Time Machine corrupted iPhoto library? Help!

Hi,
I need some advice. It appears that I have lost thousands of photos. I know that's not true cos I have a Time Machine backup, but I want to run my situation past you before trying to recover my library. You see, I had a Time Machine backup error. Actually, scratch that, I had a problem with iPhoto not showing some particular photos. They showed up as just a dotted outline, yet when I chose 'show original file' or clicked to edit the photo, it appeared. So, the photos were there, but the thumbnails had a problem.
After some time spent searching for a fix, I started iPhoto with the command and option keys pressed and chose all options to rebuild iPhoto. This looked like it was gonna take some time (I have over 4500 photos) so I left it alone and went to bed. In the morning, iPhoto appeared to be fixed but Time Machine had reported an error while backing up. I clicked ok, did a new backup by clicking 'backup now' which worked fine and carried on as usual.
I've used iPhoto some more today and then, this evening, another TM backup failed. I tried again, and it failed again. I searched the internet to figure out why and discovered how to view the log file. This reported this: Jun 19 21:22:59 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Error: (-8062) SrcErr:NO Copying /Users/leewebb/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Library6.iPhoto to /Volumes/Time Machine Backup/Backups.backupdb/Lee Webb’s intel iMac/2010-06-19-210546.inProgress/5A645817-7095-47FC-A658-A447B5A5814C/mac hd/Users/leewebb/Pictures/iPhoto Library
Jun 19 21:23:46 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Copied 1656 files (294.5 MB) from volume mac hd.
Jun 19 21:23:46 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Copy stage failed with error:11
Jun 19 21:24:17 lee-webbs-intel-imac /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd[10907]: Backup failed with error: 11
So, something seems to be wrong with the iPhoto library. I reckon that the rebuild process was somehow interrupted/corrupted by a TM backup. Following some instructions I found in C3 here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2057525 I ran a verify on my TM backup drive. This returned with OK. I then excluded my iPhoto library from my backup and ran the backup again. It worked fine, which would confirm that the iPhoto library is indeed the problem. Good. Ok. So, that's where I am now. Except it isn't. When I now start up iPhoto, my library has shrunk down to 748 photos! Eeek! What's happened, and what can I do about it? In iPhoto, those 748 photos add up to 1.4gb yet the iPhoto library file is still 12.87gb.
Please can you help me.
I just want to make sure I do the right thing instead of panicking. I've switched off my TM backup for now.
Many thanks,
Lee

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Restored from Time Machine but iPhoto library file corrupted

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I do have a separate Carbon Copy Cloner back up from the iPhoto external hard drive to another external hard drive and before, throughout and after the iMac crash, this back up process continued to operate normally. So I could try and re-store the iPhoto library from a CCC back. I just wondered if anyone knew another way that I could just repair the Faces part as the rest seems ok now.

