Lost photos from iphoto library after moving it

Comments:
I have a G5 OS X Version 10.5.5.. I had a lot of photos in my iPhoto library and I was told I could move iPhoto application to my external HD by holding down the command key and then drag iPhoto over to the external HD. Which I did. I opened the external HD and all the photos where there in the iPhoto Library. I had to shut down my computer as I was away for a few days and when I turned it back on and went into the external HD the iPhoto application was not there nor the photos. My Time Machine has no record of them as iPhoto only seems to have a record of a new iPhoto Library on my desk. Can I retrieve these photos? Can you run iPhoto from your external HD? Thanks for your help. Regards Amanda

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
I was told I could move iPhoto application to my external HD by holding down the command key and then drag iPhoto over to the external HD.
The problem with moving while dragging is that you defeat the default behaviour of the OS. If you simply drag then your Mac makes a copy of the library on the new volume and you have the opportunity to test it thoroughly before trashing the library on your start up disk.
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library Folder 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.
Next, moving your Library - which normally lives in your Pictures Folder - and moving the iPhoto application are not the same thing. You should not move the application.
Start by doing an All Images Search:
In the Finder
-f
Kind Images
Size: Greater than 300k
see if that finds anything.
Regards
TD

Similar Messages

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.

How to import photos from iPhoto Library to Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 Editor?

I can't use Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 Editor to edit photos from iPhoto Library. If I choose File, Open, and then select 'iPhoto Library', error message is "could not complete your request because of a program error."

You can't do it that way. Any attempt to poke around in the iphoto library from outside iphoto is very likely to damage the library and cause you to lose your photos, so PSE won't let you. You have two choices:
1. Set PSE as your external editor, send the photos from iphoto, and save them without changing the name or format (you may need to adjust the editor prefs>Saving Files>On First Save to let you do this). Then iphoto will remember your original and the last edited version.
Be sure to choose this file in Applications>Adobe Photoshop Elements 10>Support files as your external editor, not the one at the top level of the PSE 10 folder in Applications:
2. Export the photos from iphoto, use File>Open in the PSE editor to open the images and then save them with whatever changes to name or format you like, and reimport the saved images to iphoto as new files. This way you can save as many versions as you like.

How can I import photos from iPhoto-library to edit in Photoshop CC? - and save it back to the iPhoto-library?

How can I import photos from iPhoto-library to edit in Photoshop CC? - and save it back to the iPhoto-library?

How to access iPhoto images for use in Photoshop
1. In the Finder, navigate to Users > [user name} > Pictures > iPhoto Library.
2. Control-click the iPhoto Library file and choose Show Package Contents.
3. A Finder window opens that shows the contents. The Masters folder (or called Originals folder) contains all of the photographs that are in iPhoto.
Photoshop cannot access this folder, but if you make a duplicate of the folder, the dupe will be accessible -- so:
4. Control-click the folder named Masters (or Originals) and choose Duplicate.
5, Drag the duplicate folder which is named "Masters copy" or “Originals copy” from the iPhoto Library Finder window to the Desktop.
6. Open images in Photoshop from file on desktop.
7 Rename the folder and move it elsewhere (probably to the Pictures folder), if desired.

IMove Won't Import Photos from iPhoto Library Album

Tried to import photos from iPhoto Library/Selected Album. Pictures appeared in photos window but a high lighted photo did not appear in the large window. Tried dragging photos to build project, received message: ERROR DURING IMPORT: The file could not be imported: (-4960).
The files are 5 Megapixel JPEG, I tried to import photos from another Album (200 dpi) in size and received the same error Message. My Mac OS is: 10.4.2, iMovie HD 5.0.2 (111)
e-mail: [email protected]
Richard

"/* Core Foundation errors*/
enum {
coreFoundationUnknownErr = -4960
That is NOT a good error. Your Mac may be in serious trouble.
Prevent Mac Disasters
Eight Simple Steps You Can Take Now to Keep Your Mac from Falling Apart
http://www.macworld.com/2005/01/features/preventmacdisasters/index.php
(Article is in 3 parts, don't miss parts 2 and 3)

New photo app does not import all of my photos from iphoto library

I have just installed 10.10.3 on my Macbook and the new photo app does not import all of my photos from iphoto library. I have about 3200 photos in the library and only 2300 are presented for import. I only have 1 library so I didn't choose the wrong one. Any suggestions?

Upon closer inspection it appears that the missing photos are in a folder called IPhoto Library. This folder is greyed out when I choose the import folder.
When I use 'show package contents' it reveals the missing photos (below). Why is my iphoto library so scrambled! Thanks for any insight.

How do i get photos from iphoto library over to photoshop elements for editing?

how do i get photos from iphoto library over to photoshop elements 10 for editing?
this is an iMac that I just got so its all new to me...
thank you

If you set PSE as external editor, be sure you pick the right file, which is not by any means the logical choice. You want this one:
You can also export the photos from iphoto, edit them and save them under new names and reimport the edited photos as new files. This is more trouble, but lets you save as many different versions of your image as you like (iphoto only remembers the last edited version + original).

