IPhoto's corrupts entire photo database.

I have had it with iPhoto. For the 2nd time in 2 years iPhoto corrpts the entire database and is not able to restore it. Even the timemachine backup does not work. How come Apple ia not able to make a decent photo program?
Anyone suggestions for an alternative?

So the corruption was caused by the crash?
One alternative in that scenario is to rebuild with iPhoto Library Manager
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.
As for restoring from TM, did you import the restored library?
The only thing vaguely similar to iPhoto at that price range is Picasa. It's free though not as capable. As always, some swear by it, some swear at it. Biggest miss: the OS integration.
Regards
TD

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IPhoto downloads the entire Photo Stream every time it starts. How can I stop this? Can iPhoto only download the photos on Photo Stream that are new only?

iPhoto downloads the Photo Stream. No problem.
I quit the program, turn the computer off.
Next day, I turn the computer on and start iPhoto, and it downloads the entire Photo Stream library again. It just takes time for iPhoto to download the entire library every day. Can't it just remember the pictures it downloaded and just download the new ones?

Both my computers do this. I tried to rebuild my library and even re-installed iphoto, but neither fixes the problem. Very frustrating.

IPhoto '08 corrupting edited photos

Hello, all. I'm having an issue w/ iPhoto '08. Around 75% of the time when I edit a photo, iPhoto corrupts the edited picture. The thumbnail appears as you expect it, but when you go to look at the pic in full-screen mode, nothing is there. You don't even have the option to revert to previous/original.
The only way I've been able to 'fix' it is by going into the library and copying the original file into the modified folder. Interestingly enough, though, is that when I copy the 'original' to the 'modified' folder to restore access to the picture, there isn't a file already in the 'modified' folder corresponding to the problem picture.
One would think that there would be a duplicate file name already there - is that why the thumbnails are appearing but the full photo does not? What could be causing this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Curt
This is an odd problem and not one I've come across before.
Create a new account (systempreferences -> accounts) and in that Account, create a new iPhoto Library. Import a few pics and see if the problem is repeated there. If it is, then a re-install of the app might be indicated. If it's not, then it's likely the app is okay and the problem is something in the main account.
Regards
TD

How can I delete the iTunes photo database?? on mac os

I just got a ipod and thought it would be fun to have all my pictures on it... not knowing that itunes makes a complete copy of all my pictures (25gb) in iphoto: iTunes constructs a photo database on your hard drive in order to make photo syncing fast when you add new photos in the future.
now this completely ate all my reserve disk space and now I don't want pictures on my ipod...so I deleted them... but the itunes photo database still excists... not giving me back the 25gb of disk space I really need!
please help, please tell me there is an easy solution....

when I search the folder ipod folder cache I get the same folder as iPhoto Library,
this is what I get: users/me/pictures/iphoto Library
when I click it to open my iphoto opens... I'm working with iphoto '08 7.1.1
it really ***** that with ilife '08 you cannot go into the specific picture folders as before...

IPhoto 6 corrupted photos

Here I am back 2 yrs later with the same problem that has never been solved and is only worse now. i photo continues to corrupt photos and they become only available as little thumbnails. Trying to rebuild is impossible because of individual Alert msg. that orig item cannot be found. This becomes daunting because there are probably 1200 to 1500 lost. Trying to create and populate a new library takes immense patience too because there are over 500 rolls some with only one photo in them. 2/3's of original photos are on DVD but many aren't. I use Super Duper to an external hard drive and have found out that the backup has just replicated the latest corruption every time I backup "newer files". I should mention that if I ever search via spotlight or search window in iphoto6 for a photo that has been corrupted that once it starts it makes me go through individually searching for every photo and won't let me out until I finally have to shut down the hard drive. TD was helping me b4. Anybody have any new ideas? Thanks

I'm sorry but you're not explaining how iPhoto is corrupting photos. What you're describing is how the database file is damaged and it's too long to fix?
The solution to the problem is one of the problem regardless of the time it takes:
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 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 6* library:
Note this will give you a working library with the same Rolls and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
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 on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Roll 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

Is it possible to overwrite an entire iPhoto library with one photo?

