Need to find Iphoto library

I was following earlier suggestions on making a test library for iphoto.
I did this.
" Yes, you can create more than one library. Hold Option while you launch iPhoto, click "Create Library" give it a different name from your first library. To switch from one to the other, Option-Launch iPhoto, click "Choose Library" and navigate to the iPhoto Library folder that you wish to open. iPhoto will always open the library you were using when you last quit, unless you Option-launch and tell it otherwise."
The new library name is Iphoto-2. However, I am unable to get back to my original library (which has lots of photos in it.)
I tried the above. Option-Launch IPhoto, click "Choose Library"
I am only given the new library to choose. How can I find the original library?
Please assist.
thank you.
Macbook Mac OS X (10.4.10)

After you click "Choose Library" you should see a
window where you can navigate to your other library.
Click the little triangle in the bar that names the
new library. You should get a pull-down where you can
select your hard drive. Once done, navigate to
Pictures, then select your original iPhoto Library
folder and open it.
When I got to the pull down, there was a folder marked pictures.
When I opened it, I was allowed to revert to the orginal library.
thank each of your for your help. I was approaching panic time.
Duane

Similar Messages

Need to transfer iphoto library to external hard drive

need to transfer iphoto library to external passport drive. It will not let me drag and drop

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
The external drive is formatted in NTFS, a format that OS X can't write in. You have to erase the external disk.
First, open Finder, choose the external drive in the sidebar, under "Devices", and copy all the content of your external drive to another folder like Desktop.
Then, follow these steps to format the external drive in "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as Format > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU1.html Finally, drag the iPhoto library to the external drive

Hard drive packed up, but had Time Machine backup. I installed new sad and upgraded to Mountain Lion., but I can't find iPhoto library and photos or iTunes songs? Is there an answer to this? Graham

Hard drive packed up, but had Time Machine backup. I installed new ssd and upgraded to Mountain Lion, but I can't find iPhoto library and photos or iTunes songs? Is there an answer to this? A backup run did not install either photos or songs. Graham

Thanks so much but none of that helped. It was driving me crazy because it would back up another external drive. I just changed the name of the drive from iPhoto/iTunes Library to Media Libraries and IT WORKED!! I guess for some reason it didn't like the drive being called iPhoto or iTunes ???? I don't understand but I have tried so many solutions and exchanging things out but the name change did it????!!!
Thank you for your help and replying to this. Guess I made my own issue!

What are the iphoto files I need to restore iphoto library deleted from drive

A few days ago my hard drive started making noises and I was getting all sorts of errors. I even got errors trying to do a time machine backup with the final error being "backup failed".
Earlier last week I imported a couple hundred photos of my kids from Christmas to present which also included our vacation last month. I deleted the photos from my camera after the import. Then foolishly, I didn't think to do any time machine backups between then and the time my hard drive started making noise.
I bought a new SSD drive. I could still access the bad drive so I moved my pictures directory from the bad drive to the new drive. It took nearly two hours. It appeared to have moved everything, but it did not move the iphoto library. The pictures directory is gone from the old hard drive.
I purchased FileSalvage and recoved thousands of deleted jpg files from my old drive, but none appear to be the pictures I lost.
It appears that FileSalvage will recover specific file types. There doesn't seem to be a way to just tell it to recover the deleted "pictures" directory or recover "iphoto library".
If I was able to specify specific file names to restore, what files would I even need to specify? I have iphoto 11.
I came across an article about iphoto library files from iphoto 6 and previous versions which explained the following iphoto files: library.iphoto6, albumdata.xml, Thumb32Segment.data, Thumb64Segment.data, ThumbJPGSegment.data, etcxxxxx.
mmm
Does iphoto 11 use similar file names? I'm not concerned with keeping my iphoto database in tact. I just want my pictures.
Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. Any advice on how to get my pictures back would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!
MH

Simply, you can't recover the iPhoto Library. What you need to do is try recover the Photos that were in it. These will be saved as jpeg files* and that's what you need to search for. Recovering all the other files will do no good. You won't be alble to reconstruct the Library. Your aim is to get the Photos and then start over.
The search may find many files of the same name, try to recover the largest files - they are most likely to be your originals.
Regards
TD
*Assuming you're not shooting Raw. If you are shooting Raw then you'll know the suffix for your camera. If none of that makes sense then you're not shooting Raw

Can't Find iPhoto Library File

I'm going crazy here! I cannot find the iPhoto Directory file I need to locate to delete it and create a new file in my external drive.
I can't seem to find an indication in the Preferences section of the program itself either.
I've done a search with the name, I've looked everywhere in Finder, Library, User directories, etc. I can't say I've looked EVERYWHERE because obviously that file is somewhere!
Any ideas? It just doesn't seem to be where it would normally be defaulted to. Somewhere in time I must have moved it.

