Restoring iPhoto Library from a backup

Hi, I recently bought the backup program "Backblaze" just in time! I few days ago I accidentally lost my entire iPhoto library. Luckily after a 12.4 GB download (which took about a day and a half - man backblaze is awesome!) I had my library back. There is one difference. Instead of a package with a cute icon called "iPhoto Library" the restored version has the same file structure except that the package is now just a folder named "iPhoto Library." This means that I can't simply drag it into the photos folder.
My question. Can I drag the contents of the restored "iPhoto Library" folder into my now empty "iPhoto Library" package?
In case that was confusing, here is a picture:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1347667/SnapNDrag66.jpg

I restored the library in a folder - not a package. You can not simply open the folder in iPhoto.
But, I decided to just try it and see what happens - it worked.
I held down option when starting iPhoto, then created a new library. Then I closed iPhoto, showed that package's contents and then dragged the contents of the backblaze backup into the new iPhoto library telling finder to replace everything. My iPhoto library is now fully functional.

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Help to restore iPhoto Library from TM backup

I use an external hard drive to store my iPhoto Library which was manually added to my Time Machine backup as my iMac internal hard drive is insufficient to store all my media.
I set up Time Machine to back up both the iMac and the 1TB external drive to a second 3TB external drive. Now that the 1TB drive with my iPhoto Library has failed, I seem to be having problems restoring all the media from 2TB drive. This is because the Time Capsule interface is designed to display finder windows at various points in time so you can go back to when your missing files existed and restore them.
The problem is that I need the entire contents of the dead 1TB drive restored to a new drive. When I open the 3TB drive in a Finder window I can clearly see that it has backups of the 1TB drive, but they are spread out among different folder snapshots of various dates.
How can I use Time Machine to restore the entire contents of the dead 1TB external drive from the 3TB TM backup to a new external drive?

To restore the dead drive from your Time Machine backup use Pondini's FAQ, that Larry pointed to - a combination of the entries 17 and 16.
You need first to open the backup in Time Machine, as described in item 17. " How can I see my backups, or the Backups for a different Mac? http://pondini.org/TM/17.html ", and then restore to the new drive, using the procedure "16. How can I restore a file/folder to an alternate location? http://pondini.org/TM/16.html"

Restoring itunes library from a backup

I copied my iTunes folder into a backup drive. My hard drive died, and now I want to "re-connect" my iTunes with its library. How can I do it? Simply pointing iTunes to the library location doesn't work.
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When restoring Itunes library from a backup DVD, will it overwrite anything already in the library?
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Restoring iPhoto library from time machine

How does one restore iPhoto library from time machine. When I attempt to do so time machine downloads 2/3 of the library and then says: operation cannot be completed because you do not have permission to access iPhoto library. Any advice? I am using so 10.8.2

Try the methods pondini gives here.
http://pondini.org/TM/15.html
Look at the specifics for iphoto..
It is not easy as the versions have changed.. if you are trying to restore a version older than the OS.. not sure what willl happen.
You might also need to do a full restore to an external drive and pluck the library out of there.

IPhoto crashed. When reopened, 70 some events were grayed out (no photos). Restored iPhoto library from Time Machine, fewer grayed events. Said yes to a msg on fixing library, 3K more photos. Still wrong. What next to do?

iPhoto crashed. When reopened, 70+ some events were grayed out (no photos). Restored iPhoto library from Time Machine, fewer grayed events. Said yes to a msg on fixing library, 3000 more photos. Still wrong. What next to do?

