Troubles starting up iPhoto

Question

What causes iPhoto '08 to crash on startup and how can it be corrected?
For the last month or so, I've been having lots of problems starting up iPhoto. Either when double-clicking its icon, or upon automatic startup after I connect the camera, I'll get the blank events window, a spinning beachball and a few seconds later, a crash. Lately, the only way to start it up is by rebooting the Mac and trying with no other application running. Crashlogs show:
Exception Type: EXCBADACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERNINVALIDADDRESS at 0x000000002118fc88
Crashed Thread: 0
The system log states:
Nov 13 16:57:11 SilverFlash com.apple.launchd[106] ([0x0-0x1c01c].com.apple.iPhoto[896]): Exited abnormally: Segmentation fault
Nov 13 16:57:12 SilverFlash ReportCrash[897]: Saved crashreport to /Users/macjuan/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/iPhoto2009-11-13-165708SilverFlash.crash using uid: 501 gid: 501, euid: 501 egid: 501
I've tried trimming the library as much as possible (currently 314 photos, 65 events) as well as emptying the trash every time, to no avail. I am using iPhoto '08 v7.1.5 (378) with MacOS 10.5.8, running on a Feb'08 MBP that has 4GB of RAM and at least 60GB of room left in the HDD.
What can I try to solve the problem? No, iLife '09 is not currently an option until I migrate to 10.6 and that won't happen until the snowy cat gets its act together (10.6.3 at least)

Answer 1

Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library' and make a new Libray. Import a few pics. Does that work okay?
If so, then back to the original Library:
Try these in order - from best option on down...
1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.
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.
3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.
To create and populate a new *iPhoto 08* library:
Note this will give you a working library with the same Events and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.
In the iPhoto Preferences -> Events Uncheck the box at 'Imported Items from the Finder'
Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop
Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.
Go into the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Event Folders to the iPhoto Window and it will recreate them in the new library.
When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.
In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, 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.
If that fails, try create a new Library in another User Account, if that also fails then re-install iPhoto..
I would strongly advise against upgrading until you have solved this issue. Most iPhoto problems are in the Library and updating will not fix that.
Oh, and 10.6 has been working flawlessly here since the beginning.
Regards
TD