Exclamation mark instead of pictures (sophisticated)

The ! turns up when iPhoto loses the connection between the thumbnail in the iPhoto Window and the file it represents.

Option 1

Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.

If that fails:

Option 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. .

Regards

TD

Usually the iPod Photo Cache. Next time you sync with an iOS device it will be recreated.

iPhoto does offer a rebuild option (see option 1 above) but the damage to your library was beyond that repair.

I have several Libraries, one dating back to iPhoto 2, it's been moved and updated and upgraded fro machine to machine and none of my libraries have ever needed rebuilding.

The best protection against problems is a good back up.

Regards

TD

Option 1 and 2 did not work for me! 😟

Did you have a question?

I tried the 2 options that you provided above, but they are not working for me. Is there any other way to retrieve my photos? I have 7,000 of them and only 400 and so are showing when I click them!

Restore from your back up.

There may be other options, but if you won't actually tell us what the problem is...

When I go to iPhoto and click on my individual pictures, my photos show up as a big exclamation point instead of the actual picture. I tried doing the options you have, but they still don't work.

What version of iPhoto?

It's the iPhoto'08 version 7.1.5 (378).

Then the third option is your next step:

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. (In Library Manager it's the FIle -> Rebuild command)

This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places 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.

Thank you so much!! I will try them all and let you know! 😀

Hi, wandering if you can help me out to. I got a new Mac as my old G5 was on it's last legs. Sadly many of my photo's were lost to the dreaded exclamation mark. Can I get them back? I do still have the old hardrive.

Thanks.