My iPhotos has become useless

Question

My iPhotos 6.0.4 app has taken a first class trip to corruption city.
Here are the symptoms in the main window:
1. nothing appears in the source panel of the app.
2. nothing appears in the picture panel of the app.
3. can not add new folders in the source panel.
4. gives me an error sound every time I click the main window.
Here are the symptoms in the menu bar:
1. in the iPhoto dropdown menu only the Hide iPhotos and the Hide Others options are selectable, everything else is grayed out.
2. nothing in the file menu dropdown is selectable, it is all grayed out.
3. the rest of the dropdowns contain a few selectable items but do absolutely nothing.
4. I have to force quit the app. because the quit selection in the File dropdown is grayed out. (Command Q does nothing either)
I have tryed to rebuild the database but never got the dialog box to rebuild the database. All I got was the aforementioned problems listed above.
I hope someone can help with this issue.

Answer 1

blueIS:
Your photos are safe. Look in the Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals folder and you'll see them in various subfolders.
It sounds like the library's database file, Library6.iPhoto, has been damaged/corrupted. That will happen if files or folders are moved or renamed while in the Finder or there's some sort of interruption while iPhoto is writing to that file.
Since you've already tried to rebuild the directory I believe your only option is to create a new library and import the full sized files from the old library's Originals folder as follows:
Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
Drag the Originals folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.
This will create a new library with the same rolls as the original library. However dates on the rolls may be different but can be edited as you would the roll title.
Once this is completed you can delete the Originals folder from the desktop and the iPhoto Llibrary folder. If desired, you can keep the older library folder to try other fixes on it.
In the future I recommend you make a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto file after each import and after doing a lot of editing and organizing in the library. Then if you experience a similar crash all you need to do is replace the damaged database file with the backup copy and you'll be back to the same place in the library as when you make the backup. See the tip at the end of my signature.
Do you Twango?
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 written 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. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
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