IPhoto lost my pictures. Help!

I uploaded about 1000 pictures from my SD card onto my MacBook Pro using iPhoto. When prompted I deleted the photos from the SD card (the usual prompt in iPhoto). The events are now showing up in iPhoto, but they are empty and the pictures are not there. Any suggestions? I figure they have to be "out there" somewhere.
Thank you!

Make a backup copy of your iPhoto Library and try to rebuild your iPhoto Library:
Quit iPhoto if it is open.
Hold down the Command and Option keys on the keyboard.
Open iPhoto.
Keep the keys held down until you are prompted to rebuild the library.
A dialog will appear with rebuild options. Select the options you want to use.
Select the Rebuild Database button and press "repair".
Please report back, if this does not bring your photos back. They may appear in a "recovered event" instead of their original events.
Good luck
Léonie

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Iphoto - lost my pictures

Can anyone please help. This morning i probably did something wrong and lost a whole lot of pictures, and for some reason i cant seem to find them. It probably has to do with the change of the library
Many thanls in advance.
EJ

And
What did you do this morning that might have been wrong? What version of iPhoto and of the OS?
exactly what does
It probably has to do with the change of the library
mean
I would love to help but unless you supply needed information and answer direct questions it is not possible
LN

IPhoto lost my pictures, where can I find them?

I usually upload all of my photos straight into iPhoto.
But now, all of a sudden, when I turn on iPhoto, all of the picture folder icons turn on with their key photo,
and almost half of the folders disapear instantly. I can not find those pictures anywhere on iPhoto.
When I turn on email or pages, and want to insert a photo from iPhoto into an email or document, they do show up.
Where on iPhoto can I search for those hidden photos?

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 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.
Regards
TD

IPhoto lost the "pictures" folder link

Now it just spins forever warning updating images. It never does though.
My only choice was reimport my entire Pictures library. I did this and was shocked to find all my folder catalogs was replaced by new folders. I can't tell 2002 Easter images from 2006 Christmas images. In addition to reimporting all my images as one new group, it seems to have made a duplicate file for each in a very low rez thumbnail type version as well.
Luckily, I backed up files and still have the original Pictures folder.
My question is still won't automatically reconnect to it. How do I relink it withouth reimproting everything as if it were new?

I'm trying to help you, but I'm afraid I don't understand your description of what you've done or what happens when you do it. For example, you said
When opening iPhotos, it just spins forever saying "loading photos..." Holding down option or option-command gives the same results.
That doesn't make sense to me. Holding down Option *while launching iPhoto* should bring up a dialog box asking you to Find or Create a library. It won't even try to load the photos, so the results should be quite different. Press and hold the Option key, then click iPhoto in your dock or double-click iPhoto in your Applications folder. Keep holding the Option key until you get the dialog. Are you getting this dialog at all? If so, can you navigate to the location of your iPhoto Library folder ?
If you hold down Option and Command *while launching iPhoto* it will go briefly to the "loading photos" stage, but shouldn't hang there if you *keep holding the keys down*. Instead, you should get a dialog box with 4 options and a button that says "Rebuild". Are you saying this box never came up, or that you initiated the rebuild but it was unsuccessful?
The only option it will allow is to reimport each as a brand new photo database.
Reimport what as a new photo database? Do you mean you are able to create a new library ? Are your existing library and your backup libraries gray and you can't select them when you try to navigate to them (with the Option-launch method)? If so, then your database is corrupt and the only recourse is to create a new library and import your photos into it. That is, if you wish to use iPhoto.
To end this misery for once and for all, is there a way to actually get my images from the hidden places?
Your photos are not hidden, unless you have moved, overwritten, or deleted them. They should be inside your iPhoto Library folder, in various subfolders numbered by year, month, and date. For a diagram and explanation of the library structure, click here. Thanks to lori_diloretto for this helpful illustration.
The diagram applies only if you are using iPhoto 5. You are, right? As you posted your question in the iPhoto 5 forum. Other versions are very different.
If you'd like further assistance please answer some of my questions and give me a little more to go on. Otherwise, I can't begin to guess what has happened or how you can fix it.
Regards.

