iPhoto lost seven months of photos

Question

Level 1

0 points

iPhoto lost seven months of photos

This is an interesting phenomenon and I’m not sure how to correct it. Here is what I have

2006 Macbook
OS X 10.4.11
iPhoto ’06 – up to date (I’m not sure what the version number is)
iPhoto Library is 81.2GB (size of folder) – I only have one library

Here is my problem: I’ve been using iPhoto; importing, editing and deleting pictures as I have the last six years. The last import and edit was done at 8 AM yesterday (10 photos). When I opened iPhoto at 10PM last night the last photo in the library was from October of 2011. All of the photos imported since 10/11/2012 were not in the library nor were they in any of the photo albums I had previously created. I was able to find the originals and edited photos in the library folder and I’ve moved them to a new iPhoto Library. The questions are what happened to the photos since 10/11/12 in iPhoto and why won’t iPhoto read them (since they are still in the original iPhoto Library folder)?

Please let me know if you need more information – thank you

iBook 300, iMac 350, MacBook, iMac 266, Mac OS X (10.4.9), iBook and both iMacs running 10.2.x

Posted on May 4, 2012 8:35 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

May 4, 2012 8:46 AM in response to anderjas

The db file has been corrupted.

Surefire solution: Restore from back up.

Otherwise:

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 allowing it to overwrite the damaged file.

2. Download <a href="http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/"><b><u>iPhoto Library Manager</b></u></a> 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 6* library:

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

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 on your desktop and find the Originals folder. From the Originals folder drag the individual Roll 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.

Reply

Answer 2

anderjas Author

Level 1

0 points

May 4, 2012 8:58 AM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks Terence – I was kind of thinking this is what happened

I don’t have a current back up but I wanted to run a couple of thoughts by you.

Using iPhoto Library Manager I’m still unable to see any photos after October. I’m assuming this has to do with the corrupted library db.

Is the rebuild options worth trying?
I’ve created a new library (2010-2012) and have moved all the originals from those three years into it.
Here is what I’m thinking:
1. Use iPhoto Library Manager to copy my photos from 2004 to 2009 (2004-2009) into a new library
2. Trash the old library folder
3. Merge the both the 2004-2009 and 2010-2012 libraries together creating my original library (prior to corruption).
One last problem I’m having is HD space. Any thought you have on library organization and backing up based on my limited HD space
1. I have 3 external drives each having about 80GB large.

Thank you again.

Jake

Reply

Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

May 4, 2012 9:06 AM in response to anderjas

Note - that without a good, current backup you are 100% sure to lose your photos and other files sooner or later - computers, software and humans fail and without a backup you have no way to recover - this would be a gret time to get an external drive 2 1/2 times as large as you main drive and turn Time Machine on

And if you do not have a minimum of 10GB of free space on your hard drive you are in danger of many problems including losing photos - In addition to a TM backup drive I would get a decent sized drive and get the iPhoto library over to it - 500 GB drives are way less than $100 - 2 TB drives around $100 to $150 if you look around

Here is an example from an e-mail I received yesterday - not a recomendation but just one example of current pricing for 2TB -

LN

Reply

Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,308 points

May 4, 2012 9:08 AM in response to anderjas

If you've moved files from the damaged Library there's no point in trying to rebuild it.

You'll need the paid version ($20) of Library Manager to merge the Libraries.

You can run a Library from any disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Reply

Answer 5

Jun 13, 2012 12:23 PM in response to anderjas

I lost the last year of photos when iPhoto upgraded itself to 11.

However, deleting the com.apple.iphoto.plist in User/Library/Preferences and then continuing to follow the advice at the link below saved everything, including a recent book.

http://www.cultofmac.com/65902/iphoto-11-upgraded-reporting-data-loss/

Reply