After restoring from Time Machine backup (that was on 10.6.8) to a new (replaced) hard drive (on 10.8.3), iPhoto shows nothing in it's Library. Where are my photos?

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After restoring from Time Machine backup (that was on 10.6.8) to a new (replaced) hard drive (on 10.8.3), iPhoto shows nothing in it's Library. Where are my photos?

Before I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion, I thought I did all the appropriate updades (to 10.6.8) and backups, I did a Time Machine backup literally right before I did the install. During the install of Mountain Lion, my hard drive crashed and I had to get it replaced... which was covered by a Protection Plan. When I got the computer back, it had the desired OS (10.8.3), and I was told that if I did a Time Machine restore from my last backup, everything would kinda "catch up" to the current OS. So, just about everything "looks" the same as it did on the day when my original hard drive crashed (everything organized the same way on my desktop, multiple settings saved as they were before the crash)... but when I open iPhoto, it asks me what Library I want it to use. There was no separate folder that I had my original photos saved in... but I always was able to find the root files within iPhoto. But now iPhoto can't find them. Where the **** are they... and did the update have something to do with them being moved, or worse...?

Thanks for any help

MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2011), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on Mar 25, 2013 5:44 PM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

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Mar 25, 2013 6:28 PM in response to KnottMusic

If you launch Time Machine and go back to the when youmade the backup and select the iPhoto library (by default in your pictures folder) what size is it? Can you restore it (click the restore button)?

And you may need to post in the Time Machine forum as this is really a TM quyestion not an iPhoto question

LN

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Answer 2

KnottMusic Author

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Mar 25, 2013 8:43 PM in response to LarryHN

I used the last Time Machine backup before the hard drive crashed for the restore, so all my pictures should've been on that backup. My understanding is that Time Machine basicially restores a "snapshot" of your entire computer, not that you can pick & choose individual programs/folders/or files to restore. All I've been able to see is list of overall TM backups by date.

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Answer 3

LarryHN

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106,110 points

Mar 25, 2013 8:58 PM in response to KnottMusic

Certainly you can restore files with Time machineas I noted in my original post - that is what TM is all about

1 - launch Time Machine

2 - go back to the when you made the backup

3 - select the iPhoto library (by default in your pictures folder)

4 - click the restore button

See - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1427?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US - for more details

One quote from that article

To restore, select the file/folder and click the "Restore" button. The file will automatically be copied to the desktop or appropriate folder. If the file you are restoring has another file in the same location with the same name, you will be prompted to choose which file to keep or keep both.

And also from my first post

And you may need to post in the Time Machine forum as this is really a TM question not an iPhoto question

LN

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Answer 4

KnottMusic Author

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Mar 25, 2013 9:13 PM in response to LarryHN

Sorry Larry, I definitely misunderstood the function of Time Machine. The way that it appeared to me was that you could restore your entire computer to a past date in time, because I kind've figured that certain programs or apps manipulate multiple files, so it would be hard to go back and pick and choose certain parts of a past version of your computer. (basically I thought that it was an "all or nothing" solution). My library is over 50GB so it's gonna take a few hours to tell for sure if this works, but it seems as if the wheels are in motion. Thanks for your help... hopefully in a few hours I'll have everything back.

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Mar 25, 2013 10:05 PM in response to KnottMusic

You can restore everything of course - but you can restore any piece of it too

LN

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