Hi Mr D
Still wading through treacle!
I recall I used iPhoto Library Manager and then selected largest file size and most metadata to merge the two libraries. Still not perfect but images are there even if a few face thumbnails are absent.
Using SMART Utility I checked to see what was going on with hard drives as a CCC back up reported some deep system files were on an unreadable block. I should have replaced them from CCC but there were only a few and they were so unusual I hesitated. Whilst searching which replacement hard drive I could fit and whether I could fit it myself, iMac crashed again so another restore from TM. (According to SU my hard drive is failing as it has 6 re-allocated blocks and 1 event error). Back up and restored, I now see that various movies in iMovie '09 cannot access the source files as they are not in the original location. This I think is more to do with me relocating my iPhoto library for space reasons to an external hard drive rather than the crashes and re-builds. I hadn't realised the distinction between imported movies into iMovie '09 (from a movie camera say) and those from iPhoto (from an iPhone say) and what would happen if, for space reasons, I moved the iPhoto library to an external hard drive. Yes, I know now I should have consolidated the movies. There are occasions when a small user guide might help! Also the new iMovie '10 library, which runs as an alternative alongside iMovie '09, is happily located on the external hard drive whereas the iMovie '09 library sits on the iMac's hard drive.. All the still images are ok in all the movies in iMovie '09 (even having moved?) its just the .avi files that it cannot locate. Simples, I thought. I created a folder in iPhoto '09 with all the iPhoto avi files and thought if I exported them and then imported them into a new library in the location (my iMac user pictures folder) it would then be able to 'see' them. Problem is in the iPhoto '09 library on the external hard drive I have many more folders than in the newly created iMovie '09 library on the iMac hard drive. iMovie '09 is looking for /Users/'me'/Pictures/iPhoto library/Originals/'movie file title'/'file name'.avi but the 'Originals' folder is in fact just an alias to point to an adjacent folder in the iMovie library package called 'Masters' and in the new library I only have 'Masters' and not an alias 'Originals' folder.
So iMovie '09 still cannot 'see' the .avi files even though they are now (almost) in the right location on the correct drive (the iMac) as I don't have an 'Originals' folder in this library whereas the legacy library does. Can I get around this? Why does one library have a 'Masters' folder as well as an 'Originals' and 'Modified' aliases and the new library only 'Masters'? As I cannot re-point iMovie I need to have an 'Originals' alias pointing at 'Masters' for this to possibly work. My plan was to resolve the project issues once the files were all accessible in the correct place and then consolidate and move the iMovie '09 library as a working entity to the external hard drive where there is space.
The second issue is that of the c600 .avi files I exported (all of which function in the library from whence they were exported), 129 will not import into the new '09 library I have created on my iMac hard drive. This is odd as they are visible and play in their source library but refuse to be imported into the new one made with the same application. Other than a couple of the ones that do import showing a format in QT as 16 bit little-endian signed integer 44100Hz as opposed to 8 bit unsigend integer 16000HGz for one that didn't, I am at a loss to understand what the new library objects to.
I have now isolated all the exported .avi files that will not import into a folder pending someone hopefully providing a answer....

Hard drive to airport extreme for time machine and iPhoto library

Can I buy an external hard drive and connect to my airport extreme to be used to host my iPhoto library. Meaning that no mater what Mac I upload an image to iPhoto in, it is referencing the same library on an external drive.

While you can do this as Kappy points out, there a few details that you might want to consider before you make the move.
1) Time Machine backups to a drive at the USB port of the AirPort Extreme are not supported by Apple. While this does seem to work for some users, others (like me) have difficulty with corruption issues. The bottom line is that this is not a reliable method to back up your important data....and, no support or help from Apple if you do have difficulties.
Reference this Apple Support Document to confirm:
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http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15139.html
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Hi,
I've been mulling over moving my iPhoto library (85gb) to an external drive for a while now to save some space on my iMac's internal drive. I wondered what affect this might have on my Time Machine backup as my TM drive has only 8gb available. Now, I know TM will delete old backups to free up space but I wondered if TM would even see this as new data because I will be pointing iPhoto to the new library, so will TM backup the entire 87gb, or will it see it as the same library and only backup new, or changed data from now on?
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Thanks

Yes I'm aware of the Pondini site and its extremely helpful, but in this case it doesn't answer my question.
To update the original post, I renamed my old library back to 'iPhoto Library' and, I guess, because it hadn't completed a backup of the library with the 'iPhoto Library - Old' name, it the potential 100gb backup reverted back down to around 7gb.
So, lesson learned; do not rename the iPhoto library.
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Thanks,

How can I use one external hard drive for both Time Machine and iPhoto Library?

I have been using a 1 TG LaCie external hard drive for Time Machine backups. My (older) Mac has 160 GB and is almost full. I would like to move my iPhoto Library to the external hard drive, but I've heard Time Machine doesn't share one space well. Should I
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3. leave it with one partition and move the iPhoto Library to the same partition with Time Machine back ups?
I know I don't need the entire 1 TG for back up of 160 GBs. Please advise the best path to take. Thank you!

You are getting incorrect information from your ASP. If you look at drive specifications the heat generated is no different for high vs low capacity drives.
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Hi Mac users.
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Actually there's nothing to do. TM backs up all connected volumes automatically. One has to exclude a volume or folder(s) to keep them from being backed up in the TM preferences.
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OT

I've lost my photos (crashed hdd, iPhoto library on Time Machine corrupt too). Is there a way to create a picture from the thumbnail that remains in iPhoto? The quality is obviously poor, but better than nothing.

