Repairing Library Database

Force Quit iPhoto.  ➙ Force Quit menu option. Next Apply the two fixes below in order as needed:

Fix #1

Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.

Since only one option can be run at a time start with Option #3, followed by #4 and then #1 as needed.

Fix #2

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 Home/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.

4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.

5 - Click on the Create button.

Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.

OT

--see above--

Old Toad,

I have been trying for many days and nights to rebuild or repair my iPhoto library, which is 164GB on a second hard drive (not the start-up drive) and which backs up via Time Capsule to a third drive. My options when re-launching iPhoto with OPT-CMD are as shown in the screen shot - different from the one you showed us. Each time there is a message "Rebuilding thumbnails" but absolutely no movement/change on the progress bar. No matter how long I leave the Mac untouched to process the rebuild, the result is the same, and I have to force quit iPhoto again. Should I continue trying with Fix #1 or go to Fix #2?

(Sorry if this is a repeat; I wrote a post before and clicked Reply, but I don't see my post in in this thread.)

which is 164GB on a second hard drive

How is that hard drive formatted?

Try the following:

If I look in About this mac, will I find the answer to how the hard drive is formatted?

Just select the hard drive on the Desktop and type Command + i to bring up the Info window. There it will tell what the format is:

Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

That's how it should be formatted. Did you run the additional repairs?

After getting your reply that the format is correct, I went ahead and chose the three options you recommended. It started up, and then I got this message:

The photo library needs to be upgraded to work with this version of iPhoto. Your photo library will not be readable by previous versions of iPhoto after the upgrade. The upgrade process may take several minutes depending on the number of photos in the library.

That is totally normal. It means that the library will be upgraded to the version of iPhoto you currently are using and that older versions of iPhoto will not be able to open and use the library. It's been that way with iPhoto from the beginning.

Right, so I clicked Upgrade. But iPhoto hangs again on importing Photos, ostensibly importing the ones that weren't successfully/completely imported on the many previous attempts.

Do the following:

1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down to open the First Aid window. Be sure to follow the circled recommendation in the screenshot.

2 - apply Option #4, Rebuild Database.

3 - try importing again.

If the above fails use Image Capture to upload the photos from your iPhone to a folder on the Desktop. Then import into the library from there.

After doing the three-in-one (Examine, Rebuild, Reclaim), I applied option #4 above Rebuild Database. I tried in vain to import from iOS to iPhoto. I followed your instructions to use Image Capture.

If the above fails use Image Capture to upload the photos from your iPhone to a folder on the Desktop. Then import into the library from there.

Uploading the photos from iPhone to Mac went fine. But importing into the library encountered the same problem: "Preparing to import" message + spinning, spinning, spinning.

As a test launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and create a new, test library. Try to import the photos from the folder on the Desktop.and test to see if the same problem persists. Does it?