You can’t open your current photo library using this version of iPhoto.

do you have a backup? If not you should - sooner or later you will lose your photos if you do not - along with all of your files - computers and disks fail and a backup is the only way to protect yourself

if you do not, backup up and then depress the option and command keys and launch iPhoto and rebuild the iPhoto library -

LN

FOr this purpose simply duplicate your iPhoto library

to really have a backup you need a backup drive and backup software - like a time capsule and time machine for example - a temporary backup while installing/upgrading/fixing is just temporary - you must alway have at least one backup on a separate drive if your computer data is worth anything to you

LN

Hi Shelley,
I had the same thing happen to me just before Christmas and I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong. I have a Mac Mini using 10.4.11 with iPhoto 7.1.5 and a newer MacBook Pro using 10.6.6 with iPhoto 8.1.2. One day I had the two computers networked and was transferring photos back and forth and somehow the next time I opened iPhoto on the Mac Mini, I got the same message you did.
I've gone in too many circles and have really confused myself by trying to figure this out alone. I'm hoping we both find out how to fix this because in my case, iPhoto is completely inoperable as is.
When I get the error message, my only option is to hit quit and close the program. I don't know what to do to fix the problem.

If you opened the Mini's Library (v7) with the newer MacBook (v8) then there is no solution. Your options are either : restore from your v7 back up or upgrade the v7 to v8. When you opened the v7 Library with v8 then you were warned that this would be the case.

Regards

TD

Same Issue here, I did not do anything, except upgrading to latest version of iTunes (10.1.2).
I did not edit any of my photos with any other program, still I can't open my iphoto (ilife 8, iPhoto 7.1.5) library anymore, EVEN after back-up and restore. My idea is that iTunes via my Ipod edited my iphoto library (which I sync with) and made it 'corrupt'.
This is unacceptable, how can this be solved?
Thanks for your help.

Try these in order - from best option on down...

1. Do you have an up-to-date back up? If so, try copy the library6.iphoto file from the back up to the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.

2. Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords 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.

3. If neither of these work then you'll need to create and populate a new library.

To create and populate a new *iPhoto 08* library:

Note this will give you a working library with the same Events and pictures as before, however, you will lose your albums, keywords, modified versions, books, calendars etc.

In the iPhoto Preferences -> Events Uncheck the box at 'Imported Items from the Finder'

Move the iPhoto Library to the desktop

Launch iPhoto. It will ask if you wish to create a new Library. Say Yes.

Go into the iPhoto Library (Right Click -> Show Package Contents) on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Event Folders to the iPhoto Window and it will recreate them in the new library.

When you're sure all is well you can delete the iPhoto Library on your desktop.

In the future, in addition to your usual back up routine, you might like to make a copy of the library6.iPhoto file whenever you have made changes to the library as protection against database corruption.

Regards

TD