Photo library damaged; cannot be upgraded

When I open iphoto, an pop-up says photo library must be upgraded to work with this version (6.0.5). When I click "ok", it says "Photo library is damaged and cannot be upgraded". I tried rebuilding, using the alt and command buttons when opening iphoto, but get the same pop-up.
How can I repair the photo library so version 6.0.5 can upgrade it?

jmc200:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. First download and run BatChmod on the iPhoto Library folder with the settings shown here, putting your administartive name in the owner and group sections. You can either type in the path to the folder or just drag the folder into that field. See if that will help.
Next launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys depressed and follow the instructions to rebuild the library. Select the first three options.
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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The photo library needs to be upgraded but it doesn't and won't open

When I go into IPhoto a message pops up that the photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto, but when I hit upgrade it search's for an upgrade than another box pops up that say "you can't open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto. It continues "you have made changes to your photo library using a newer version of iPhoto. Please quit and use the latest version of iPhoto. But I can't upgrade. Any ideas?

Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
These messages can be a symptom of database damage:
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 Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 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, 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
TD

When I click on iPhoto icon I get a box that reads "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto." Whether I hit Quit or Upgrade the problem is not fixed. Any suggestions? Yes, I have tried Command Option iPhoto..no luck.

When I click on iPhoto icon I get a box that reads "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto." Whether I hit Quit or Upgrade the problem is not fixed. Any suggestions? Yes, I have tried Command Option iPhoto..no luck. I think I may have hit Upgrade the first time. I really need this to be fixed ASAP. Thanks for your help.

Assuming iPhoto 09 or later:
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
TD

When trying to open iPhoto the computer says: 'The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.' So I click 'upgrade' Then it says: 'You can't open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto.' Etcetera...

When trying to open iPhoto the computer says:
‘The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.’
So I click ‘upgrade’
Then it says: ‘You can’t open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto.’
Etcetera...
What to do??
Theo

Is your Apple Intel-based, poppelmacbook? If not, you should consider treating yourself to a new Mac. Last December I gave up my old because it just could not update...anything because it was not Intel-based. Updating everything on this OS to 10.9 has been confusing for me, but I just could not work with that old Mac because the updates were too smart? for my 10.6. It is upstairs now...for visiting family: games, garage band, etc.--things I never did use. Apple refurbished and purchase the extended warranty. Apple loyalist since late 1980's.

I get a message that my photo library needs to be upgraded and my photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iphoto after the upgrade. I don't dare do anything. Please help

I keep getting a message when I try to open iphoto that says that my photo library needs to be upgraded and my library will not be readable by previous versions of iphoto after the upgrade. What do I do??

Depends - you first off need to suypply us with information since we only know what you tell us
Like what version of iPhoto are you using? Have you recently installed any iPhoto (or iLife) updates or upgrades? Do you plan to use this iPhoto library with two or more different versions of iPhoto (no possible so stop now if you do)? Where is your iPhoto library?
Anything else that you can tell us that might let us give you a good answer to your question
LN

The Photo Library needs to be upgraded....

"The Photo Library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto." This came up as I opened iPhoto 4.0.3. which I have been running since June 05. I don't think and I looked to see if iPhoto got updated, all looks the same.
Please advise as to what to do now. I made a backup, on another HD, of my Pictures in iPhoto Library just in case.
Thanks, Spencer
Dual 1GHz G4, HD 80,120 & 200GB. Mac OS X (10.2.x)

So you have been running iP 4.0.3 all that time and you got the upgrade library message???? interesting.... something is fishy here...
well like you did, which was the smart thing to do, make a backup of the entire iphoto library (inside your pictures folder) and do upgrade the original library and see what happen!
when you say "of my Pictures in iPhoto Library just in case."
did you copy the entire iP library???
Make sure that you really copied the iPhoto library because it needs all the component that are inside for iPhoto to operate properly.
BTW, did you move anything in or out of the Ip library????
as a rule of thumb, DO NOT venture inside the iP library, move or take out anything in there...... if you did, this may be the cause of iP's need to want to be upgraded!!! Furthermore, any deletion from the iPlibrary not done within the iP applications will casue "mayhem later
my 2 cents!
michel

IPhoto keeps saying The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto

Upgraded to new Lion iMac from Snow Leopard iMac, then upgraded to iCloud. I upgraded to the latest version of iPhoto. I get this message that says that "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto. I have iPhoto '11 version 9.2.1(628)
I have attached the screenshot here. I have over 31,000 photos in this library. I click upgrade and it shows me a line for a while and then goes to the photos. Everything looks fine except photstream doesn't work and I always get this same message when I open iPhoto again.
Another detail is that I do have mobileme web albums still publishing from this iPhoto. Could this be causing a problem?

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 Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 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. .
Regards
TD

The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto??

Just got this message after upgrading to Mavericks...
The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.
Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process for very large libraries may take an hour or more to complete.
Is is ok to go ahead with this?
I have done a back up to my time machine but I am concerned when it says the library will not be readable by previous versions, what happens if I have to restore my Mac from the time machine, which would mean reverting back to Snow Leopard?

