Can't open iPhoto Library, requires Aperture upgrade

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Can't open iPhoto Library, requires Aperture upgrade

I tried to open my iPhoto Library, and got the message "Aperture library needs to be upgraded. To open this Aperture library in iPhoto, you need Aperture 3.3 or later." etc. My Mac is mistaking my iPhoto Library for Aperture, but I have never owned Aperture. I have been successfully using iPhoto until this suddenly happened.

Macbook Air 2016 13-inch running High Sierra

iPhoto 9.6.1, re-downloaded today and got the same result

I tried to convert the iPhoto Library to Photos, but Photos said it could not open the Library.

I tried to buy Aperture so I could try to open the iPhoto Library that way, but I could not find Aperture anywhere.

I have backup copies of the iPhoto Library in Time Machine, but I'm afraid to try to open them for fear there is a built-in glitch that will create the same error message.

Does anyone know a way to correct this problem in the iPhoto Library?

Or, can anyone tell me where to buy Aperture?

Thanks

MacBook Air

Posted on Jul 25, 2019 11:00 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,408 points

Jul 26, 2019 2:43 PM in response to Frances Grigsby

That's a bogus error message and like caused by database corruption in the library.

If Leonie's suggestion of using iPhoto's own repair tools doesn't work:

Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)

This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Jul 26, 2019 2:10 PM in response to Frances Grigsby

I tried to convert the iPhoto Library to Photos, but Photos said it could not open the Library.

How did you try the conversion? Did you launch Photos while holding down the options key ⌥, then select the iPhoto Library to open? If yes, what is the exact error message?

Photos cannot open a library, that is on a drive, that has been used for TimeMachine backups. If the external drive has been used by Time Machine, try to move the library to a different drive, then try to open it there with Photos.

The only thing I can think of at this point is to try to learn what the various files in the Library are, and try swapping out elements from older backup copies.

If the library is an iPhoto 9.6.1 library, you will find the original image files in a subfolder called Masters.

Have you tried to repair the iPhoto Library in iPhoto?

Try to hold down the key combination ⌥⌘ while double clicking the library .
keep holding down the key combination until the First Aid Dialog appears.
Then select to repair the permissions, after that, try all repair options in turn.

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Answer 3

Jul 26, 2019 6:39 PM in response to léonie

Thanks so much for these ideas. No luck so far but it’s good to have options to try.

How did you try the conversion? Did you launch Photos while holding down the options key ⌥, then select the iPhoto Library to open? If yes, what is the exact error message?

Yesterday I tried to launch the iPhoto Library in Photos by right-clicking the Library and choosing “Open with” Photos. Preparing Library ran to 30% complete, then gave this message:

“The Library could not be opened. The library “Photos Library xxx” could not be recognized.”

Per your suggestion, tonight I tried Option-Photos and chose the iPhoto Library. Again, the process ran to 30%, and gave the same message.

Photos cannot open a library, that is on a drive, that has been used for TimeMachine backups. If the external drive has been used by Time Machine, try to move the library to a different drive, then try to open it there with Photos.

I'm on an entirely different and new external drive, no Time Machine. (There’s plenty of space available on the drive, by the way, so that’s not an issue.)

Have you tried to repair the iPhoto Library in iPhoto?

Try to hold down the key combination ⌥⌘ while double clicking the library .
keep holding down the key combination until the First Aid Dialog appears.
Then select to repair the permissions, after that, try all repair options in turn.

Yep, one of my first efforts was trying to access the iPhoto First Aid options, as you describe. But I wasn’t allowed in, got the same “Aperture Library needs to be upgraded” message.

If the library is an iPhoto 9.6.1 library, you will find the original image files in a subfolder called Masters.

I know that I can pull all my original files out of Masters. It’s a comfort to know that they can be rescued, but with 80K photos, it’s tough to settle for losing years of editing, Faces and Places.

When I'm more clear-headed tomorrow, I'll try Terence's iPhoto Library Manager suggestion. Great thinking, all!

