error -36 when moving iphoto library to ehd

What is your iPhoto version?

How is your external harddrive formatted? To be able to move an iPhoto library there, it should be formatted MacOS X Extended (journaled). Is the formatting correct? Otherwise reformat it using Disk Utility.

Iphoto library first aid did not cure the problem.

Have you tried all four first-aid options? Including repairing permissions?

Sometimes you get this error message, when you have imported photo files with illegal filenames. In this case, copy the iPhoto library in parts.

The library package is a folder with other folders inside. You can show the contents by ctrl-clicking the iPhoto library and selecting "Show Package Contents". Then copy the parts over to your EHD - folder by folder. And try to find out, which of the files inside will give you the error message. If you remove that file from the iPhoto Library by deleting the photo in iPhoto you may be able to copy the library in one piece.

Regards

Léonie

Try a clone program like Carbon Copy Clonerto clone it on the EHD

LN

Try the following:

Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library

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.

Note: your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.

OT

Thx Old Toad!

Using iPhoto Library Manager i've rebuilt the iPhoto Library except one album! Then i switched to the old library to test that album and turns out it was an .avi file that didn't let me copy the whole library!

so...after about a whole day of searching the net, thx again Old Toad! I've managed to save my entire photo library (except that video 😝 )

instead of a 3rd party software you can also try to launch iPhoto while holding the Command + Option Key and repairing or rebuilding the libary first.

Per the OP in their original post

Iphoto library first aid did not cure the problem.

Hence te next (sucessful) step of using IPLM

LN

I found a fast soution 45 Gb Library copied in ~30 min. over USB 2.0 - first I rebuilt the library with iPhoto Library Manager and it still wouldn't drag and drop, took forever and errored out.

I did a semi-manual copy, by opening the iPhoto Library - "Show package contents" (in right click menu) then copying the contents to a new iPhoto libaray "Package"

Instead of copying all at once copy the small files/folders in one batch, wati to complete, then copy the larger files folders. You can copy the package contents one folder at a time or a few at a time. I found that copying the Library files in one batch, then copying the Masters, Previews, & Thumbnails in a second batch seemed to work well without choking up.

Here's the steps

1. Connect your hard drive or Mac in Target disk mode
2. navigate to the folder containing the iPhoto Library you wish to copy
3. 'Right click'

   Show Package Contents

4. You'll see apx 19 files - select all but exclude 3 folders: Masters, Previews, &Thumbnails you'll come back for theses later
5. Copy these files to an empty folder on your destination drive/Mac (Later you'll use iPhoto to make a new libary "Package" then you'll put these files inside it) The copy should take a few minutes, high volume + tiny files
6. When the first copy is finished, go back and copy the remaining 3 folders Masters, Previews, & Thumbnails. This is the opposite as previous step, lower volume + larger files. Copy speeds should be normal ie 30 min. for 45 Gb over USB 2.0.
7. Once all these files and folders are copied you need to put them into an empty iPhoto Library container. An easy way to do this is
   1. Launch iPhoto holding the Option key
   2. Choose 'New Library' (choose an apprpriate name)
   3. Quit iPhoto
   4. in Finder go to the new Library you just created (User/Pictures/) - be sure its the one you just made
   5. Right Click (Control + Click) the iPhoto Libraray
   6. Choose - Show Package Contents (now you're looking at the contents that makup an iPhoto library)
   7. Select all these files and folders and delete them to the trash

      Open the folder that has your freshly copied files and put them in this empty iPhoto Library package.

   8. Close finder windows (disconnect your hard drive or Mac)
   9. Launch iPhoto (you can hold the Option Key while launching iPhoto to choose the correct Library if you have more than one).
   10. Viola. You should have a functional copy from your old Mac/External hard drive.

REMEMBER!

The easiest way to mess up your iPhoto Library is to move things around inside the "Package contents" of your iPhoto Library. Its hidden in there for a reason, so don't go mucking about under the hood. Best practice is to touch nothing inside the "Show Package Contetns" of your iPhoto library. As described above, we're merely just speeding up a file transfer and copying files so they mirror their source in a new destination. Good luck.

Thank you! This worked✅. I only lost 6 months of photos where my hard drive failed to add to Time Machine to spite no error message during the entire period.

Thanks a lot! I had the same issue and rebuilding helped. The issue (so says the log file) was a single image file which couldn't be opened, copied or anything. iPhoto Library Manager just skipped it and now my library is fine again. Wonderful program <3

Found this gem for older mac's. Secret keystrokes to open iPhoto in mode ready for repair.

http://www.macyourself.com/2008/10/31/rebuild-your-iphoto-library-to-fix-common- errors-or-missing-pics/

Hardly secret when they're already mentioned in this thread and all over this forum...