I was doing a routine download of a photo from my e-mail to my iPhoto library and pressed the "save to iPhoto".
I then went into iPhoto (I have version 08) and all of my event folders appeared...then suddenly gray boxes started appearing and everything disappeared.
When I went in to open iPhoto again I received a message to the effect of cannot find. We have created a new iPhoto but cannot find any of the photos in our library anywhere in searching our hard drive. Have tried all the search functions (including putting in jpg names of actual photos) and nothing is turning up. When I go into the data files - the photos are not in there. Is it possible to have somehow wiped out our entire collection of about 3000 photos? Unfortunately we did not have a back-up hard drive.....
I tried following some of the advice posted for iPhoto losses and gray boxes appearing...however none of them work.
Am finding it hard to believe that could have wiped out our entire collection by saving one photo? Was using iPhoto and saving a photo from the e-mail in the way I have been doing for months.
Any advice tips would be greatly appreciated?!
In disbelief over the possibility of entirely wiping out our collection!

dmck;
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
We have created a new iPhoto
Do you mean you create a new iPhoto Library? How did you go about doing so? There is a possibility that you could have created a new library and overwritten the old one, thus the one library with only one photo in it. It's iffy but might have been accomplished.
Happy New Year
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

My iPhoto library is entirely referenced. When I try to consolidate it to Photos the application crashes after a few seconds. How do I proceed?

My iPhoto library is entirely referenced. When I try to consolidate it into Photos the program crashes a few seconds after I choose "users" in the pull-down. As a result I cannot upload to iCloud. How should I proceed?

Referenced libraries are very problematic and I recommend against them - and having old photos is not an issue in iphoto - you can import old or new photos
In any case it is a personal choice and you have what you have and there is no easy way to change that since iPhoto has no ability to consolidate originals into its library after the fact - only on initial import (Aperture can do it and iPhoto Library manager can if you wanted to go back an change)
As to Photos I understand it is better with referenced libraries but again since eI do not use them I have not investigated this in any depth
It sounds like your Photos library is ready - check the photos count to verify that everything is there
LN

I lost entire photo library in iPhoto. How do I retrieve the lost library?

I went to open iPhoto only to find my entire photo library was gone. I have no idea how this has happened. I backed up my photos on an external hard drive but cannot access them that way. I keep getting a message saying it's a backed up version and I have to hit "option" while I open iPhoto. That is not working either. How can I find these lost photos?

I keep getting a message saying it's a backed up version and I have to hit "option" while I open iPhoto.
What kind of backup of your library do you have? If it is aTime Machine backup, see this document:
iPhoto '11: Restoring from Time Machine with iPhoto '11 (9.2 or later) and OS X Lion 10.7.2 (or later) - Apple Support
I went to open iPhoto only to find my entire photo library was gone. I have no idea how this has happened.
What did you do, before this happened? Have you been updating or upgrading software? Moved your iPhoto Library to a new location on external drives?
Have there been crashes? which version of iPhoto or MacOS X do you have?

Does iPhoto not have safeguards against accidentally deleting an entire photo book, which is very easily done (when you think you are deleting just a photo)? No "are you sure you want to delete?". No way of copying your book before, or restoring it after?

Does iPhoto not have safeguards against accidentally deleting an entire photo book, which is very easily done with a single press of delete (and which can be done when you think you are deleting just a photo)? No "are you sure you want to delete?" before it happens? No way of copying your book while you are working on it (to make multiple versions of it, or just to have a safeguard copy), and no real way of restoring it after (since, remarkably, the photo books don't appear as items - items which could very easily be recovered otherwise)?

I get a dialog box when I try to delete a book.
And if you right click on the book in the left column you can duplicate it so you can have multiple versions.

I'm out of space on my hard drive. How do I move move entire photo albums from iphoto and save them to an external drive to free up space?

I'm out of space on my hard drive. How do I move move entire photo albums from iphoto and save them to an external drive to free up space?