Do you still have the library that you were using when the crash occurred? If so apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
Fix #1
1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
2 - run Option #4 to rebuild the database.
Fix #2
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
1 - download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
2 - click on the Add Library button and select the library you want to add in the selection window..
3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option.
4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
5 - Click on the Create button.
Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
OT

Restore iphoto library from external disk backup

Dear all,
I need to restore all the iPhoto library after have backup and formatted my MacBook pro with iPhoto11.
Before to format the hard disk I have copied all the "Pictures" folder to an external HDD and it also includes a file named "iPhoto Library".
Then I have formatted the hard disk, installed the OS Montain Lion and iPhoto11 and the iPhoto library was empty at the beginning.
I tried to simply copy the file "iPhoto Library" from the external hard drive backup and substitute the original emply file. Then when I run the iPhoto it said "iPhoto library was probably created with a newer version of iPhoto and cannot be opened" and I could just quit. So I have restored the original empty file.
I've noticed that the file "iPhoto Library" is an archive and can be opened by itself. Is there a way to copy the right files from that archive?
I tried to find a solution in the website http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2504 but it's not valid in my case.
Hope you guys can help me since I had very important pictures in the archive!!
Thanks in advance.
GP

Depress and hold the option (alt) and command keys and launch iPhoto - rebuild your iPhoto library
LN

Restoring iPhoto Library from Time Machine Backup

Hi,
My iTunes collection and iPhoto library live on an external HD. A week or so ago that external HD failed. Thankfully I have been using TimeMachine to back up to another external HD. Yesterday, I went into TimeMachine, clicked TimeMachine Backups in the TimeMachine Finder and restored my iTunes library to a location on a new external HD. Once the copy was complete, I opened iTunes and all was well. I tried this same process with iPhoto and it didn't not work. iPhoto keeps giving me the message that my iPhoto library is in use by another application or I need to upgrade. I tried holding down the Option key to select the library on my new external HD and that didn't work. I also tried option + command and the option to restore from an automatic backup in iPhoto automatically crashes iPhoto. Then, I launched iPhoto Library Manager and it said my DB file was missing. What's the right process to restore my iPhoto library from a TimeMachine backup (external HD to external HD)?
Thanks!

It is an option. You can overwrite or keep both when you restore
LN

HT4927 Restoring iPhoto library from Time Machine backup

Will restoring an iPhoto library from Time Machine overwrite the current library? After I did a backup, I deleted some photos but since then I have added new photos.

It is an option. You can overwrite or keep both when you restore
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Permissions Error message trying to restore iPhoto Library from Time Machine

I've tried several times to restore my iPhoto library from Time Machine. After 45 min. when it's almost finished, I get an error "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access "iPhoto Library". Anyone know how to fix this?

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
Connect to the TC via Ethernet cable if at all possible.
Try repairing your backups, per #A5 in [Time Machine - Troubleshooting|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Troubleshooting.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

Trying to restore iPhoto library from TimeMachine - "not enough space" even though there is

Hi all, I'm trying to restore my iPhoto library from the timemachine backup which is roughly 200gb in size.
Timemachine is on an external hard drive, of course.
Main laptop hard drive has roughly 408gb left. Whenever I try to restore the 200gb iPhoto library backup from timemachine, it says I don't have enough disk space... I am so frustrated.. I don't want to lose all my photos from the past 5 years ..
Please help.
I am using the newest Lion, everything is updated.

moving stuff to trash doesn't remove it from a drive. It puts it in a hidden .Trash folder on that drive. you have to empty trash to reclaim space. even easier would be to reformat the drive if you have a lot of stuff to erase.

Cannot Restore IPhoto Library from Time Machine

I was an idiot enough to delete IPhoto Library from Previous System, and now i need to restore it.
I tried to restore it from Time Machine (4.05 GB), but i get 0k restored.
What do I need to do?

How are you trying to restore it?
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Regards
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Trouble restoring iPhoto library from Time Machine in OSX 10.9

i recently got a new iMac and am trying to restore my iPhoto library from time capsule on an external hard drive. my previous macbook with the original library was stolen so the external drive is my only hope of recovering years of photos.
i have tried going into time machine and restoring the iPhoto library. iPhoto shows several of my albums but zero photos. i have tried looking for the masters file but it appears empty. both times, the file size is significant though nothing appears. i am not sure what else to try.

This article should help:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4927
In particular, note this paragraph:
iPhoto may prompt you to repair your library if there are some inconsistencies in your files. If so, please allow it to proceed by clicking the Repair button. If you notice blank thumbnails, reopen iPhoto while holding down the Command and Option keys. When the Rebuild iPhoto Library window appears, enable the "Rebuild all of the photos’ thumbnails" checkbox. This may take a long time, depending on the size of the library.

