My iPHOTO is empty but the photos appear in the Finder "all images" folder

Question

Yesterday my iPhoto '08 was fine, then today, when it came out of sleep mode, there was a Finder window showing two folders: one named 445555 and the other named iPhoto Library. I clicked on the 445555 and the iPhoto opened empty, with no photos, like new. I closed it and tried to reopen from the Dock but it was still empty. Also tried to open from the iPhoto Library folder with the same result. After some despair i found the photos in the "all images" folder in the Finder main window, so i suppose they are OK and in my computer.
How can i restore my iPhoto or at least make a back up of the most recent photos that i don't still have a back up?
Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

Jeff
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and point it at the iPhoto Library Folder - which is in your Pictures Folder. If iPhoto sees a valid library there it will open it.
If, however, it does not see a valid library there then your database file is corrupted:
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 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.
In the iPhoto Preferences -> Events Uncheck the box at 'Imported Items from the Finder'
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 (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.
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