Niel, thank you very much for your response. Mystery solved and found the "iPhoto Library" folder.
However, I discovered a bizarre condition. Not sure if you can shed light on this, but here it is:
The file exists in a sub directory which trails back to a main folder that seems to not exist. In other words, I cannot path down to this file from a drive to folder to sub folder in Finder. That main root directory is not showing in Finder!
Maybe this is a clue: The directory when I follow your search commands lists the folder location starting with "/Volumes/..." I don't have any directories or drives with that starting name.
Any comments on this mystery is appreciated.

No Albums folder in Finder iphoto library?

I have just noticed that I cannot browse for pictures in iphoto 6 like I used to be able to in iphoto 4.
What I mean is, if I was writing an email, say, and then wanted to attach a photo, I could navigate to my iphoto library and choose the Albums folder, where I could easily find a particular photo to attach.
I see that in iphoto 6, there is no Albums folder listed when I go to browse. I have albums created, but the folder "Albums" is no longer there in the iphoto library folder in the Finder. This is a real problem. How does one go about browsing for a particular photo without openning iphoto and exporting it or writing the email directly from there? Is there a way to get the Albums folder to reappear in the iphoto library folder?

Hi john61254,
iPhoto 5/6 now stores the Album information in a data xml file. The Albums folder within the iPhoto Library folder is no longer used. At some point, usually after a rebuild, you will no longer have that folder in the Finder.
If you need to access photos from an album it is very difficult for a third party application to navigate the iPhoto Library in order to find the photo you need. You will have to know the date of import in order to find the photo.
There are some third party applications that can read the xml file and can navigate the iPhoto library and show you the Albums. Hopefully more applications will be revised to read this file.
Until then you will have to Share/Export the photos to the desktop. You can then navigate to the desktop to use the photos (example: web uploading from online photo site)
If your application supports drag and drop, you can drag the photo from an open iPhoto Library window into your application.
For email you can also use the email icon within iPhoto to open a message with the highlighted photo attached.
You can also use spotlight to find images in an Album...
This is what I have done using Spotlight to find my images that are in iPhoto albums without opening iPhoto..
In iPhoto, select the album, then select all, go to Photos/batch change.
Change the comments to text. In the text field I put the name of the Album.
Do this for each album.
Close iPhoto.
Open Spotlight and put in the name of the Album ( you have to remember the names of the albums or have then written down)
In the spotlight search results. click on "show all"
Under "Images" click on the "xx more" to show all the images in the album.
Make sure you have it in icon view, the icon view box is the last one on the blue images line.
Now you can control click on the image to "reveal in finder", open in iPhoto or Mail, etc.
I am not sure if this is going to make you happy and it is a little more work, but you can find images in albums and even view them in a slideshow (by clicking the play arrow at the end of the Images highlighted blue line) using Spotlight, all without opening iPhoto.
One important thing to know is you can set up a graphic program to be an external editor (when you double click an image in the library} such as PhotoShop or PS Elements. You set up that within iPhoto Preferences. Just make sure you save the image flattened and with the same name. The edits will then be relected in iPhoto when you hit "save".
New in iPhoto 6 is the organization in the Finder by rolls.
iPhoto 6 Library folder in the Finder
As you can see the structure is now related to rolls. Rolls are created for each folder you import and each import session from a camera.
It is very easy to change the names of film rolls within iPhoto to make them easier to find images within. Open the info panel in iPhoto by clicking on the "i" icon. Once it is opened, click on the roll title in the viewing window.
Click on the word "title" in the info pane and type in your new title. I like to use a date and text format such as 12/25/05 Christmas at Mom's, 1/05/06 my birthday, etc. Once the roll names are changed within iPhoto, they are also changed within the Finder, making it easy to locate an image.
When importing from a camera, make sure you name the roll with a date and text before the import.
Two Apple kbs for you to read
Don't tamper with files in the iPhoto library folder
About the iPhoto Library folder

