missing photos in iPhoto Library after migration

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Level 1

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missing photos in iPhoto Library after migration

My old iMac (2014 model) recently died. All files, including my iPhoto library, were backed up using the Carbonite cloud service. Carbonite sent me a hard drive with everything that was backed up.

I've copied the iPhoto Library from the Carbonite recovery drive to my new iMac (2021 M1). It looks like everything is there, other than from 2020-2023. For those years, I see only a handful of photos. Which means there are probably a few hundred missing.

Is there any way of finding just those years? They have to be somewhere, right?

iMac (M1, 2021)

Posted on Apr 3, 2023 6:17 PM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

203,991 points

Apr 6, 2023 2:13 AM in response to RealityBytes

What is the filename of the old library you recovered? If the filename extension is ".photolibrary" it has been an iPhoto library, if the filename extension is ".photoslibrary", it has been a Photos Library.

What is the file system version you are using on the new Mac?

You may want to check, if you have a Photos Library in addition to your iPhoto Library. The more recent photos may be in a Photos Library. iPhoto could no longer run on any Mac after the upgrade to macOS 10.15 Catalina. Look at the Pictures folder in your backup.

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Answer 2

Apr 4, 2023 7:37 AM in response to RealityBytes

Do you think the pictures are in the Library, and you want to find them? Have you tried a Smart Album using the date, or maybe using locations?

The answers depend on what operating system you were using on the old mac and what you have on the new one. Do you use iCloud to sync your devices?

Do your really mean iPhoto rather than Photos?

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Answer 3

RealityBytes Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 5, 2023 3:40 PM in response to Richard.Taylor

Hey Richard, thanks. To your questions:

There were definitely photos in my old library (on the now-dead iMac 2014) that are not showing up in the library that I recovered via Carbonite.
Not sure what OS I was using on the old iMac. Might have still been Catalina?
I don't use iCloud, since I had Carbonite backing everything up. (I'm reconsidering that strategy now for the new iMac.)
Possible the old one was iPhoto instead of Photos. Again, hard to recall off-hand, and that computer is toast.

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Answer 4

RealityBytes Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 6, 2023 6:01 AM in response to léonie

The recovered library is .photoslibrary

There is also something called .migratedphotolibrary on the recovery drive.

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missing photos in iPhoto Library after migration

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