says 'The selected original image is either offline or not found. Please reconnect it and try again.'.
That is the typical error message, when Aperture cannot access the original files. And Aperture wil not be able to do anything with your images, unless you restore the missing originals.
Just moved my Aperture-library to my new iMac.
Where did you move your Aperture library from ? From an older mac? From a backup?
Did Aperture work on that old Mac and could access the originals?
Do you still have that old mac, and is there any chance that recovery software could retrieve the missing original files on that mac?
Sometimes Aperture reports originals as missing, even if they are managed inside the Aperture library.
You can find out, where Aperture is looking for the original files, if you select some image files in the browser and use Aperture's command "File > Locate Referenced Files".
In the panel that opens, you can see the path to missing files in the upper right corner below the thumbnail.
What do you see, when you use that command?

IPhoto Library package deleted

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