You do not move the albums - you move the entire iphoto library intake as a single entity
Make sure your external drive is formatted Ma OS extended (journaled) - then
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
LN

Can't open IPhoto after importing one photo

I get this message: You have made changes to your photo library using a newer version of iPhoto. Please quit and use the latest version of iPhoto.
This is after I uploaded one photo which a friend had sent me over the internet. I tried rebuilding my library. That did nothing. If I delete the picture will it fix it?
This is really annoying. I've uploaded other peoples photos before and this has never happened.
Any help appreciated

Unfortunately, most of the suggestions you've seen apply to newer versions of iPhoto (iPhoto 4 has "smart" albums, but I don't think it has "events"), and won't be especially meaningful with the earlier versions that are the subject of this particular forum.
There are two possible causes for the symptoms you've described... One possibility is that you've got a newer iPhoto version library folder somewhere on your computer (usually it's a mounted iPhoto CD that someone sent you, created with a newer version of iPhoto -- to fix, just eject the CD before running iPhoto). It's unlikely that downloading a photo is responsible.
The second (and most likely culprit) is a corrupted photo database (as TD has suggested). Normally, iPhoto is perfectly capable of rebuilding the database without the need for any 3rd-party software (which uses the same rebuild process, anyway). Sometimes the corruption is in that XML file that TD referred to, and when that happens, the rebuilt database will still be unusable.
Assuming you still have the original iPhoto Library folder that you started with (it's in your Pictures folder and is named "iPhoto Library"). Open your Pictures folder in a Finder window and discard any iPhoto Library folders that end in a number (those are the unsuccessful rebuild attempts) -- leave the rest of your Pictures folder alone. Now, before you empty the trash to recover that disk space, move your original iPhoto Library folder temporarily to the desktop.
Now start iPhoto. You should see a dialog offering to either locate an existing photo library, or create a new one -- you want to create a new one. When iPhoto shows you an empty photo collection, quit iPhoto. Then, in a Finder window, drag your original iPhoto Library folder from your desktop, and drop it inside the newly created iPhoto Library folder in your Pictures folder -- you're not replacing the new folder, rather, you're making a deposit (if you're prompted to replace, you've missed the drop -- try again). You can also drag that downloaded photo to the iPhoto Library folder, too -- but only this one time.
Finally, start iPhoto while holding the shift+option keys. Don't release them until you're prompted to confirm the intent to rebuild. Click "Yes", then click "Save".
Once you've confirmed that iPhoto is working normally and all your photos have been restored (you'll probably have to recreate any keywords, album associations, etc.), you can drag your original iPhoto Library folder from Pictures to the trash (keeping the numbered iPhoto Library folder this time).
Message was edited by: Brie Fly

Using iphoto and editing multiple photos in photoshop

I set iphoto to edit my photos in photoshop. I tried to edit a group of photos at once, and it'll only open the first 4 pictures. Is there a reason I can't open more than the first 4 photos that I have selected? Is there a setting in photoshop I need to change that is preventing me from opening more photos?
Thanks!

As Larry said that's a "limitation" of iPhoto. Report that to Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphoto.html. I think you can go back to iPhoto and select another 4 photos and open them in PS with the original 4 still open.
For what it's worth:
Using Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements) as Your Editor of Choice in iPhoto.
1 - select Photoshop as your editor of choice in iPhoto's General Preference Section's under the "Edit photo:" menu.
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
NOTE: With Photoshop Elements 6 the Saving File preferences should be configured: "On First Save: Save Over Current File". Also I suggest the Maximize PSD File Compatabilty be set to Always.
If you want to use both iPhoto's editing mode and PS without having to go back and forth to the Preference pane, once you've selected PS as your editor of choice, reset the Preferences back to "Open in main window". That will let you either edit in iPhoto (double click on the thumbnail) or in PS (Control-click on the thumbnail and seledt "Edit in external editor" in the Contextual menu). This way you get the best of both worlds
2 - double click on the thumbnail in iPhoto to open it in Photoshop. When you're finished editing click on the Save button. If you immediately get the JPEG Options window make your selection (Baseline standard seems to be the most compatible jpeg format) and click on the OK button. Your done.
3 - however, if you get the navigation window that indicates that PS wants to save it as a PS formatted file. You'll need to either select JPEG from the menu and save (top image) or click on the desktop in the Navigation window (bottom image) and save it to the desktop for importing as a new photo.
This method will let iPhoto know that the photo has been editied and will update the thumbnail file to reflect the edit..
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.≤br>
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