Need help saving iPhoto library from damaged hard drive

Trying to help my wife, she has the following:
MacBook Pro running OS X Lion version 10.7.3
iPhoto 11 version 9.2.2
Her hard drive failed last week and she had a ton of photos on it, of course not backed up.
We took her machine to the local Apple Store, they confirmed they couldn't recover the data and they installed a new hard drive in the MacBook. We took the old hard drive to my local PC supplier who's very clever, he worked on the hard drive and was able to copy all my wife's documents to another storage device.....but, he couldn't copy the iPhoto library and is requesting some help.....he doesn't know much about Macs, nor how iPhoto works.
I've read a lot of the posts on this forum and am learning about how the iPhoto library works....and how it requires a Mac based back up hard drive in order to copy it. Okay, here are my questions:
1. My PC troubleshooting guy can see the iPhoto library icon on the damaged hard drive, he says its a huge file. It appears we would need to supply him with a Mac formated back up hard drive, then he could just move that iPhoto library icon (which contains all photos) to the new back up drive. Is this correct?
2. Once we have this old iPhoto library on the new back up hard drive, we could bring it home of course, but then I need to get it into the new hard drive on my wife's MacBook Pro. I'm assuming I can plug this back up drive into my wife's machine, then import the old library into her machine. How do I do this properly?
3. If I bring the old library into the new MacBook Pro hard drive, will it erase the existing iPhoto library on her new hard MacBook Pro hard drive, or will it combine them somehow? She has added of course some pics to the new iPhoto library already, but if we have to delete them it won't kill us. The old stuff that got recovered from the damaged drive is more important.
Thanks ahead.....now to the experts?

Thanks Terence.....
regarding this point:
3. use the paid version ($20) of iPhoto Library Manager to merge the Libraries. that way you won't lose anything.
I have another access to her new photos, whereby I could reload them onto her MacBook if we lose the new library.....so I'll save the $20 and just reload them.....two more questions:
1. So, if I drag the iPhoto library folder from the new back up hard drive to the Pictures Folder in Finder, will that overwrite the existing library folder on her MacBook?
2. After I drag this folder into finder, will iPhoto recognize everything? I assume yes....just checking.
thanks ahead!

IPhoto can't find iPhoto Library files

Hi All,
I have a older iMac running 10.4, 512MB RAM. It was running very slowly and reading other posts figured my large iPhoto library (iPhoto 6) was the culprit. I moved all but 2011 pictures to an external hard drive and deleted files from my iPhoto Library (did this through the Finder, not iPhoto). I can see my .jpg files on the external drive and can see the 2011 .jpg files on my HD in the iPhoto Library. When I launch iPhoto, I have no photos. Within iPhoto I've tried to "import to library" and select my 2011 folder of .jpg's but the file is "unreadable". I've tried changing the location of my iPhoto Library folder and "chose library" but that hasn't worked either.
I think I may have deleted some file or path that allows iphoto to access the iphoto library folder (I copied back a "data folder" from the external HD but that didn't solve my problem) but I can't figure out what it could be. Can anyone help? I am just barely literate and apparently, know just enough to get myself into trouble, so "dumbed down" instructions would be very much appreciated.
Thanks for any help you can lend!
Shannon

believe it or not, but I did do some research before I started... I was just trying to back up files and create space - don't you people advocate for that kind of thing?
I don't think that I did not follow your link... I did not move the entire contents of my original library, just most, I wanted... well it doesn't matter - I was able to solve the problem following a tip posted by "Old Toad" found below.
Thanks for trying to help - I'm just glad I can see my photos again.
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.

Safely remove pics in finder/iphoto library

I moved some photos from our pc to my imac. I have 8 videos from a friends camera that downloaded okay. Now everytime I open iphoto, I have a message saying that there are 8 photos in the library that were not imported and do I want to import them yes or no. I removed them from the application but the message still pops up. They are in the finder/pictures library as recovered photos separate from the originals. Each video has a padlock on it and the videos are called"unix unexecutable files". How can I safely remove them from the finder library without wiping out my 3000 photos in the application? I can't open iphoto or download until I answer the import question.Thanks.

iamimac
1. Given the the files are locked (hence the padlock) they will need to be unlocked before they can be trashed. To do this, in the Finder, select each one in turn and go File -> Get Info and uncheck the locked box.
2. How did you remove them from the Application? Put them into the iphoto Trash and then empty the trash should remove all trace of them from your library. Files and all.
3. They have become 'Unix Executables' because they have lost their file suffix, which can happen when files are moved from PC formatted disks to Mac ones.
Finally, Your photos are safe. In the iPhoto Library Folder there are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three folders
Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.
(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.
This allows the Photos -> Revert to Original command - very useful if you don't like the changes you've made.
(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.
The library6.iphoto file is your actual library database. Even if that is corrupted, your photos are stored apart from it. 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. OF course, this is in addition to your usual back up routine.
Regards
TD