Well you have two choices - upgrade the iPhoto library and use it - or not upgreade it and stop using - the current version can not use older libraries so unless you upgrade the library to match the application version you can not use iPhoto
And as warned once you upgrade the libary then older versions will not be able to use it
LN

My iphoto on my imac somehow updated on its own and now its saying "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto." have i lost my photos?

I tried to open my iphoto last night on my iMAC and it somehow updated on it's own and now has a message saying "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto. Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade.The upgrade process for very large libraries may take an hour or more to complete." I only have the option to quit or upgrade. What does this mean? Have i lost my pictures? i don't properly have my back up hard drive set up so all my pictures aren't backed up.

"The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto. Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade.The upgrade process for very large libraries may take an hour or more to complete."
After your iPhoto application got updated to a new version, iPhoto will convert the iPhoto library to a new format, that is used by the new version. The warning tells you, that after this upgrade older iPhoto versions will no longer be able to read the iPhoto library. If you have a second Mac with older software that might be important. Make a backup to be on the safe side and let iPhoto upgrade the library.

HT204478 How do I migrate? My Photos library is empty after upgrade.

How do I migrate? My Photos library is empty after upgrade.

I read here that I need to start while holding Option Key to select my iPhoto library. Seems to be "Preparing Library"
photos won't import from iPhoto to photos app

After clean reinstall from Time Machine, iPhoto says: "photo library needs to be upgraded"

My iMac was reset to factory settings after the 1 TB HDD recall (replaced HDD). I restored practically everything from Time Machine prior to the HDD replacement. The only surprise so far is that when I start iPhoto for the first time, it says: "The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto.". Of course I don't want it to corrupt all the photos and videos I have stored in there prior to the HDD replacement. Should I click on "upgrade"? Why is this showing up? Nothing should have changed between before and after ...?

Well, that explains why it needs to upgrade the iPhoto Library, because your Mac now has version 9.2.3 whereas before it has 8.1.2.
I always like to understand what is going on before proceeding. I am guessing that Apple "restored" the 10.6.8 system but must have delivered it back to you with more recent versions of some apps like iPhoto (they probably don't keep all the old versions of those apps for these restores). I also believe that Time Machine usually does not replace a newer version of an Apple program (like iPhoto, Safari, Mail, etc.) when it is restoring like this. So I THINK this all makes sense.
So what I would do here is make a copy of your iPhoto Library (in case you don't like the results of what happens next), and then say "yes" when it asks to upgrade the iPhoto library to be used with the new version 9.2.3. The only reason this updating could go wrong is that there is some problem inside your database already, otherwise it should work fine. (I've upgraded through about ~ 4 versions of iPhoto over the past several years and have never had a problem with this step).
If you run into a problem after saying "yes," then you have your old Library still (the copy you'll have made) and can take steps to rebuid or repair it with a number of different tools before trying again.

Iphoto 9.2 photo library is stuck in upgrade to iphoto 11

I'm on OSX 10.6.8 and running iphoto 9.2.3. The system prompted me to upgrade iphoto, so I did. But now when I try to launch iphoto, it says "to use iphoto '11, you must upgrade your photo library." When I click 'continue', it then says "you can't open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto." And tells me to quit--end of loop, box canyon. When I use the App finder to get info on my iphoto version, it says it's still version 9.2.3. How do I get this upgrade to complete so I can get iphoto back?

You don't. That was a test, as it says above. We'll try fix the main 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
TD

Photo library needs to be upgraded

Why do I get the iphoto library needs to be upgraded everytime I launch iphoto?

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:
- What version of iPhoto.
- 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.

Where did my I photo library go? Just upgraded to Leopard on a new Imac

Where did my iPhoto Library go? I just upgraded to Leopard and went to iPhoto and there is nothing there. I'm on a 2.8 Gh Imac and did a software migration before loading Leopard. When I click media in any of the iWork suite, nothing comes up in the media inspectors. Did I lose them all?

HI TD - thanks for your response.
I did the firewire migration from the old imac G5 in Tiger. Then I loaded Leopard. My photos folder is empty on this new one. I've been thinking of uploading from the old computer before giving it over to my husband. But, if there's another way to find those photos on this iMac, that would be great.
(I had a similar dilemma with iTunes because I didn't know the music wouldn't import on it's own and found a way to make that happen, so I'm assuming that I can do the same with iPhoto, if I can find where the files are!)

I just upgraded to Yosemite, downloaded iPhoto 9.6 and get this promptYour photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup. Suggestions?

I just upgraded to Yosemite, had to upgrade my iPhoto so downloaded iPhoto 9.6. My photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this new version of iPhoto but when it started to upgrade, this prompt appeared -Your photo library is damaged or unreadable and cannot be opened. Please restore from a backup.
Suggestions?

Try download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)
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.

Photo library damaged; cannot be upgraded

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