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Jul 26, 2019 11:39 PM in response to Frances Grigsby

When I'm more clear-headed tomorrow, I'll try Terence's iPhoto Library Manager suggestion. Great thinking, all!

I hope it will work. You need only the free trial version of iPhoto Library Manager to repair a library. IPLM has rescued many libraries, when the built-in tools did not suffice.

Since you restored the library from a Time Machine backup of another computer, there may be permission and file ownership problems. I would enable the flag "Ignore Ownership on this volume" for your external drive with the library, before you proceed with the repair.

Select your external drive's icon in the Finder, then choose File > Get Info. If the information under Sharing & Permissions isn't visible, click , then make sure the "Ignore ownership on this volume" checkbox is selected. If it's not selected, click to unlock it, enter an administrator name and password, then select the checkbox.2

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Jul 26, 2019 11:25 AM in response to Frances Grigsby

You cannot buy Aperture any longer. It has been pulled from the AppStore in 2015, together with iPhoto, when iPhoto has been replaced by Photos.

Where is your iPhoto Library stored? Is it in your Pictures folder or on an external drive? If it is on an external drive, what is the file system format of the external drive?

Which version of iPhoto created that library? DId you last open it in iPhoto 9.6.1, or has it been an earlier version?

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Answer 6

Jul 26, 2019 11:48 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for your response.

My iPhoto Library is on an external drive, format Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

The Library was originally created many years ago, According to Wikipedia, Apple launched iPhoto in 2002, so I would guess it was created then. Yes, it was last opened in iPhoto 9.6.1.

I know that you can't buy Aperture from Apple - I was hoping for a third-party source.

Other info: I have tried to open older versions of the Library, that I had stored as backup, but they also generate the "Aperture Library needs to be upgraded" message.

The only thing I can think of at this point is to try to learn what the various files in the Library are, and try swapping out elements from older backup copies. Risky I know, so if you have any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.

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Answer 7

Jul 28, 2019 9:58 AM in response to Yer_Man

Terence and Léonie,

Here's an update: I am running Rebuild on iPhoto Library Manager (I already owned it). So far, so good. Library Manager reached into the corrupted Library file, which in itself is a big win as no other solution has gotten that far. (Library Manager documentation says it's been upgraded to do that.) The Rebuild has been running for over 24 hours, not done yet. But it is making progress through my 89K photos. And it's output is in iPhoto, not Aperture. That's a relief, since I don't have a copy of Aperture to open a new file. Looks like it's picking up a bunch of duplicates - but given the alternative, that's fine.

Léonie, thanks for the hint about ignoring ownership on the drive.

I'll let you know when the process is done!

Gratefully, Fran

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Answer 8

Jul 28, 2019 4:50 PM in response to Yer_Man

Terence and Léonie,

The Rebuild is done and was mostly successful. Found all photos plus a bunch of duplicates, preserved Titles, Descriptions and Dates. Did not preserve edits and Faces. Seems to have preserved Places. So all in all, much more successful than simply importing all the photos again.

Here's a random (and probably futile) question: What would happen if I copied the Faces sub-folder from the "source" version of iPhoto Library and pasted it into a copy of the newly-created iPhoto Library? In other words, I'm considering making a copy of the newly-created iPhoto Library and experimenting with it to see if copying-and-pasting Faces works. Probably all it would do is screw up the copied Library - have you ever tried editing the contents of the Library?

Thanks again to both of you.

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Answer 9

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,408 points

Jul 28, 2019 10:23 PM in response to Frances Grigsby

What would happen if I copied the Faces sub-folder from the "source" version of iPhoto Library and pasted it into a copy of the newly-created iPhoto Library?

Depends on what *exactly* you mean by "into"... If you mean you paste the folder inside the iPhoto Library Package: Nothing. Putting the folder in there would just... put a folder there. The faces would not be registered in the iPhoto database, and so would have no effect.

If, on the other hand, you mean paste it into the iPhoto window, then you'll get a mess of low quality thumbnails in your iPhoto, and still no faces.

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Can't open iPhoto Library, requires Aperture upgrade

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