HT4927 Using Time Machine but can't find iphoto library anywhere for replacement

I'm having issues with a few wierd duplicate iphoto Events so I thought I would use my Time Machine for the 1st time and just restor the Library ONLY (not all of iphoto, just the library) to sometime last month and go from there. BUT....................
Nothing I have seems to match any useful info I can find on this forum. My iMac is OSX 10.8.2/iphoto 11 vs9.4.2 (everything is latest-updated)
I go into Time Machine, pick a date from early last month, and I see....."All My Files/ Desktop/Applications/Documents" then in Devices are
my external drives. Thats it. Where is the "iphoto library"? I feel like I'm missing something. When I look up the subject in this forum under Time Machine, it says to open Finder 1st (why I don't know), then open Time Machine (of course) but the sample picuture of Apples Website of Time Machine doesn't look like my Time Machine as I've just described.
Even in FINDER I see All My Files/Desktop/Applications/Documents: nothing that says "iphoto Library" (I can find "iPhoto" in Applications, but the application is fine, it's just the messed up 4 or 5 events I want to fix by going back to my library from last month, which was fine).
I assume that I need to:
1-close iphoto (done)
2-open Time machine and pick my date (done)
3- here is my problem (i think): I don't see a "iphoto library" to click on and then click on something that says "replace". I've never had to use time machine so I don't know what it will look like.
Please help,

By default the iPhoto library is in your pictures folder
you choose the one you want from a "finder looking display" and click restore (there is no "repalce")
althought the Mac is great and easy to use, every software program does have a learning curve and it is worth reading the instructions - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
LN

Need help regarding iphoto library

Hi..I am new to mac..I have a question regarding iphoto..i have photos organised in folders on a hard drive..i've realised that when i import them to iphoto keeping the preference of copying photos to iphoto library, it will be a wastage of space..the photos will take up the space in iphoto library as well as on hard drive..what is the better way to oragnise ? is it advisable to import them but not to copy them onto iphoto library? or if i import them to library and delete them from hard drive, can i get access to files if i need to?? where do i keep them?
pls help

vashi
Bluntly: copy the files to the iPhoto Library Folder and trash your own file system.
Why?
1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
Always allowing for personal preference, I've yet to see a good reason to run iPhoto in referenced mode unless you're using two photo organisers.
Accessing you files for other apps is easy: pick from one, more or all of these:
There are three ways (at least) to get files from the iPhoto Window.
1. *Drag and Drop*: Drag a photo from the iPhoto Window to the desktop, there iPhoto will make a full-sized copy of the pic.
2. *File -> Export*: Select the files in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export. The dialogue will give you various options, including altering the format, naming the files and changing the size. Again, producing a copy.
3. *Show File*: Right- (or Control-) Click on a pic and in the resulting dialogue choose 'Show File'. A Finder window will pop open with the file already selected.
To upload to MySpace or any site that does not have an iPhoto Export Plug-in the recommended way is to Select the Pic in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Export and export the pic to the desktop, then upload from there. After the upload you can trash the pic on the desktop. It's only a copy and your original is safe in iPhoto.
This is also true for emailing with Web-based services. If you're using Gmail you can use THIS
If you use Apple's Mail, Entourage, AOL or Eudora you can email from within iPhoto.
If you use a Cocoa-based Browser such as Safari, you can drag the pics from the iPhoto Window to the Attach window in the browser. Or, if you want to access the files with iPhoto not running, then create a Media Browser using Automator (takes about 10 seconds) or use THIS
Also, for 10.5 users: If you use the extended Open or Attach dialogue (with Column View) you can scroll to the bottom of the Shortcuts and find the Media browser there. Select any pic you want from there.
Regards
TD
Regards
TD

Needing to rebuild iPhoto library

In an attempt to move my photo collection to our external hard drive, my iphoto library (iPhoto 4.0.3) seems to have turned into unreadable files. I did the drag to the hard drive from pictures. From what I have read here I think it is time for the rebuild option. Problem is that I was trying to free up space on the internal and the rebuild instructions indicate I should have space equal to the current iPhoto library. What is the best and quickest way to empty out some internal hard drive space? Anything else I need to know about attempting this rebuild? I am using the information in apple support article #107947. Also, what is the exact method for storing my photos on the external where I have plenty of room? Thanks for your help!

