Hey guys, I recently decided to do a full reinstall of my Macbook Pro, in order to backup my iPhoto library - I burned it onto a CD.
The problem is now I'm trying to copy the file back onto my newly reformatted Macbook and it's giving me an error.
Is there a way I can access the innards of my iPhoto library and rescue what I can?
Thanks
iPhoto '11, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
No
The iPhoto library is a SQL database and must be kept intact. You can not work on it in pieces
Maybe if you told us exactly what is happening and exactly what the error message is someone could assist
Basically you have said I have a problem. How do I fix it?
LN
My apologies if I was vague. When dragging the iPhoto file 'iPhoto Library' into my Picture folder, I am given this error
The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “iPhoto Library” can’t be read or written.
(Error code -36)
Although every other file I have backed up on my DVD disk has been restored without fault.
How did you burn the library to the DVD disk? Did you use the Share ➙ Burn menu option or just drag the library package from the Pictures folder onto the DVD and burn?
Create a new folder on your Desktop, name it Recovered iPhoto Library and drag the contents of the iPhoto library folder on the CD, one by one, into it. This should isolate exactly what file is giving you the trouble.
If the problem file is an image file you may be able to copy all of the files by that one into that new folder. Then try opening the new folder with iPhoto by launching iPhoto with the Option key held down, select Choose Library and navigate to the the folder on the Desktop in the window and select it.
You may end up with a "missing" photo in the library window but since it's only one just delete it.
OT
Thanks for replying, I tried your technique of extracting each file individually and discovered any file marked "Alias" or with the extention ".apdb" won't copy. Everything else seems to work fine. I've tried using the option key but it refuses to open the library saying it is Locked (Possibly because it's on a DVD disk)
To burn it on to the disk, I simply burned the file iPhoto Library onto a disk found in My Pictures.
Were you running a "managed" or "referenced" library?
If you were running a reference library you've lost your photos unless you nave a backup copy of the source files.
It was a Managed Library, all the source images are still inside the iPhoto Library and I can successfully retrieve them, I'd just like to keep the organization and folders I previously had in place.
You can create a new library with the original images and keep the same events that you had.
Start 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. Move the existing library folder to the desktop.
2. Open the library package like this.
Click to view full size
3. Launch iPhoto and, when asked, select the option to create a new library.
4. Drag the Originals (iPhoto 09 and earlier) or the Masters (iPhoto 11) folder from the iPhoto Library on the desktop into the open iPhoto window.
Click to view full size
This will create a new library with the same Events as the original library but will not keep the metadata, albums, books slideshows and other projects.
How can I rescue a 'corrupted' iPhoto file from a CD?
