HT201769: iPhoto 6 and later: Rebuilding the iPhoto library

Learn about iPhoto 6 and later: Rebuilding the iPhoto library
Smittyrider03
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iPhoto database rebuild

My 2007 black MacBook died and I had the hard drive recovered onto a back up drive. I had a shop transfer everything to my new Mac Mini. All my pictures are intact in the correct event/album, but only as thumbnails. I do not know which option to choose to repair my library. When I click on the picture currently I get the black triangle with grey exclamation point.

 

Some of the pictures I have are my only copies and are of special events...I am very nervous and don't want to lose any!

Mac mini (Late 2012), iOS 7.1.2

Posted on Aug 26, 2014 7:53 AM

Close
Smittyrider03

Q: iPhoto database rebuild

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Aug 26, 2014 8:23 AM in response to Smittyrider03
    Level 10 (139,490 points)
    iLife
    Aug 26, 2014 8:23 AM in response to Smittyrider03

    That ! means iPhoto can't find the actual file.

     

    What version of iPhoto do you have?

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Aug 26, 2014 8:27 AM in response to Smittyrider03
    Level 10 (84,239 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Aug 26, 2014 8:27 AM in response to Smittyrider03

    Sounds like the recovery was incorrectly done

     

    Right click on the iPhoto library and show package contents - look (do not make any changes of any sort) in the masters folder and see what is there including pixel size of photos - also look in previews and thumbnails for the same

     

    If the recovery was done correctly there is a small thumbnail of each photo in the thumbnails folder - a full resolution copy of the image in masters and a preview (typically smaller than the master but not necessarily) in the previews folder - what you you have

     

    Until we know what you have it is not possible to go further - and if the correct photos are not there then you can not fix that - you need to have the recovery done correctly - there is no way to fix a small photos to be a larger one

     

    Probably the best solution is going to be to restore your backup from before the MB died rather than doing recovery from a dead machine

     

    LN

  • by Smittyrider03,

    Smittyrider03 Smittyrider03 Aug 26, 2014 8:33 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 26, 2014 8:33 AM in response to LarryHN

    Thank you both for the replies.

     

    LarryHN I will take a look tonight when I get home and respond.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Aug 26, 2014 12:33 PM in response to Smittyrider03
    Level 10 (105,852 points)
    iCloud
    Aug 26, 2014 12:33 PM in response to Smittyrider03

     

    All my pictures are intact in the correct event/album, but only as thumbnails.

    To save at least the thumbnails select all photos and drag them to a folder on the desktop.

  • by Smittyrider03,

    Smittyrider03 Smittyrider03 Sep 2, 2014 6:00 PM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 2, 2014 6:00 PM in response to LarryHN

    I was finally able to take a look and took some screen shots. I believe all of the full size originals (1-3mb) are in this 'originals' folder, but I do not see one labeled 'thumbnails'. What should I do next? Thank you again for the help!

     

    Screen Shot 2014-09-02 at 8.55.32 PM.png

     

    Screen Shot 2014-09-02 at 8.50.56 PM.png