? lost or corrupt iphoto library ?

Hi - my folks use my "old" iMac and don't know how or why iPhoto no longer has a library to open.  I did a quick look around but could not see any libraries on the HD. I created a new library to confirm iPhoto at least opens and the application works.  However they would like to get back to their former library of photo's and naturally the external backup system is not working so I do not have anything to restore from.  Their iMac is running OS X 10.6.8 and iPhoto 8.1.2.    Is is possible to restore a corrupted library by using "iphotolibrarymanager" or other utility?  Thanks in advance for any help.

You can't rid yourself of the Ebay album until you can access the iPhoto Window, I'm afraid. Let the Library Manager do its thing.
I feel that the writers of iPhone, who are protecting us from harming our photo collections by preventing deletions, are protecting us to death!
Well, assuming you mean iPhoto, if that's what they were doing, then probably. However, folks damaging their library by mucking around with it was a cost to Apple, because many times some one did it, it wold result in a call to Support. And Support is a cost not a profit centre in any organisation. So, they ain't protecting you from you, they're protecting the bottom line from you.
Not that it's a great protection: Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
Standard Warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
Now even that access won't solve the Ebay Album issue, as you will see there is no folder for that Album. Albums are entries in the database, and that's why you'll need to get to the iPhoto Window to rid yourself of it.
Regards
TD

Similar Messages

  • Corrupt iPhoto library - what next?

    I've spent the last few days trying to fix my corrupt iPhoto library.  Pictures I've imported in the last month are no longer visible within iPhoto (I get the exclamation point and the triangle).  The imported pictures are stored in the iPhoto library, where they should be, i.e. using the year/month/day file system, so I haven't lost them, but iPhoto can't see them.  I've done the following;
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    Try these in order - from best option on down...
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    2. Download <a href="http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/"><b><u>iPhoto Library Manager</b></u></a> 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.
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    Move the damaged iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the desktop
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    While you do this, your penance is to remember that with a back up none of this would have been necessary.
    Regards
    TD

  • I have lost my entire IPhoto Library and albums

    IMac OS X  V 10.6.8
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    Your only other option is to stop using your Mac as soon as possible to minimize precious data being overwritten to, purchase a high quality, fast external hard drive, preferably a FIreWire external hard drive such as these
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    I still strongly advise you purchase a high quality, large storage, fast, external hard drive to use for future data backups to prevent such a catastrophic data loss from happening, again.
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  • Help removing a corrupt Iphoto library

    Hi All
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  • Lost access to iphoto library

    I am not able to access my iphoto library and when I try to restore it using Time Machine, I get the message The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access “iPhoto Library” about 80% through the restoration.Loss of access to my iphoto library

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  • Lost my complete iphoto library!!

    Hi,
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    There are no guarantees.
    You download the app and it will scan the disk for recoverable files. It will tell you what it thinks it can recover. Only then do you purchase, if you think it's worthwhile.
    Given that the OS was upgraded from 10.5 to 10.8 there was a lot of writing to the disk in the process and the chancs of your deleted photos been overwritten is high.
    Regards
    TD

  • Please help!! Ive suddenly lost my entire iPhoto library..says it doesn't exist although I can see the photos all in grey-but also the menu is in grey, can't do anything

    Please can anyone help! Ive suddenly lost my entire iPhoto library while I wss cleaning up…sometimes I can find them, they're there but all in grey and so is the menu for iPhoto…so I can't open or do anything…

    There are 9 different versions of iPhoto and they run on 9 different versions of the Operating System. The tricks and tips for dealing with issues vary depending on the version of iPhoto and the version of the OS. So to get help you need to give as much information as you can. Include things like:
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    - What version of the Operating System.
    - Details. As full a description of the problem as you can. For example, if you have a problem with exporting, then explain by describing how you are trying to export, and so on.
    - History: Is this going on long? Has anything been installed or deleted? - Are there error messages?
    - What steps have you tried already to solve the issue.
    - Anything unusual about your set up? Or how you use iPhoto?
    Anything else you can think of that might help someone understand the problem you have.

  • Time Machine corrupted iPhoto library? Help!

