Photo library folder is empty

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Level 1

8 points

Photo library folder is empty

My Mac crashed, and I'm in the process of reinstall it from scratch but before I do so, I would like to backup my photo library, but the folder is empty!

My HD is 320 GB in size, I have 20 GB left and my library is about 77 GB, I'm confident that the file was not deleted as the space on my Mac still show 320 GB.

I need to retrieve this database as my current backup for some reason I lost the last 5 years of photos, when I expand the folder I see all the pictures up to 2015 and my backup was done in 2019, I have tried all kind of things to repair the library / database without success.

I was able to access my Mac as external HD and backup everything, including iTune, everything is there except my photo library, the file is simply gone, is it possible that somehow I do not longer have the privileges to read the file or was the file renamed or moved somewhere else ? I really need your help !

Thank you.

Posted on Apr 27, 2020 2:42 AM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

215,676 points

Apr 27, 2020 10:55 AM in response to G_D_L_C

Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and you'll get a window with all of the iPhoto libraries that iPhoto can find on your boot drive or any connected EHDs?

If there's no library detected you may have to restore your library from the last backup you made.

If you don't have an ongoing strategy in place for your boot drive you should do so ASAP even though it's like closing the barn door after the horses are gone. But it will protect from future incidents.

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,960 points

Apr 27, 2020 6:56 AM in response to G_D_L_C

Download this wee app:

http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net

It searches and shows you your disk by size so you can find large files.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,621 points

Apr 30, 2020 6:26 AM in response to G_D_L_C

why not clone the complete system drive to another external volume, so you can be sure you have saved everything, instead of searching for specific bits and pieces?

Which system version has been running on your crashed mac? And have you been using iPhoto or Photos for Mac? It would help to know the version of your photo software, because the structure of the iPhoto Library or Photos Library will depend on the version of the application.

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,960 points

Apr 27, 2020 4:51 AM in response to G_D_L_C

Which library folder is this?

Neither iPhoto nor Photos has a folder for a library.

Can you explain more? What do you see if you launch iPhoto?

Also what version of the app do you have?

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Answer 5

G_D_L_C Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 29, 2020 4:33 PM in response to Yer_Man

I looked at all the different square and color, I could have missed it but did not find the pictures. Do you have Any other suggestions, I spent the last 2 months trying to get it fixed, the Mac won’t boot, I need to find a way or either fix repair the Mac or retrieve my photo library .

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Answer 6

G_D_L_C Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 27, 2020 6:41 AM in response to Yer_Man

Hello Terence, I meant the Picture folder, I can't launch iPhoto the file is gone, the folder is empty but the space has not been freed up which means that the file is still there, somewhere

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