IPhoto can not find photo

Upgraded to iphoto 11. then iphoto could not find photos even though they are on my Hard Disk.
Whats up with this?
i manually located the photos one at a time. This is for 400 photos one at a time? this is crazy man.
it should simply go to " all my files" snd grab the photos it needs!
Help. This eats up too much time.

it should simply go to " all my files" snd grab the photos it needs!
It does. You must have a damaged library. You say you upgraded to iPhoto 9 (11). What warning does iPhoto give you when you try to use it?
If you went inside the iPhoto Library package and moved photos around that will damage/corrupt the database that iPhoto uses.i t should simply go to " all my files" snd grab the photos it needs!
Explain what you're seeing and what steps you took to fix the problem. Then we can attempt to suggest an approach to fix the problem.
OT

BUG: iPhoto 9 Slideshow - Text Slide Bugs and iPhoto Library Corruption

I was wondering if anyone else has run into the following issues:
I have had multiple issues with iPhoto crashing, stop responding, and database corruption where I cannot open iPhoto. These issues all began when I tried to use the new themed slideshow in iPhoto v9.1. Previously, I had only used iPhoto to create basic slideshows with iPhoto v7.x. I was hoping that I would be able to create my masterpiece in iPhoto 11 (v9.1) but I have only been frustrated by my attempts so far.
What should have been a 3 - 4 hour operation has become a 20 hour nightmare and I still don't have a slideshow to show for my efforts. This has been one of my most disappointing uses of Apple software ever.
Repeatable, reproducible bugs that I have run into include:
1. Deleting a photo that appears in the timeline before a sub-title causes havoc with subsequent sub-titles (a.k.a. Text Slides). Subsequent subtitles are randomly copied to pictures following the one it was assigned to. Further, there is no subtitle icon in the timeline and the photos have to be manually modified to eliminate the subtitle. Work around is click the "Text Slide" button
2. Zooming and/or image placement is not preserved and not visible when previewed, exported, or iPhoto is closed and then reopened.
3. The iPhoto Library becomes corrupt and permissions problems prevent me from working with my photos. This happens while working on slideshow. I have had to rebuild my library and repair permissions no less than five times since I started working on my slideshow.

iPhoto's slideshow feature is fine but no tool for a "masterpiece".
Alternatives to iPhoto's slideshow include:
iMovie, on every Mac sold, as is iDVD.
Others, in order of price:
PhotoPresenter $29
PhotoToMovie $49.95
PulpMotion $129
FotoMagico $29 (Home version) ($149 Pro version, which includes PhotoPresenter)
Final Cut Express $199
It's difficult to compare these apps. They have differences in capability - some are driven off templates. some aren't. Some have a wider variety of transitions. Others will have excellent audio controls. It's worth checking them out to see what meets your needs.
However, there is no doubt that Final Cut Express is the most capable app of them all. You get what you pay for.
Regards
TD

IPhoto thumbnails disappear - missing photos

iPhoto crashed a few days ago, and I had to rebuild the library. After this was done, my events were all out of order but the photos were still in tact. However, there were about 100 photos in one event that were missing. They were represented by black squares. The thumbnails would show for an instant while I was scrolling through the event, but then the thumbnails would disappear and turn black. When I selected a photo, it showed a black exclamation warning sign.
I back up to Time Machine, so I tried to restore my iPhoto library from an older backup. Those same 100 photos seem to be corrupt in every single backup since the photos were taken. To make it even harder for me to understand, I actually viewed these 100 photos in iPhoto last week and they were fine, so I know they haven't been corrupt since they were imported to iPhoto.
Are these photos recoverable?

The exclamation mark is an indication that the link/file path between the thumbnail and the master photo has been broken. Try the following:
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down to open the First Aid window. Be sure to follow the circled recommendation in the screenshot.
2 - apply Option #4, Rebuild Database.

IPhoto's corrupts entire photo database.

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