    Hi,
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    Jun 19 21:23:46 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Copy stage failed with error:11
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    Please can you help me.
    I just want to make sure I do the right thing instead of panicking. I've switched off my TM backup for now.
    Many thanks,
    Lee

    Hi,
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    After some time spent searching for a fix, I started iPhoto with the command and option keys pressed and chose all options to rebuild iPhoto. This looked like it was gonna take some time (I have over 4500 photos) so I left it alone and went to bed. In the morning, iPhoto appeared to be fixed but Time Machine had reported an error while backing up. I clicked ok, did a new backup by clicking 'backup now' which worked fine and carried on as usual.
    I've used iPhoto some more today and then, this evening, another TM backup failed. I tried again, and it failed again. I searched the internet to figure out why and discovered how to view the log file. This reported this: Jun 19 21:22:59 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Error: (-8062) SrcErr:NO Copying /Users/leewebb/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Library6.iPhoto to /Volumes/Time Machine Backup/Backups.backupdb/Lee Webb’s intel iMac/2010-06-19-210546.inProgress/5A645817-7095-47FC-A658-A447B5A5814C/mac hd/Users/leewebb/Pictures/iPhoto Library
    Jun 19 21:23:46 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Copied 1656 files (294.5 MB) from volume mac hd.
    Jun 19 21:23:46 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Copy stage failed with error:11
    Jun 19 21:24:17 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Backup failed with error: 11
    So, something seems to be wrong with the iPhoto library. I reckon that the rebuild process was somehow interrupted/corrupted by a TM backup. Following some instructions I found in C3 here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2057525 I ran a verify on my TM backup drive. This returned with OK. I then excluded my iPhoto library from my backup and ran the backup again. It worked fine, which would confirm that the iPhoto library is indeed the problem. Good. Ok. So, that's where I am now. Except it isn't. When I now start up iPhoto, my library has shrunk down to 748 photos! Eeek! What's happened, and what can I do about it? In iPhoto, those 748 photos add up to 1.4gb yet the iPhoto library file is still 12.87gb.
    Please can you help me.
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    Many thanks,
    Lee

  • Lost link between iPhoto library and iPhoto.app

    While learning how to use Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Bridge, I made the choice to "browse" in Bridge. When I next started iPhoto 6.06, my link to the Library was lost. I have worked with AppleCare support, done every exercise short of creating a new library and losing my organization. With 20,000 + photos I would like to avoid that exercise. I do have backups but am trying to figure out if I can solve this any other way. All my files are still in iPhoto Library, and I can see the organization of my albums in Bridge. With some exercises, I get the message: "Unreadable files: 1. The following file could not be imported: '/Users/john/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Library.iPhoto.'"
    If I delete Adobe Photoshop Elements and Bridge from the hard drive, will this help? I promise I did not do anything within iPhoto Library in Finder!
    Thanks so much!
    iMac   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   iPhoto 6.06
    iMac   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   iPhoto 6.06
    iMac   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   iPhoto 6.06

    cdkayak
    Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
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    Some things to try:
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    That said, if these don't work, your options will only be to create and populate a new library: To create and populate a new library:
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    Move the iPhoto Library Folder to the desktop
    Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.
    Go into the iPhoto Library Folder on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual rolls 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 Folder 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.
    Finally, the message
    "Unreadable files: 1. The following file could not be imported: '/Users/john/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Library.iPhoto.'"
    is because iPhoto will not import a picture that's in the active iPhoto Library Folder - a sensible precaution against duplication.
    Regards
    TD

  • Portable Home Syncing corrupts iPhoto Library

    Server setup:
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    Everything setup according to spec; works great.
    Client setup:
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    iLife '09
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    Bug:
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    When I check the file, the iPhoto Library is a generic white icon with a size of a few megs versus the original 5GB. (yes I have a backup).
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    I cannot deploy Snow Leopard Server for my clients because of this silly bug.

