iPhoto completely messed up after import from backup?

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Level 1

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iPhoto completely messed up after import from backup?

I'm more a less posting this is a chance to express my outrage at the situation at hand. I recently upgraded to a Retina Macbook Bro and just began importing all of my music, documents and old photos from my old computer.

I've made a habit of completely wiping clean my system every 6 months or so and reuploading all of my music, photos etc on the 2009 macbook i owned previous to this and had several minor issues - I noticed some compliactions when trying to import my iphoto library but it was more or less fixed easily with no lasting problems.... this time is completely different.

I wont't go into huge detail because its safe to say my library has been DESTROYED. It was backed up as it always is on my hard drive and when I tried to transfer it onto the system to replace the default iPhoto library (the way I have read on several of apple's discussion forums) it was clear it wasn't working as it did previously. First of all when i opened iphoto holding the option key to open the library from the source of my ext. hard drive manually as I have done in the past, there were no photos when the library launched despite the library info stating it had over 72 gigabytes worth of content. I decided to literally replace the existing iphoto library file in the pictures folder with that from my hard drive and waited for half an hour while this transferred. Only to find out that the library didn't replace the exisiting one but rather appeared as a folder (not the library icon with several photos layered on top of one another) with an incomplete loading bar overlayed on it and an 'x' in the corner.....

I researched online to see if this was a common issue and found a piece of software called the iPhoto Library Manager which I downloaded and used to 'rebuild' my library. I lost more than 20 Gb worth of my photos and those that did save were all grouped COMPLETELY randomnly into events with mixed dates. Photos that were years apart were grouped together DESPITE me having the box checked to group events by single days.

Now I have spent several hours trying to pick through and gather photos literaly ONE BY ONE and i am absolutely appalled that this is the case. With the cost of apple computers and software and being a very loyal customer to the brand I am extremely disappointed at this ridiculous lack of quality in the iPhoto service. A library that I have spent almost 7 years building and keeping relatively organised is now ruined and it appears there is no way to get it back.

The only bright side is that the iphoto library in its full capacity still exists as a backup on my external hard drive so should I get any feedback (which i sincerely hope to) on this post, I am willing to try any solutions to this specific issue that anyone from apple, or indeed a fellow customer can offer.

I anticipate any helpful reply.

Thanks,

Matt

Posted on Apr 24, 2013 9:17 PM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 24, 2013 9:29 PM in response to mattmackay

Gee it would really help to know what version of iPhoto and of the OS you have and what you are using to create yoru backup on the external drive

Given your extremely long, rambling post I am not sure what you have or where you are

But

The first suggestion is Back up your iPhoto library, Depress and hold the option (alt) and command keys and launch iPhoto - rebuild your iPhoto library

If that does not fix things then drag your bad iPhoto library to the desktop and restore your backup and do the rebuild on it

LN

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Answer 2

mattmackay Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 24, 2013 9:34 PM in response to LarryHN

Well everything is up to date seeing as the computer is brand new and I deliberately updated all of my software before I began importing my files onto the new system.

That is: Mac OS X 10.8.3

Iphoto 9.4.3

Apart from that everything in my post remains the same - and I have said in my original post that I have already tried launching with the option key held and the library loaded empty (despite the large file size implying it had large content) and I have rebuilt the library already as well which is why I was able to regain some of my photos.

Matt

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Answer 3

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,314 points

Apr 25, 2013 1:09 AM in response to mattmackay

I'm not sure what the question actually is. But somethings stick out to me:

I've made a habit of completely wiping clean my system every 6 months or so and reuploading all of my music, photos etc on the 2009 macbook i owned previous to this

I've been using Macs for more than 20 years. You never have to do that. You're making work for yourself that's akin to demolishing and rebuilding the kitchen any time the lightbulb blows. It's a waste of time and not necessary.

Worse, everytime you've done this you have increased the risk of a simple error damaging your iPhoto Library. Every move or restore means there is a chance that some part of 72 gigs of content is copied back incorrectly. All it takes is one minor case of directory damage, a bad block on the HD and you have a problem. And if this issue is in part of the db that you rarely access it can be there for months or longer before you notice it.

So, going forward, I would rethink thatt part of your workflow. It really isn't necessary

Only to find out that the library didn't replace the exisiting one but rather appeared as a folder (not the library icon with several photos layered on top of one another) with an incomplete loading bar overlayed on it and an 'x' in the corner.....

Which tells you that the copy over is incomplete - literally, some parts of the copy process have either not finished or failed entirely.

If I understand you correctly, you tried to open the Library on the External drive and this showed up empty (in spite of the 72 gigs of data), so you then copied that to the Internal and got the same result? If that is the case, then the version of your external is corrupted.

When you rebuilt with Library Manager, which did you rebuild? On the Internal or the External?

Library Manager has a clever trick - it leverages the sharing system within iPhoto for the rebuild. But that sharing system is created by the database, and if the db has mucked up the sharing system then Library Manager can't fix that.

The only bright side is that the iphoto library in its full capacity still exists as a backup on my external hard drive

That's the version I would rebuild.

In general RANDOM block capitals don't help.

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Answer 4

Old Toad

Level 10

207,439 points

Apr 25, 2013 10:21 AM in response to mattmackay

First of all when i opened iPhoto holding the option key to open the library from the source of my ext. hard drive manually as I have done in the past, there were no photos when the library launched despite the library info stating it had over 72 gigabytes worth of content

Had you tried opening the library on the EHD at any time after before this problem occurred? If so did it open satisfactorily? If you hadn't then it could have been damaged in the initial backup process.

Also wiping your hard drive every 6 month and reinstalling isn't something that needs to be done. That may have been necessary for PCs some time ago (and maybe even now) but never Macs. As TD suggested rethink your strategy.

OT

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