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How to Rebuild the iPhoto Library
Do you have a backup of your iPhoto Library

After installing mountain lion i lost my pictures in iPhoto, lost my music in iTunes, internet became very slow. What can I do to fix this issues

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Open System Preferences > iCloud
Deselect the box next to Photo Stream then reselect it.
Now for your music. Launch iTunes. From the iTunes menu bar top of your screen click iTunes > Preferences then select the Store tab.
Select: Music. (and Apps and Books) if you want.
Click OK.
iCloud syncs via your Wi-Fi network so give it a minute or two to reset your photos and music.
Slow internet ... try turning off the modem for a few minutes, then turn it back on.

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I had to go to icloud online and click on my profile and advanced options then photostream came up. When you get to 1000 photos it stops uploading so you have to erase and resync to start the process again
j

When I try to turn on my ipod touch I get a picture of a cracked apple and then a picture of a cable arrowed to the iTunes logo. I cannot do anything else. My computer now doesn't recognize the ipod and it looks like I lost all music and pictures. help!

when I try to turn on my ipod touch I get a picture of a cracked apple and then a picture of a cable arrowed to the iTunes logo. I cannot do anything else. My computer now doesn't recognize the ipod and it looks like I lost all music and pictures. help!

Place the iOS device in Recovery Mode and then connect to your computer and restore via iTunes. The iPod will be erased.
iOS: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
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How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings

IPhoto lost recent photos

Hi there,
i´m new here and hope someone can help me.
I put a new HD in my macbook pro and restored via time machine. Everything went fine but, in iPhoto the last event thumbnails are empty and when i open the event, the thumbnails are empty to, expect i choose special size for the thumbnails, then were all thumbnails shown. when i klick the thumbnails a white exclamation mark.
I searched via time machine, but found only the same empty events saved..so i think time machine made a mistake.
Also the originals cant be found in the iPhoto library.
Anyone a suggestion, how i can restore these photos?
Thanks & Regards
shotekitehi

Welcome to Apple Discussions,
If the photos are missing in Time Machine but all the other pictures show up fine, that suggests not an issue with Time Machine, but rather, an issue with these photos or the manner in which they were imported. If you want to test Time Machine to make sure it is working (which is not a bad idea), add a new picture to iPhoto. Run a Time Machine backup. Then go into the Time Machine backup and see if the pictures are there. If they are then you know Time Machine is fine.
If I had to guess, I would say that at the time they were imported you had the "Copy to iPhoto library" option unchecked. This would have left the pictures in question wherever they started from (on the camera, on the internet, on your desktop, in your email, etc.) and when you removed the originals (unplugged the camera, moved them off the desktop, etc.) they lost their connection to iPhoto.
This option is found in the iPhoto Preferences and should always be left checked off unless you have a very specific reason for unchecking it:
However this may not be the case.
Follow this article to attempt to find the missing pictures by name (which should still be visible in iPhoto when you click on the pictures and then click on the information button): http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1995. If you can locate the pictures on the computer you can drag them into the iPhoto icon in your dock which will import a fresh working copy to iPhoto:
If these pictures are available from their original source (like a camera) just re-import them.
If they came from a camera and you already deleted them from the camera you can also attempt to recover them from the media card of your camera using data recovery software. Here are a few examples:
http://www.joesoft.com/products/klix.php
http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue.php
http://www.subrosasoft.com/OSXSoftware/index.php?mainpage=product_info&cPath=201&productsid=3
Hope that helps.

Lion and iPhoto 09. Please help!

I just installed Lion and lost all my pictures in the last two years in iPhoto 09. Please help! I know they are on my hard drive but it doesn't populate in iPhoto.

Thank you!
There were two iPhoto Libraries, the one that opened was the one in the desktop I am not quite sure why there would be two. I need to learn more about this

Link missing from iPhoto Library to picture files

In iPhoto '08 when pointing to a picture and using drop down box to "show original file" it shows the linkage/ file tree diagram from picture to next level up subdirectory to Original to iPhoto Library to Pictures. Yet when looking for my picture files from Finder to User to Pictures to iPhoto Library there is no linkage to the Original subdirectory. NB there is no arrow under the iPhoto Library indicating a subdirectory. All that shows is a Preview column showing size of the pictures in the file but no file. How can this be fixed so I can find pcitures from Finders approach.