    Hi all.
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    • Home Syncing (again on direct opposition to Time Machine) does not understand the concept of bundles (or packages, whatever is the correct expression in English... English that I'm not a native nor a fluent speaker, sorry about that
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    So it's guaranteed fun for almost half an hour every time that I do some logout sync.
    • Even using only login / logout sync, Aperture library will get eventually corrupted, as will pretty much every other item that I try to sync that happens to be a bundle (That God for 1Password automatically backup of it's own library, otherwise I would have lost all my logins passwords and Software serial numbers).
    • Every so often files that were deleted on a machine on the last day, simply find their way back at login syncing.
    And the opposite also happens. Changes made in a user folder on one of the machines, simply don't replicate when a user logs in onto another one.
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    Since it will copy the full content of the folder, just changing the name back to the old one, you better pray that there's not that much info inside otherwise it's time to grab a coffee and the daily newspaper.
    • Copying is slow. Painfully slow!
    In a full Gigabit Ethernet connection, whose transfer while using AFP are extremely fast, Home Syncing can take 10x the amount of time to copy a similar folder.
    Home Syncing seems pretty much as a 2nd class citizen on the Server package.
    It's copy capabilities are way bellow of the expected, showing basic errors that were quickly fixed on Time Machine but that still remain here since (at least) Mac OS X Server 10.5.
    I like this concept... actually I like it a lot.
    As long as you have access to a Mac OS X Server, you can basically create your own cloud.
    Even without having to sync the full home folder, just a specific "cloud" folder (something like a dropbox folder).
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  • Lost photos after iPhoto library rebuild - what happened?

    After noticing that there were albums entitled Recovered photos in my iPhoto library, I deleted those albums. As expected, i got a message that i was not really deleting the originals, just getting rid of such albums. There were about 5 of those "recovered albums": one contained about 30 photos; three had zero and another had over 1000 photos. Subsequent to that, thinking of making this library totally clean, I decided to do a "libraty rebuild" using the option-command rebuild procedure of iphoto. I checked all the options presented for that procedure. To my surprise, when the process was finished I had less events, and less photos. A careful visual check of the display pane of events and photos confirmed that i had lost actual photos. I tried to reclaim those lost photos with another rebuild -- this time using iphoto library manager, but without success. What happened? Is there any way to reclaim those lost photos?
    I do have a backup, but would prefer to correct the problem in the original library to avoid having to assemble and clean up duplicates that i had before.
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    Why these things happen is always difficult to answer. My experience with iPhoto is using it since v1 on with a single library that's upgraded each new versions and migrated from G4 iMac to G5 iMac to Intel iMac and then a second Intel iMac. I load photos in, my wife does and my 12 year old does too.
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    The database gets corrupted when the app is interrupted when writing to it. The usual causes of this include a crash, a force quit or a lost connection to the Library on an external disk. More rarely minor disk or directory damage might be a cause.
    I wondered when I read your report
    Subsequent to that, thinking of making this library totally clean, I decided to do a "libraty rebuild" using the option-command rebuild procedure of iphoto. I checked all the options presented for that procedure.
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    +I Wonder+ - I stress, I wonder, no more - if reading to rebuild various thumbnails from a file that is being vacuumed +while at the same time+ is being replaced by a backup is what caused the issue.
    If it is, then the Rebuild from Back Up option should be sandboxed and not possible while the other events are going on.
    But that's just a guess.
    Regards
    TD

  • I've lost ALL my iPhoto library pictures

    I've tried to recover them using the "Hold down option and command while opening iPhoto" routine but it is still empty.
    I Backup daily.
    I had closed down my computer by holding down the Start button when using iPhoto and iWeb as I had got stuck with the "spinning wheel of death". This was after getting the "upgrade thumbnails " message.

    EBay used to be able to grab pictures from the iPhoto folder but the upload window Browse button can't see the files.
    And this may be the cause of the database corruption. In simple terms, you should access your pictures via the iPhoto Window - end of story.
    Here's how iPhoto works.
    In reads a file in the iPhoto Library Folder called the library6.iphoto file. That files tracks things like picture titles, albums, smart albums etc., pretty much everything except the actual photos. The photos are in the Original (and Modified) Folders, the thumbnails in the Data folder.
    The library6.iphoto file tracks the relationship between the thumbnail and the file it represents.
    So you begin to see how important this file is.
    If it gets damaged you see the sort of problems that you are having. What damages the file? If there's a crash while it's been written to, or some HD corruption, or even changes made in the iPhoto Library Folder via other means than iPhoto.
    So, to solutions:
    1. Try and preserve the library - your albums etc. Hence, my suggestion that you copy the db file (library6.iphoto) into the iPhoto Library Folder to replace the one that's damaged. Net result, everything back to normal.
    However, as you had begun adding files to the damaged library, that was no longer possible, Think of it this way. Suppose you have a Petrol car, and you inadvertantly put diesel into the tank. What's the solution? Clean out the tank? Or just put more Petrol into it on top of the diesel?
    In this situation, I suggest that your iPhoto Library Folder is now useless. It has a damaged db file and duplicated images and is, in short, a mess.
    So, my next suggestion is that - because you back up daily - to restore your entire iPhoto Library Folder from the back up. What does that achieve? It brings things back to the point before all this happens.
    However, I don't use Back Up. So I can't give you instructions on how to restore with it. So I sent you to the Back Up forum.
    Many people back up as a sort of virtuous activity. I've backed up, so my data is safe. However, backing up is a two part process: Creating the back up and then restoring the data in the event that you need to replace lost or damaged data. As things stand, you run your application every day, but are you sure it's actually backing anything up? If your photos are important to you, then I truly suggest that you investigate this element of backing up.
    I still think you need to replace that iPhoto Library Folder.
    Regards
    TD

