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User profile for user: James Fernald
James Fernald Author
User level: Level 2
325 points

Disaster strikes! My sister unplugged my hd while iphoto was open

Since my iphoto library has got so big, I started a new one 2 years ago which I keep on an external HD (my passport). My sister was downloading some photos from her camera and accidently disconnected it with Iphoto open. Now when I open it it says my library is either in use by another application or unreadable.. It says I can try rebuilding it, which I will (I already tried restarting). My question is photo library first aid it has various steps - repair permisions, rebuld thumbnails and repair database -which you can choose. If none of them works their is a rebuild database option. Should I go right to that? And if doesn't work have I lost my photos (the last two months) or can I take it to a professional for repair?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 24, 2013 1:03 PM

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User profile for user: Yer_Man
Yer_Man
User level: Level 10
162,314 points

Posted on Jun 24, 2013 1:37 PM

Start with Repair Database.


If that fails go to Rebuild


If that fails:


Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)



This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.



Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.


If none of that works come back...

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User profile for user: Yer_Man
Yer_Man
User level: Level 10
162,314 points

Jun 24, 2013 1:37 PM in response to James Fernald

Start with Repair Database.


If that fails go to Rebuild


If that fails:


Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)



This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.



Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.


If none of that works come back...

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Disaster strikes! My sister unplugged my hd while iphoto was open

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