Welcome motherofthedome to the discussion group.
I'm not too sure about rebuilding the library, cuz I never have had to do it. I'll leave it to other to respond on this one.
<What is the best and quickest way to empty out some internal hard drive space?>
You did not tell us anything as to what computer you are running, how much internal HD space do you have etc etc...
How big is your iPhoto library? Do you have a very high quality camera 6-8Mpixel, that takes 4MB size per picture? If you tell me that you have a G5 with 120GB internal and it's full, then you must have some enormous files in there.....Do you edit video with iMovie? it could be videos, music iTunes library could be big etc etc.... To give you an example my iTunes library is 23GB big!!!!
< Also, what is the exact method for storing my photos on the external where I have plenty of room>
1-go to the Pictures folder level
2-create a new folder in the External HD and name it "pictures" as well (or yu can add the word "backup")
3-select the iPhotolibrary click and drag over the External HD into the "Pictures Backup"
et voila!
Now if you want to use the iPlibrary that is on the external HD as your default one for iPhoto to use, then follow theses steps below.
iPhoto has to be "inactive" or off.
1-on the Internal HD, in Pictures>iPhotolibrary add a number (any number) to the name, such as "iPhotolibrary8"
2-launch iPhoto... and you will get a dialog box telling you that iP is not able to find the library, (because we changed the name of it with the "8"- computers are dumm sometimes) and it will give you 3 choices. click on "look for the library" or similar. Then search for the library located on the External HD and voila! iPhoto will always launch with that library on the externaHD!
Side note
Keep in mind that if your iPlibrary is very big (3GB or more - mine are about 2GB each) and you are transferring your ONLY one library to the external, then you become vulnerable to loose all your pictures should the external HD crash on you. I'm sure you have heard that It's not a matter of "if" but rather "when" can this happen to you.
It happenend to me and had to spend $800 on a company called Drive Saver to transfert the data from my 2 week old HD that crashed to a newly replaced under warranty HD. Yes the HD was under warranty, but they are not responsible to transfer the info from one HD ot another. Learn from my painfull $$ mistake.
So if you only have one copy on the external HD.... that's it! you can loose everything! I personally left my original on my internal ( I have the space), and have 4 other External HD where I make at least 3 backups of all my iPlibraries. I can't imagine all 4 drives crashing all at once! So think of a location where you would make a copy every week or so! Do you have a laptop with 80GB drive?
Backup baby backing up to DVD is too much of a hassle.
I have 8different libraries that I manage separately with the help of Iphoto buddy. This way I can switch from one library to another without having to use the "primitive change the name/ add a number" technique.
Hope this help!
Michel

Unable to find Iphoto library folder

I have been trying to attach photos from my gmail account, but after I browse for the iphoto library folder I'm unable to see my original and modified photos folders.
Can anyone advice how to solve!
Many thanks in advance
Raul

This is by far the most ask question - you would have had to look back at least ten posts to find the answer
look here for the complete discussion --- http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1178149&tstart=15
For g-mail specify go to you g-mail preferences and allow POP 3 access to your account and set the g-mail account up in Apple mail - then you can select photo(s) in iPhoto, click on mail and have a new e-mail created in Apple mail which you send via G-Mail
Larry Nebel

Can't find iphoto library after time machine migration of 2011 imac to osx 2014 imac

I recently purchase latest 5K Retina display iMAC with Yosemite. Had a 2011 Intel iMAC it had a flash drive with latest iphoto library. An older iphoto library was located on the standard HD on the 2011 iMAC. EVerything on this computer was backed up with Time capsule.
When I purchased new computer, I used migration assistant and the Time capsule to migrate files to new iMAC. The newer iphot libray is present but cant find the older one.
What did I do wrong?

Download Find Any File (www.macupdate.com) and do a search for the library.

Can't find iPhoto library in Finder

I want to move my iPhoto library to an external hard drive and have read posts about how to do this but I have one problem - my iPhoto library is no where to be found in Finder. It's not in the Pictures folder, Media is not even listed on the right hand side, so I can't look there, like some postings have suggested. Any ideas where it's hiding or how to find it? I'm using iPhoto '11 version 9.4.3 with OS X 10.8.3

Select any of the photos in the iPhoto Window and go File -> Reveal in Finder -> Original. A Finder Window should open with the file selected.
In the Finder's Column View you can track back to the Library's location.

Need to find Iphoto library

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for