  • Corrupt iphoto library recovery

    Recently my iMac went to the Genius bar for repair.  I purchased a hard drive in store and we made a backup of what I needed to subsequently recover and all seemed to backup OK.  With the Mac back from repair I started to rebuild my iMac to pre-failure state and all went like a dream until I tried to re-install the iPhoto library.  It tells me that the files require conversion and just won't seem to accept the backed up library and indicates that it is corrupt - is there anything I can do or have I lost my entire photo library?  Grateful for any advice.

    There are 9 different versions of iPhoto and they run on seven different versions of the Operating System. The tricks and tips for dealing with issues vary from version to version and OS to OS. So before anyone can help, they need information to work with. Things like:
    - What version of iPhoto.
    - What version of the Operating System.
    - Can you give us the exact error messages?

  • Lost, or inaccessible, iphoto library

    I've seen many posts about lost iphoto libraries, without understanding if their problems/solutions are related to my own. Basic info: Using iPhoto '09 v8.1.1 (419), had ~200 photos in the iphoto library, then loaded 7 photos into an album called "EBay Photos", created for that task. Since then, that album, with its 7 photos, is all that can be seen. I can see, in users/new user/pictures/iphoto library that it occupies 13.1 MB, and that the 'kind' is iphoto library. If I double click on that entry, I get the info about the iphoto version, mentioned above. If control click on the iphoto icon I get a window asking "What photo library do you want to use?", with the only choice being iPhoto Library (default).
    The size listed above, 13.1 MB, seems big for only 7 photos, but maybe about right for ~200. So, I think maybe the 'real' library is out there, but just inaccessible. Any suggestions?

    You can't rid yourself of the Ebay album until you can access the iPhoto Window, I'm afraid. Let the Library Manager do its thing.
    I feel that the writers of iPhone, who are protecting us from harming our photo collections by preventing deletions, are protecting us to death!
    Well, assuming you mean iPhoto, if that's what they were doing, then probably. However, folks damaging their library by mucking around with it was a cost to Apple, because many times some one did it, it wold result in a call to Support. And Support is a cost not a profit centre in any organisation. So, they ain't protecting you from you, they're protecting the bottom line from you.
    Not that it's a great protection: Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.
    Standard Warning: Don't change anything in the iPhoto Library Folder via the Finder or any other application. iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
    Now even that access won't solve the Ebay Album issue, as you will see there is no folder for that Album. Albums are entries in the database, and that's why you'll need to get to the iPhoto Window to rid yourself of it.
    Regards
    TD

  • Lost photos from iphoto library

    I backed up my iphoto library from my old macbook to an external hard drive and now imported it to my new imac. When I open iphoto all thumbnails show up, but when I click on a photo a black picture with an exclamation mark shows up. Some photos open fine, most won't.
    I tried rebuilding iphoto with iphoto's own rebuild and with iphoto library manager, both with same results: only 2000 of my 9000 photos showed up!
    I did have a problem when first time trying to move files from the external hard drive - Lacie 1tb usb- once it was unplugged without first being ejected, and also it made my computer crash few times and I had to reboot the imac. I suspect this had something to do with the lost photos.
    Is there a way to get these photos back?

    Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
    The photos should still be in the library package file.
    You may need to start over with a new Library:
    Try these in order - from best option on down...
    1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.
    2. Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
    3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.
    To create and populate a new *iPhoto 08* library:
    Note this will give you a working library with the same Events and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
    Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop
    In the iPhoto Preferences -> Events Uncheck the box at 'Imported Items from the Finder'
    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.
    Regards
    TD
    When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.

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