How to Restore iPhoto Library from BackUp?

My iPhoto library has gone blank, although its trash has the 4,555 images. And all organization, albums, keywords, photo names, gone. Recently my backup storage, where library kept, went blank. I got a new backup, and a pro restored most of old data, and transfered to new one. So, I have the Library on the new backup, and need to restore it in the iPhoto Library, rather than create a new one, which as I understand will lose albums, keywords, etc. A friend says that way to hold down a key when opening iPhoto that will have it look for old library and restore? Not in Help or elsewhere.
I had a MacBook Pro, when this first happen. Now have iMac and have iLife 09, but don't want to instal it until photo library restored.
Sounds basic, but how to restore.
Thanks,
Armando

Armando
The simplest way to restore is to put the Library in the Pictures Folder and launch iPhoto.
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' To select a Library.
Regards
TD

Restore iPhoto library from backup

I am running iPhoto '09 (v.8.1.2) on a 2006 iMac. I installed OSX (v.10.5.8) in early 2010. A few backups were performed before it started crashing while trying to backup. I am not able to upgrade at all due to hard drive constraints spacewise, so I have to work within the versions I have.
The hard drive has been diagnosed as dying and needs to be replaced. I've put it off due to financial reasons.
Meanwhile, I had moved my photo library to external HD #1 to free up space on the iMac HD.
The few backups that worked were sent to external HD #2.
External HD #1 has died.
I can see that there is a photo library in my backup from last March, but need to know how to restore it.
I tried a solution I found (close iPhoto, in Finder, open the folder with the current library, enter time machine, choose a backup, and find the library and click restore), but I was not able to click restore - it wasn't an option.
Right now, I have another photo library that I use when I open iPhoto. It's on the same external HD as the backup. Will this be a problem to restore from the same disk?
I have a new external HD that I haven't connected yet (will be doing that tonight) - if I need to employ it for this process, I can do that.
I know that there are special steps to do this, but with such old versions of everything, it's hard to find an answer that applies.

Nikononkin wrote:
if I try to use load it holding option while opening iPhoto, I get the message that says "The iPhoto library is a Time Machine backup and cannot be used as the main library."
That's correct; you can view or restore from the backups, but you can't use them with the app itself.
When I enter TM while in iPhoto, I see only one set of photos, and it's the library currently loaded as my library (a photo library under another user account of mine on this computer).
In that case, you can't use the special iPhoto Time Machine browser. You'll have to do it the old-fashioned way, via the Finder:
Since the original disk (external #1) is no longer attached, use the procedure in #E3 of Time Machine - Troubleshooting. Navigate to the iPhoto library in question, select it, and click the Restore button. Select the destination, and it should be restored.

Cannot restore iPhoto Library from Backup Files

Help! All of my photos in the iPhoto library are suddenly gone. I read through a number of threads addressing similar problems and have tried the following fixes to no success:
1. I dragged the Photo Library to my desktop and opened iPhoto while holding down the Option key. When I tried to import my library into iPhoto it says that most of my files are unreadable. The photo files seem to be all there on my hard disk, but they are saved as "data" files and not as jpgs or other photo files. Now--some of the photos did import, but only about 30% of the previous library.
2. I restarted and then opened disk utility to repair my permissions, but Disk Utility was unable to complete the operation and I received an error message stating that Disk Utility lost contact with the Disk Management Tool. ??
I downloaded Backup to my computer a couple weeks ago, and after I began using this program, this is when all of my photos disappeared from my iPhoto library.
Does any computer genius know how to restore photos to iPhoto that are saved as "data" files on the hard drive? I fear I've lost all of them.
I'm using iPhoto 4.0.3

Move the iPhoto Library folder back into the Pictures folder. Find the "com.apple.iPhoto.plist" file in your user account's "Library >Preferences" folder and move that file to the trash. Then start iPhoto while holding the option+shift keys. Confirm that you want to rebuild the photo database, then click "Save" in the next dialog. See if that brings your photos back.

Restoring iPhoto Library from a backup

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