Thanks. First of all, I really appreciate the time you are taking to try and help me.
To begin, attaching pictures for emailing purposes wasn't the main problem for me, because I am using Mail to read my Yahoo mail, and have been using the email button in the iPhoto app.
My frustrations were when I was on a site, such as Shutterfly, snapfish, and I was choosing the pictures that I wanted to upload. I have thousands of pictures and because I don't keyword or rename them, I was used to being able to find the pictures I wanted by the visual in file system. Based on the folder names. I guess I am confused, because when I click the browse button, I am presented with what looks like a finder window. So, maybe my question is how to view the picture files via the finder. I was referring to your suggestion:
"Also, for 10.5 users: If you use the extended Open or Attach dialogue (with Column View) you can scroll to the bottom of the Shortcuts and find the Media browser there. Select any pic you want from there."
When I do the above, I still keep just launching the app. not seeing the files that are hidden within.
I did follow your instuctions below, but was unable to attach. Only when I dragged the photo to Safari on the dashboard, did it open in a separate Safari browser. It did not link or merge with the attach window.
Open Safari and go to attach a pic to an Email. The attach window descends in Safari
Now, pop back to the iPhoto Window and drag the pic from the iPhoto Window to the attach window
Does that work?
If it does, you can then try replacing the iPhoto Window and use the Media Browser window, but remember you're dragging from the browser to the Safari window, not trying to find a file via the Attach window.
Yes but iPhoto is nothing like Windows Explorer. If you want to mimic that format you would use the Finder, not iPhoto. iPhoto is a database application, a photo organiser, not the main Computer filing system.
I guess this is more what I would appreciate help with. Although, I think I need to spend a little more time in iPhoto creating Albums, versus the Events that all of my pictures have be organized in by default.
I think you might have misunderstood my comment below...I just want to be able to find the photo files with a visual not just the file name. Because I have no other way to find them in a browse situation.
Of course, you'll be able to do the same. But why you would want to work via "little thumbnails" when you can do so in more comfort via the Media Browser or the iPhoto Window I don't know.
I was formerly using Picasa on my Windows computer, which is a really easy app. and when I created a new album, it was very easy to find in the Windows Explorer when browsing for an upload. Obviously I need a little more time with the iPhoto, but I have been trying to do this for about 2 months when I got the computer, with what I thought was pretty decent common computer knowledge, but feel totally lost. I guess I feel a little bummed that I made a switch to Mac based on the concept that it was simpler, but it has proven to be much for difficult to do the very basic things I use my computer for everyday.
You've changed Computer, Operating System and now you've made an enormous change from using the File System to organise your pics to using a Photo Organiser. There's going to be change involved, and some learning to be done.
Thank you again for your time.
Kari

My iPad 3 has lost photostream pictures

my iPad 3 lost contact to photo stream today. it worked before, however,
it started with not adding the new pictures and finally it lost all pictures, now showing an empty photo stream.
it happened while using iPhoto for iOS in parallel to the photo app.
who can help solving this problem?

Hi everyone,
Well, in my case, the photostream did start working, insofar that any 'new' photos I take are populating into the photostream. However, the ten photos that did not transfer into the photostream yesterday, which I took between 5pm and 6pm, have still NOT transferred into the photostream. Since several new photos, taken after those 10 photos, have transferred to the photostream, I've given up hope that those ten will transfer.
Now I have to manually hook up the iPad to my macbook to transfer those photos as they are pictures of my three children and two of their cousins that I captured during a birthday party for my youngest (he turned four yesterday).
A friend mentioned that he once experienced photos not transferring where he had taken several photos in very quick succession. Indeed, that's similar to my situation (all ten photos were taken in under a minute).
Glad it's working for all of you now.
Regards,
Russ

I lost my pictures about 10 days ago butt If I do restore All I just can go 5 days before how can I go further back to get me pictures back

I lost my pictures about 10 days ago butt If I do restore All I just can go 5 days before how can I go further back to get me pictures back

we see your problem, but know nothing else...
Quoted from  Apple's "How to write a good question"
To help other members answer your question, give as many details as you can.
Include your product name and specs such as processor speed, memory, and storage capacity. Please do not include your Serial Number, IMEI, MEID, or other personal information.
Provide the version numbers of your operating system and relevant applications, for example "iOS 6.0.3" or "iPhoto 9.1.2".
Describe the problem, and include any details about what seems to cause it.
List any troubleshooting steps you've already tried, or temporary fixes you've discovered.

