Clean Install 10.5 where is iPhoto

onyourplate:

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. iPhoto/iLife does not come with the system upgrade disks. If it came with your computer it will be on the System Install disk(s) that came with your computer. You can either do a custom install from that disk and select only iPhoto and any of the other iApps you want. Or you can use Pacifist to locate, extract and install the iApp package of your choice from the System Install disk(s).

Do you Twango?

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Hello Old Toad,
My basic search of my issue brought me to you, and from what I see I'm sticking to your advice before I wonder further away.

From what I just read, I noticed where you mentioned the 'Library6.iPhoto' database file. This is where I'm not sure what I should have moved over to laptop from back-up hard drive.

I'm sure this is where I was lead astray when advice from others is too vague and telling someone to load iphoto library back into clean install is not very good advice when the list contains many to chose from.

So in my case, I grab the library 'folder', and you can guess what happened when that loaded. If the person simply said load only specific labeled item from back-up hard drive, then I would not be here.

So I need to ask you:
Should I delete iPhoto that now has 9000 images instead of 3000. In other words, when you view iPhoto now, it has all the thumb nails, originals, all combined in the folders labeled 2004 through 2007 only.

No individual folders are shown in the left column like it used to.
Like auto Racing, Motorcycles, Ann, Charlie, and so on.

Now the process of deleting iPhoto.
What is the best way of performing this?
So it doesn't leave trails of nonsense hidden.

When I explore my back-up hard drive, this is what I see for iPhoto. This is where it gets confusing of what to move from back-up into clean install.
You have:
2004
through
2006.
albumData.xml
Folder, Data
Dir.data
iPhoto.db
iPhoto.ipspot
iPhotoLock.data
Library.data
Library.iPhoto
Library6.iPhoto
folder/modified
folder/Originals
Thumb32.data
Thumb32Segment.data
And so on, and 4 more that followed.

Aperture went so smooth compared to this attempt.

Thanks for the tip,,,
Phil
Mpls Mn

Phil:

What it sounds like is that you created a new library and then imported the entire older library folder/package into it. That would give you the thumbnail files from the old library as regular imports in the new library.

Was your original library an iPHoto 7 library or an iPhoto 6 library? Do you still have that original one?

If you do have the original library copy it into your Pictures folder replacing the one that's in there. Then launch iPhoto. It will try to open the library. If it's a V6 library it will have to be converted to the new version. If it is an V7 library it should open normally and have the albums, keywords, etc. intact.