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Level 1

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All photos are missing after trying to use iPhoto Library Manager to save..

to an external hard drive. I've been goggling about a month now and am worried I could mess up and permanently lose all my photos. Any help would be MUCH appreciated 🙂

imac, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Mar 21, 2011 9:03 PM

31 replies

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2011 6:23 PM in response to Old Toad

"What's in the New Library folder?

Download Find Any File and do a search for "Library6.iPHoto". If you have an iPhoto library on your HD it will find it."

When I did this my current iPhoto library came up. It has about 300+ photos I uploaded AFTER I lost all the others.

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2011 6:25 PM in response to Old Toad

"If you don't find a library click on the Desktop and type Shift CommandG. In the window that comes up put in "/volume". If you find a library there drag it to the Desktop and then into the Pictures folder "

This also takes me to the photos I've uploaded recently.

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2011 6:37 PM in response to Old Toad

I started this process:
"Open the iPhoto Library in the Finder,

look in the Originals folder to see if your image files are in the subfolders. They should be. If they are then make a temporary, duplicate copy of the library and try the three fixes below in order as needed:"

When I clicked DUPLICATE on the Contents folder it said there were 13,000+ items being copied at apx 149.6 MB

Is that good? Does the mean my pictures are in there still?

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2011 6:39 PM in response to Old Toad

So if I duplicated the Contents Folder and see a new folder titled Contents Copy...am I ready for this next step as you mentioned in an earlier post?

Fix #1

1 - delete the iPhoto preference file, com.apple.iPhoto.plist, that resides in your Home/Library/Preferences folder.

NOTE: If you're moved your library from its default location in your Home/Pictures folder you will have to point iPhoto to its new location when you next open iPhoto by holding the the Option key. You'll also have to reset the iPhoto's various preferences.

2 - delete iPhoto's cache files that are located in the Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.iPhoto folder.

LM14

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 5:23 AM in response to Cali_Gal

OT - I posted on top of the original thread for cali girl but thinking our problems are different. Any chance you can assist me as well? I just can't find my pictures in iPhoto after uploading them and iPhoto quitting on me.

Old Toad

Level 10

207,643 points

Mar 29, 2011 10:58 AM in response to Cali_Gal

It's not the Contents folder you're to duplicate, it's the entire iPhoto Library package/folder. It should look something like this:

And you should see these files inside the library:

Click to view full size

So duplicate the entire library and start applying the fixes.

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 7:09 PM in response to Old Toad

I made a copy of my iPhoto Library as you have pictured.

Next I did Fix #1. I found and deleted what you said. I closed and opened iPhoto. No photos.

Fix #2
When I did this it appeared to copy something for about a second. Still no photos.

Fix #3
There is no iPhoto Library folder
(User/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.)

😟

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,380 points

Mar 30, 2011 12:17 AM in response to Cali_Gal

so where is your iPhoto Library?

Regards

TD

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 30, 2011 12:24 AM in response to Yer_Man

The icon (like Old Toad posted) is on my desktop.

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,380 points

Mar 30, 2011 12:35 AM in response to Cali_Gal

Then use that for option 3.

Regards

TD

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 30, 2011 12:39 AM in response to Yer_Man

When I do Fix #3 I can not find the iPhoto Library FOLDER. I can only find the icon in the lists. I do try to open from the icon but it opens the application. The folder is missing.

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,380 points

Mar 30, 2011 1:06 AM in response to Cali_Gal

Just use the iPhoto Library - folder or not.

Regards

TD

Cali_Gal Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 30, 2011 1:27 AM in response to Yer_Man

I tried using the iphoto library from my desktop and from my Home. I get a "bonk" noise after step 3 below:

+Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library+

+1 -Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.+

+2 -Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your User/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.+

+3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, _click on your library and go to the File->Rebuild Library menu option_+

Also, if I add it first and THEN try to REBUILD it says: +Cannot rebuild. This library cannot be rebuilt because its XML file contains no image records.+

Message was edited by: Cali_Gal

Message was edited by: Cali_Gal

nottechi

Level 1

5 points

Feb 1, 2014 8:30 AM in response to Old Toad

I did this but there is no library to drag; only a file call Pictures

Old Toad

Level 10

207,643 points

Feb 1, 2014 10:37 AM in response to nottechi

Give this a try:

Starting over from scratch with new library

Start over with a new library and import the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from your original library as follows:

1. Open the library package like this.

2. Launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.

3. Drag the subfolders of the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the open iPhoto Library package into the open iPhoto window a few at a time.

This will create a new library with the same Events (but not necessarily the same Event names) as the original library but will not keep the metadata, albums, books slideshows and other projects.

Note: your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

All photos are missing after trying to use iPhoto Library Manager to save..