iPhoto '11 stuck in loop trying to upgrade.

The will be in your User/Library/Application Support/iPhoto/Plugins folder.

Apple has posted an update for iPhoto, to version 9.0.1, which upgrade the iPhoto in iLife '11. You need to install this update before converting a older iPhoto library that used a previous iLife iPhoto version.

Steps to install the update:
1. Backup your existing iPhoto Library
2. Install iLife '11 (which includes the iPhoto 9.0 upgrade)
3. Install iPhoto 9.0.1 update from Apple. It should appear in Software Update.
4. Only after installing 9.0.1 should you then launch iPhoto, which will then prompt you to upgrade your iPhoto library

I hope this is the end of this problem.

Problem persists after 9.01 update

(Fresh install of iphoto 09 upto date with working iphoto Library)
installed iphoto 11
installed 9.01 update
launched iphoto
Update library / yes
spinning wheel indefinitely / iphoto not responding

Also try the following. It solved the SWOD issue for me:

1 - download and launch BatChmod .

2 - drag the iPhoto application into the BatChmod window.

3 - set the ownership and privileges settings to that shown on the right side of this screenshot:

Click to view full size

4 - launch iPhoto and see if that helped.

Yup I had pretty much the same problem and have been waiting over a week for Apple to fix

I did not want to lose my calendars and cards so I decided to reinstall iphoto 9 from the original installation CD to see what would happen. Upon completing the re-installation, I opened iPhoto and it was still iPhoto 11 but the problem was fixed. Not a very sophisticated approach and not sure why it worked the way it did, but it might work for you too.

Relaunch the Finder or reboot the the iPhoto version number will revert back to 9.

I was experiencing the "Upgrade Library" and spinning spikes after installing iPhoto 2011 and tried this suggestion by G8mb1t. Although there was a terminal message when I double clicked on "dbRepair" that this must be done within iPhoto, when I opened iPhoto2011, it upgraded the lib quickly and then I got the Welcome to iPhoto message and all has been speedy since.

Message was edited by: cathyfarrar

Apple issued the iPhoto update to address the issue of 'rare' times that the library won't update, but it's too late for me. After applying the update, I get the information for each picture, but the photo frames around each picture are blank. I just have a blank sheet with dotted lines indicating where each picture goes with information underneath. I'm in deep trouble because I tried some suggestions in the forum that now will forever keep my iPhoto library from ever upgrading properly.

Not sure how this thread is 'answered' ??

I've run the whole gamut of suggestions to fix the problem...none worked. Have installed the 9.0.1 updater that doesn't work either. Nearest to success was an iphoto file that had all video, faces, and half the albums stripped out.
To make life worse my Time Machine backup corrupted so I am working on a Super Duper clone of my iphoto file from August as the first installation of iPhoto 11 demolished my one and only up to date copy (I know now!) of my iPhoto library.
As far as I can see its the presence of video the conversion doesn't like....come on Apple let's have another update that works please....

Even with the 9.0.1 update I've been screwed. I've tried booting in safe mode, repairing permissions, and even uninstalling and going back to '09 and trying to re-build the DB. So far, nothing works. When I try re-building the library, it can't find the pictures. My iPhoto library is still 16 GB, so I know the data is probably still in there.

This is disappointing. I guess this is what I get for being an early adopter. Very disappointing for an Apple product. Does anyone know of a source that can salvage the iPhoto Library file? I have 7 years of deployment photo's in there from the middle east that I do not want to loose.

Like some others, the update was of little help. Probably because I had 'tried things' before the update came out that prevented it from working fully. This time the import was saved, but with blanks in place of pictures. The information for each picture was there though. Then someone mentioned holding down the Option key on iPhoto launch to pick another photo library. My thinking was to point iPhoto to a backup, although the backup was only made after I had already experimented with the original iPhone library. To my surprise I saw a third iPhoto library. No clue where it came from, but I chose it, got it updated and it seems to have all my pictures, although it's putting my latest import at the top of the pictures stack instead of as the last thing. This is odd in that the pictures view is supposed to be in chronological order. But, I'll take it. I'll figure it out. At least my pictures are back.

Ditto here. Too little, too late. My 28,000+ picture library went from 95 gigs down to a mere 18 gig. The update didn't help me. Fortunately I have all my pics backed up, but will have to spend the next few days importing and retagging everything. For now I've trashed iPhoto 11 and reinstalled '09.

Thanks, Apple, for releasing this worthless piece of cargo. Thanks for wasting my time and money.

-ak

Have you figured out where that library is located? If you haven't while in the Finder use the Go menu and select "Go to Folder". Enter "/Volumes" and see what's there.

Click to view full size

Other users have found a library there.

This worked perfect for me!! Thank you so much for your time and advice. This was driving me NUTS! AFter buying Iphoto 11 to try to solve it with the same result I was at my wits end.