I've lost my photos (crashed hdd, iPhoto library on Time Machine corrupt too). Is there a way to create a picture from the thumbnail that remains in iPhoto? The quality is obviously poor, but better than nothing.

Time machine should have a good copy - how are you determining that it is corrupt
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Help removing a corrupt Iphoto library

Hi All
I am posting this here as i don't think its a iPhoto specific issue, rather a corrupt file issue
I was hoping some one can provide wisdom in removing a corrupt iPhoto Library
The file suggests it is 500Gig in size, and no matter what i try i can't delete it
What i have tried
Deleting it through the trash can - system just hangs
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Running disk verify and repair to see if that would resolve the problem
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I have even tried deleting using Terminal with no success, however in saying that i am a beginner using this launguage
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I would be grateful if any one could help me solve this problem
Note i am running the latest software, and i no longer require this file

Trash Can’t Empty – Big Files
Trash – Can’t Empty or Move File To Trash
Trash – Empty When File is Locked or in Use
Try holding down the option button while trying to delete the Trash. If that doesn’t work, here is some more information.
Trash FAQ

IPhoto6 - after a full reistall of Snow Leopard, iphoto does not display thumbnails. I've restored from time machine, rebuilt the library and run through the rebuild thumbnails function with no success. The files are there, I just get a dotted outline.

iPhoto6 on iMac running SL - after a full reistall of Snow Leopard, iphoto does not display thumbnails. I've restored the library from time machine, rebuilt the library from iPhoto and run through the rebuild thumbnails function with no success. The files are there, I just get a dotted outline instead of the thumbnails. Does anyone have any other ideas on how to restore the thumbnails?

Try the following:
Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
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

Corrupt iPhoto library - what next?

I've spent the last few days trying to fix my corrupt iPhoto library. Pictures I've imported in the last month are no longer visible within iPhoto (I get the exclamation point and the triangle). The imported pictures are stored in the iPhoto library, where they should be, i.e. using the year/month/day file system, so I haven't lost them, but iPhoto can't see them. I've done the following;
Used the rebuild function when launching iPhoto
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Ran iPhoto Library Manager to create a new library
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Backups using Time Machine
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Try these in order - from best option on down...
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2. Download <a href="http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/"><b><u>iPhoto Library Manager</b></u></a> 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.
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Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library'
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Regards
TD

Time machine and iPhoto '08

I asked a similar question on the iPhoto discussion list earlier today, and have had no luck, so now I will try the Time Machine discussion list.
I want to know why Time Machine "allowed" iPhoto '08 to migrate my backed up photo files and directory structures to the new "package" structure without my knowledge or permission?
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I understand iPhoto '08 updating my current photos in the Unix directory into the new "package" structure. I understand that the new "package" structure is supposed to save us from ourselves. I have read Devlin's advice on how to access the package files. I don't want advice on any of that.
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I didn't want or expect my archives to be updated, and please save me the speech on how the package structure will save me from corrupting my iPhoto files, and how I "shouldn't" access my files through Finder, in the first place. I'm not interested in lectures on how I use my own computer.
I simply want to know why Time Machine allowed a software program to migrate the structure of my "archival" files without my knowledge or permission.
I also want to know if there is a way I can "undo" the iPhoto '08 migration in my back up files or if I am just stuck with this now. I plan to uninstall iLife '08, as after one weekend I am rather disgusted with iPhoto; I'll leave out my opinion of "Mobile Me".
I discovered this (the migration of my photo files to the iPhoto '08 package) when I went to Time Machine to reinstall my system to where it was prior to the install of iLife '08. I work in digital preservation (as much as there is such a field) and the entire idea that Apple has designed software to search around and migrate someone's archival data without the permission or knowledge of the owner is pretty stupid from a legal perspective.

I'll take the question to the Apple Genius Bar.

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Remember: we cannot see your machine. There are 9 different versions of iPhoto and they run on 8 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. Basic things like :
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