Graeme Ison

Q: iPhoto 9.6 Yosemite asks to do upgrade and then permissions repair

After the Yosemite upgrade, iPhoto was updated and was all running fine. Could access photos etc.  iPhoto previous version was the Mavericks one, so not v7 or before, requiring the Library upgrade tool.

 

Last night when trying to access iPhoto, it comes up with a message saying the library needs to be upgraded.  (https://www.dropbox.com/s/9svb2pc91821sm0/Screenshot%202014-10-24%2014.00.48.jpg ?dl=0)

 

Ignoring the fact that this doesn't make sense as I have been using this library with the updated 9.6 iPhoto, I then click the Upgrade button.  iPhoto starts 'Examining photo library' for a while and then comes back with a message saying the Library cannot be opened and that the permissions need to be repaired.  After asking it to repair permissions, it fails and says the file cannot be opened.  (https://www.dropbox.com/s/vc3w6c8rh24hpyk/Screenshot%202014-10-24%2014.07.40.jpg ?dl=0)

 

After trying the following, the symtpoms changed slightly.

 

1) Restarted the Mac (as you do)

2) Deleted iPhoto and re-installed it (advised in another thread)

3) The file was on an external USB drive, which was Mac OS Extended Journaled (and has been working on there for 2 years), so just in case, I moved it to the main hard disk in the Pictures folder

3) Ran Disk Utility repair permissions just in case, but no errors found in that file.  Rebooted and ran again to make sure.

4) Showed Package Contents of iPhoto Library file and moved out the iPhotoLock.data file

 

After trying all this, it now skips the permission repair option and just goes straight from the upgrade screen to the failed to open screen.

 

I have now tried the iPhoto Library Manager tool and that opens the Library just fine (version 4.19), which suggests everything is there and working, but that iPhoto has just stopped working.  However, if I use iPhoto to open or create other iPhoto Libraries, it works fine, which indicates a problem with the Library itself.

 

I have also tried opening the file from my iMac (also Yosemite and iPhoto 9.6), but it comes up with the same messages and errors.

 

Now trying a complete rebuild using iPhoto Library Manager as iPhoto won't open the file to do a rebuild using CMD-Option.  This may take days for the 130Gb Library, so just wanted this post up in case anyone else is having similar issues and may have found a solution.

 

Any and all ideas welcome!

 

Thanks,

Graeme

Mac mini (Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10), 16Gb RAM, 2.3Ghz Core i7

Posted on Oct 24, 2014 6:43 AM

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Q: iPhoto 9.6 Yosemite asks to do upgrade and then permissions repair

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  • by BrianSteffens,

    BrianSteffens BrianSteffens Nov 3, 2014 8:00 AM in response to Gary Jaz
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    Nov 3, 2014 8:00 AM in response to Gary Jaz

    Gary: Thanks for this. I hadn't really thought about it, but my troubles DID start when i plugged in my iPhone to add some pix I had shot with it. So maybe it's not Yosemite or iPhoto ... maybe it's iOS again !!!

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 3, 2014 10:59 AM in response to BrianSteffens
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    Nov 3, 2014 10:59 AM in response to BrianSteffens

    Interesting.  Seemed like I was able to use iPhoto fine after the Yosemite upgrade before this episode with the iphone, though honestly I'm not sure if I did use iphoto. But if the photo screen saver accesses iphoto then it was doing so fine. 

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 3, 2014 11:02 AM in response to Terence Devlin
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    Nov 3, 2014 11:02 AM in response to Terence Devlin

    I will have to check when I get home. I'm sure it's the right format though.  It's a Seagate GoFlex that I probably had to reformat to work with the mac when I bought it.

     

    In the meantime, I just bought a new larger Seagate to make an additional backup of that iphoto library on my external drive before I continue to work on this problem.  Should I just copy the 550 gig library as it is now, or should I grab a copy off of the Time Capsule that predates this trouble (if that's possible?)?

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Nov 3, 2014 11:30 AM in response to Gary Jaz
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    Nov 3, 2014 11:30 AM in response to Gary Jaz

    1 - make sure that the Seagate drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) or it will not work for the iPhoto library

     

    2 - bo backup your current iPhoto library drag it to th eEHD intact as a single entity

     

    3 - I see no reason to use a backup copy as you can do that later if needed but if you do want to do that you do not "grab a copy off of the Time Capsule" if you are using TimeMachine to backup - you can only "restore" TM backups, never grab one - Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac - Apple Support - Tm does not rated copyable files for every backup - it backs up new things and keeps track of how to reassemble the file for any specific time using the restore function of the application

     

    LN

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 3, 2014 12:32 PM in response to LarryHN
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    Nov 3, 2014 12:32 PM in response to LarryHN

    Ok thanks Larry.  I was thinking maybe by force quitting the thumbnailing stuff during "upgrade" I may have corrupted my iphoto library. Like maybe half of it got converted to some new file format or something.

     

    But I'll just copy it onto the new drive as you suggest.  Pretty easy to do that.

  • by BrianSteffens,

    BrianSteffens BrianSteffens Nov 3, 2014 1:11 PM in response to Gary Jaz
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    Nov 3, 2014 1:11 PM in response to Gary Jaz

    Let me know if this works, Gary. It turns out my photos didn't disappear, they just somehow became divorced from the iPhoto library. I seem to have all or most of my photos, but they are no longer organized into my events or albums. Nor does it appear that my edits are here (rotation, cropping, etc.)

     

    I can drag and drop these photos to new drives, etc., but I'm not finding ways to restore the library. It seems I'll have to reorganize and re-edit 53,000 photos.