Iphoto 9.6 Pictures Gone

I recently upgraded to Iphoto 9.6 on Yosemite. When I open Iphoto all my pictures are gone. When I look in "finder" I can see the file called "Iphoto library" and it still shows that I have 18GB of photos in that file. However when I try to import the file to Iphoto or simply try to open it nothing happens. Iphoto simply opens and still my photos are not displayed.
I am thinking iphoto did not properly upgrade the photos when I updated the software. Someone please help!

I believe I updated from the original iPhoto version that came with the Mac Pro 5 years ago.
Can you check that by looking at a backup of the old iPhoto application?
If you upgraded from iPhoto '08 - version 7.1.2 or earlier, your iPhoto library needs be prepared for the update by running the iPhoto Library Upgrader, see the link for this document:
iPhoto '11: About the Library Upgrader
If your iphoto was newer, try the Library First Aid options, that photosb189 mentioned, but be sure to make a backup of your iPhoto library first.

IPhoto events and pictures missing from iPhoto after restoring new hard drive and upgrade to iLife11

My iPhoto events and pictures are ALL missing from my iPhoto Library after I tried restoring my programs on a new hard drive AND upgrading to iLife11! Over the last few months, I upgraded my 2008 Macbook Pro's hard drive from a 250 GB to a 500 GB hard drive and since then have been manually installing and restoring programs and software. I decided to do things manually because I had problems with doing Time Machine backups/restores in the past, so before I upgraded the drive, I manually saved everything to a Western Digital MyStudio 1 TB hard drive that I had just for the purposes of a second back up. Anyway, I tried importing the pictures onto the new library, but couldn't find the hard copies at first, so that didn't work. I then tried deleting the iPhoto Library that came with new operating system, then copying my old backup onto the new hard drive...that didn't work either. However, when I right clicked on the iPhoto Library icon on my external hard drive (the original) and clicked on "show package contents," the folder not only contained the originals, but they were still organized by year and event just as I had them originally!
So, then I thought "why don't I try just importing the pictures directly into the new iPhoto Library!"
I tested it out, and sure enough, it worked! I then tried importing an entire folder (which, was actually the name of the event), and again it worked! So, I literally clicked and dragged my entire 2007-2009 library of pictures (which was about 35 GB) back into my iPhoto Library! AND, this only took about 30 minutes to download, enough time for me to write this post and the following instructions to Recap:
          1. Open your new iPhoto Library
          2. Go to wherever your ORIGINAL iPhoto Library is saved/backed up, then Right-click (or Control click) on the iPhoto icon
          3. Click on "Show Package Contents"
          4. Go to the folder called "Originals" or "Master"
          5. Click and drag everything INSIDE the folder (not the folder itself) to your new iPhoto Library
          6. DO NOT try Importing from inside iPhoto! For some reaseon, iPhoto can't see these images, but I promise, they're there!
I assume this could work on other iLife programs, but luckily I have MobileMe and my iCalendar updated itself, though I did have to do some tweeking...
Hope this helps other people out, GOOD LUCK!

I'm re-posting the answer to this problem so I can show it has been answered:
Open your new iPhoto Library
Go to wherever your ORIGINAL iPhoto Library is saved/backed up, then Right-click (or Control click) on the iPhoto icon
Click on "Show Package Contents"
Go to the folder called "Originals" or "Master"
Click and drag everything INSIDE the folder (not the folder itself) to your new iPhoto Library
DO NOT try Importing from inside iPhoto! For some reason, iPhoto can't see these images, but I promise, they're there!
          GOOD LUCK!!!

IPhoto lost my pictures. Help!

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