After moving iPhoto Library to Timecapsule, I still have all directories and albums with pictures inside, but when I click to view the photos I can see a big exclamation mark. I tried to move back my iPhoto library to its original place : same issue !

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Level 1

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After moving iPhoto Library to Timecapsule, I still have all directories and albums with pictures inside, but when I click to view the photos I can see a big exclamation mark. I tried to move back my iPhoto library to its original place : same issue !

Please could you help me to recover my photos ?

I wanted to free my hardrive because not enough space (less than 10G available).

I managed to copy my iPhoto Library to my Timecapsule. I was able to see the picture from the timecapsule, then I removed the library from my macbook pro.

And now, I can only see a big exclamation mark instead of the photo.

I copied back to its original place my iPhoto Library, but I'm still facing the same issue.

All directories and albums are displayed correctly, the size of iPhoto Library is still huge 75G, but I still can't see my pictures !

Please could you give me a solution to recover all my pictures ?

Thank you !

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Mar 26, 2013 2:46 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Mar 26, 2013 5:26 AM in response to Lakake

The exclamation mark means that the connection between the thumbnails of your photos and the original image files has been lost. Try to rebuild your iPhoto library. What is your iPhoto version?

Here is a support article that explains rebuilding for several iPhoto versions:

iPhoto 6 and later: Rebuilding the iPhoto library

Regards

Léonie

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,402 points

Mar 26, 2013 5:26 AM in response to Lakake

Are you running a Managed or a Referenced Library?

A Managed Library, is the default setting, and iPhoto copies files into the iPhoto Library when Importing. The files are then stored in the Library package

A Referenced Library is when iPhoto is NOT copying the files into the iPhoto Library when importing because you made a change at iPhoto -> Preferences -> Advanced. (You unchecked the option to copy files into the Library on import) The files are then stored where ever you put them and not in the Library package. In this scenario you are responsible for the File Management.

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Mar 26, 2013 6:40 AM in response to Lakake

Are you using your Time Capsule as a Time Machine Backup volume or just as an external hard drive?

LN

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Answer 4

Lakake Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 26, 2013 7:37 AM in response to léonie

iPhoto 8 version : 7.1.5

I use my Time Capsule both as a Time Machine Backup and as an external hard drive.

I just tried a new way to open iPhoto :

Hold down the alt key and launch iPhoto

It asked me to select the library, I could browse to my TC as external HD, and I could successfully view my pictures instead of the excalmation mark ! 🙂

Does it mean that iPhoto doesn't remember the place of the library ? Everywhere I could read the opposite.

Anyway I will try again to put back my library on my MacBook Pro instead of the TC and I will let you know.

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Mar 26, 2013 8:19 AM in response to Lakake

I use my Time Capsule both as a Time Machine Backup and as an external hard drive.

That will not work - TM continues to fill it's backup volume until it is full at which time other files will no longer be able to be written

Time Machine keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups until your backup drive is full.

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

- you either have to partition your TC into two volumes (one for TM and the other for other files) or preferably a second external hard drive since using a pertitioned TC does not give you a backup of the files on it putting you are great risk of losing your photos sooner or later when the TC drive fails

LN

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