How to copy or move photos from IPhoto library to WD My Passport Air ext drive ?

How do you Copy or cut photos from iPhoto library to WD My Passport Air external hard drive?

Open iPhoto, select the photo you would like to move, choose File > Export from iPhoto's menu bar and follow the instructions.
Repeat for additional photos.

HT1229 How do I move photos from iphoto library to my desktop

How do I move photos from iphoto library to my desktop

This User Tip
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4921
has details of the options in the Export dialogue.

I imported photos from iPhoto library to Photo library instead of relinking the library and now approx. 9,000 photos are missing. How do I fix this?

I imported photos from iPhoto library to Photo library instead of relinking the library and now approx. 9,000 photos are missing. How do I fix this?

Trash your Photos library and do it again (Hold down the option key while launching Photos and select your iPhoto library to open)
LN

Help - can't access photos in iPhoto library after a restore

After a hard drive death, I got a new hard drive and put lots of new photos on iPhoto. Then I found some very old backup discs and used these to restore old photos. Unfortunately this has wiped the new photos from iPhoto... BUT when I go through Finder I can see them under Pictures. When I attempt to import them back to iPhoto it says it can't import them as they are already in the iPhoto Library - but I can't see them when I'm in iPhoto! How do I get them back?!
I have a similar problem with iWeb - my website has disappeared and been replaced with the old version that has been restored. But I can't find where the other has gone.
Please help!

tsavage
Sounds like a damaged database file:
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 back.
3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.
To create and populate a new 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

I delete photos from iPhoto but after backing up my computer they are back! How do I stop that?

I delete photos from iPhoto but when I back up my computer the library rebuilds them!

After I do a backup it rebuilds the iPhoto.
How do you back up and what is the "it" that rebuilds iphoto? Do you mean this process of arching/deleting? It may have damaged your Library.
Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
Going forward: another way of archiving:
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
Now you have two full versions of the Library.
3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
Some Notes:
As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager
TD

Why are my photos from iPhoto library deleted from my external hard drive when I am only deleting them from my internal drive?

I did a backup of photos (iPhoto library) from my internal to an external hard drive. I have started to delete photos from my internal hard drive. It seems that when I delete from the internal drive, photos also delete from the external. I did a test and deleted one photo from iPhoto internal drive. When I plugged in the new backup (external drive) and clicked on iPhoto library, it opened iPhoto in the exact place I was working and that one photo was gone. What do I do? I do not want to delete the photos off of my external hard drive.

When I plugged in the new backup (external drive) and clicked on iPhoto library, it opened iPhoto in the exact place I was working and that one photo was gone.
When you clicked on the library iPhoto on the EHD iPhoto is op;ending the last library that was previously opened. To change libraries launch iPhoto with the Option key held down to get this window:
Then select the library that is on the EHD if it's in the window. If it isn't, click on the Other Library button, navigate to the EHD and select the library there.

IMovie can't see my photos from iPhoto anymore after upgrade.

Can anyone help with allowing iMovie to see my photos I have imported previously from iphoto?
After upgrading to the new iMovie i have alot of photos in the project saying 'Missing file, try importing original source media.
They were once all there in a finished project but now are gone.
Any help is appreciated
Thanks

After I import my photos from my phone to iphoto, i always move my pictures to a folder i made in my documents
You realise that this is just wasting space, right?

Problems exporting photos from iPhoto even after trying earlier suggestions

I've done this before with no problem.
I want to export 158 photos from iPhoto 11 on my iMac (OS 10.9.4) so I can put them on a 2GB SD card (MS-DOS FAT16) for a digital frame. With the SD card in the slot on the back of the iMac, I exported the files to that disk. I got an "Unable to create /Volumes/[filename]" error. Went ahead and deleted that pic from the album I'd created for export but got the error for a different file.
Checked through the iPhoto forum and found others had similar problems. Terence Devlin suggested exporting to a folder on the desktop and dragging to the card. When I try that, I get an "Item [filename] can't be copied because there isn't enough free space" error. (This despite the fact that the Finder info shows 14.7MB for all the files and it's a 2 GB card.) I click "OK" in the error window and am told the 158 items are being copied. However, when the process is complete, only two files appear on the card in the Finder and both of them show they're empty (i.e., Size: Zero bytes).
Tried reformatting the card. Tried plugging an external card reader into one of the USB ports on the iMac. Same problem.
Thoughts?

the general answer is to export the photos to a desktop folder and then drag that folder (not the photos in it) to the proper location on the unlocked SD card - FAT formatted volumes have a very low limitation on the number of lies on them at the root level hence the necessity to put the files in a folder and drag the single folder to the FAT volume
L:N

Lost photos from iphoto library after moving it

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for