     

    I tested my drive, the drive did not fail, it is NOT corrupted, no bad or damaged blocks. All the utilities say my drive is just fine. The iPhoto database may have been corrupted in the iPhoto "upgrade" process, but I still maintain that's an Apple problem, not a problem I or my equipment created.

     

    If there's a way to restore the library (with events and albums), that'd be ideal ... if anyone can advise how to get that done (if it can be done).

     

    Right now I created a copy of the blank main library and then copied all the photos back into it (without organization, edits). The original library (now blank) is still there but not showing anything but a blank canvass.

  • by BrianSteffens,

    BrianSteffens BrianSteffens Nov 3, 2014 1:29 PM in response to BrianSteffens
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    Nov 3, 2014 1:29 PM in response to BrianSteffens

    Addendum:

     

    The "missing" photos library says it is 616 MB (but won't show anything in there ... so what's eating up 616 MB? (my available backup drive is only 500 MB)

     

    The "copy" of the missing photos library, with 53,000 photos copied into it (which that library "found" when I selected "repair library") says it is 100.39 MB. So I'm missing 515 MB of data/images somewhere, somehow? Maybe that's the meta data, events, albums, cropping data, etc.?

     

    There's a new "iPhoto Library Recovered photos" folder in my "Pictures" folder, beneath the library file/icon, that says it has 63,000 bytes and 53,00 items/photos. Ditto for the copy.

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 3, 2014 3:48 PM in response to BrianSteffens
    Level 10 (139,582 points)
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    Nov 3, 2014 3:48 PM in response to BrianSteffens
    The "missing" photos library says it is 616 MB (but won't show anything in there ... so what's eating up 616 MB? (my available backup drive is only 500 MB)

     

    You sure that's 500 MB and not 500GB?

  • by BrianSteffens,

    BrianSteffens BrianSteffens Nov 3, 2014 3:54 PM in response to Terence Devlin
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    Nov 3, 2014 3:54 PM in response to Terence Devlin

    You're right, not me. That's what I get for trying to deal with this while also doing my day job ;-) It is GB which is plenty big (though smaller than my PHOTO external drive, which is smaller than my TimeMachine.

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 3, 2014 4:42 PM in response to Terence Devlin
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    Nov 3, 2014 4:42 PM in response to Terence Devlin

    Hi Terence, it's Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 3, 2014 5:21 PM in response to Gary Jaz
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    Nov 3, 2014 5:21 PM in response to Gary Jaz

    Update:  So I started copying my iphoto library over to the new external drive and after it copied about 6 gigs the drive with iphoto ejected with the message that Disk Not Ejected Properly, and "The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in "iPhoto Library" can't be read of written (Error code -36).

     

    Oh man. Now what?

  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 3, 2014 5:51 PM in response to Gary Jaz
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    Nov 3, 2014 5:51 PM in response to Gary Jaz

    So I am not hugely tech savvy, but I have realised this.

     

    This is a BUG with the newest iPhoto.

     

    People should NOT update it. The bug happens when you are using an EHD for holding your iPhoto library.


    You are asked to find missing photos, if you click YES, you get iPhoto not responding and this is where the issue happens. Your force quit and when you re open you have ZERO photos.


    I have re built, I have repaired, I have copied my backup from one EHD to another but all I get is most of my photos in one huge file. I have lost my events, I have lost my books and cards.

     

    I think there is something wrong with the syncing of the EHD, I don't think our library is corrupted.

     

    I have a TM backup but am wary as this would be my last chance.

  • by BrianSteffens,

    BrianSteffens BrianSteffens Nov 3, 2014 6:14 PM in response to scaarlet121
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    Nov 3, 2014 6:14 PM in response to scaarlet121

    Grab your backup and copy it before doing anything to it. If it's TM, restore from a date you know it was working. Then copy/duplicate your iPhoto/library. Then see where you can go from there. That way you still protect the last "original" working version. At least that's my best suggestion.

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 3, 2014 10:28 PM in response to Gary Jaz
    Level 10 (139,582 points)
    iLife
    Nov 3, 2014 10:28 PM in response to Gary Jaz
    So I started copying my iphoto library over to the new external drive and after it copied about 6 gigs the drive with iphoto ejected with the message that Disk Not Ejected Properly, and "The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in "iPhoto Library" can't be read of written (Error code -36).

     

    That means the disk got unhooked from the Mac somehow - whether a loose connection or just the cable not pushed tightly.

     

    Reconnect the disk firmly and try again.

     

    As for the -36 issue. One handy workaround for this is to use  a back up utility to "back up" the library to the new location. This means that the app will deal with all those permissions and damaged file issues. Super Duper, Carbon Copy Cloner or Chronosync all work for this purpose. Some have a free trial that will do the job for you.

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 3, 2014 10:34 PM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (139,582 points)
    iLife
    Nov 3, 2014 10:34 PM in response to scaarlet121

    So I am not hugely tech savvy, but I have realised this.

     

    This is a BUG with the newest iPhoto.

     

    Before you can declare that you've found a bug, or even a BUG (is there a difference?) you're going to have to do a bit more work - like repeat the procedure on multiple set ups.

     

    The bug happens when you are using an EHD for holding your iPhoto library.

     

    Including myself, I know of six people with large iPhoto Libraries on external disks, all of who have had no problems. So, how do you explain that?

     

    You are asked to find missing photos

     

    And then you say your Library is not corrupted. But the fact that you get this message is an indication of damage to the Library.

     

    A TM back up is not a last chance. You restore from it and try the update. That does not affect the bak up at all. You can restore again and again as long as you want.

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