time machine is not restoring iphoto 9 backups

Question

Level 1

0 points

time machine is not restoring iphoto 9 backups

I have thousands of beautiful high quality digital images from my old mac. (iphoto 9 on a white MacBook - 2009) I bought an external hard drive and used time machine to back up my computer regularly. The mac hard drive crashed and all was lost. Well, easy fix, good thing I had time machine. ...Or so I thought.

I bought a new hard drive and my lap top functioned like normal. I went into time machine, hit restore, and (hours) later my computer seemed like everything was back to the way it was. Until I went into iphoto... Now Currently: Everything on iphoto is disorganized, images are odd sizes and it looks like time machine rememebered every single face of all of my friends. It is rather creepy, I scroll through the photos and there are thousands upon thousands of small thumbnails of only the faces of my friends. (I never even used the face detection function before - because it's creepy).

So even if I ignore this disorganized dilemma, the worst part is all of my pictures are now pixelated and small. None of them are the high quality pictures I had just days before the crash.

Why are my pictures blurry? (is it because only the thumbnails were saved, if so why?)

How do I restore my iphoto pictures without the annoying "faces"?

Is there a way to restore everything back to the way it was, (with only my pretty edited versions of all my high quality pictures which were sorted into the appropriate named categories).

I am a very sad camper. Especially since I thought I was taking all the right precautions as a Mac Owner who takes pride in their organized digital images.

If you could please help me, I would be forever grateful.

If anything, what do I need to do differently in the future?

Thanks.

iPhoto '08, Mac OS X (10.6.8), time machine, restore, iphoto

Posted on Jul 30, 2013 4:53 PM

Reply

Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Jul 30, 2013 5:23 PM in response to itsa_Lisa

It sounds like you imported your old library into your new one

what exactly did you do?

If you launch TimeMachine and go to the time your wnat to restore from, select the iPhoto library abd click restore it will restore the library - you then launch iPhoto (and if you restored to the pictures folder) iPhoto will open the library and everything will be fine - if you restore to a different location you depress the option key and launch iphoto using the select library window to select the restored library

LN

Reply

Answer 2

itsa_Lisa Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 31, 2013 1:12 PM in response to LarryHN

Thanks for replying Larry.

How do I restore to the pictures folder as mentioned?

When I click restore under my time machine backups the photos automatically start restoring to my iphoto library in their sad faulty blurry way.

I did the option/launch iphoto technique and there was only one iphoto library to choose from.

Reply

Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

207,403 points

Jul 31, 2013 2:20 PM in response to itsa_Lisa

Did you import a library into another library?

OT

Reply

Answer 4

itsa_Lisa Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 31, 2013 6:11 PM in response to Old Toad

is that a common mistake?

I might have.

How do I resolve this error?

Reply

Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Jul 31, 2013 7:05 PM in response to itsa_Lisa

If you imported your old library into your new one

then

1 - launch TimeMachine and

2 - go to the time your want to restore from (before this problem started)

3 - , select the iPhoto library and

4 - click restore it will restore the library -

5 - you then launch iPhoto (and if you restored to the pictures folder) iPhoto will open the library and everything will be fine -

or

5a - if you restore to a different location you depress the option key and launch iphoto using the select library window to select the restored library

LN

Reply

Answer 6

itsa_Lisa Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 4, 2013 10:14 AM in response to LarryHN

Thanks again,

The same problem is occuring.

I tried importing into a new library, (using option command), same ugly faces and thumbnails.

I also tried opening the iphoto library into "Preview" just to see what would happen and all of my previewed images are the small versions + ugly faces.

I had to do this inside my computer, as if my timemachine was just an external hardrive giant USB.

Because now when I go into time machine to hit restore, I can't scroll farther back in time than June 10, 2013. All of the bars past June are gray and not clicakable. Do you know why this would be?

Because of this problem, I also can't click restore from the source...

this did not occur the initial time I backed up my flawed photos.

I keep feeling like I'm doing everything right :/ this is so frustrating. Should I take it into the store?

Thanks for your help....

Lisa

Reply

Answer 7

Old Toad

Level 10

207,403 points

Aug 4, 2013 10:22 AM in response to itsa_Lisa

How is your external HD formatted?

Reply

Answer 8

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Aug 4, 2013 11:04 AM in response to itsa_Lisa

I tried importing into a new library, (using option command), same ugly faces and thumbnails.

There is no IMPORTING involved - you never, never, never import one iPhoto library into another one - it does not work and created a terrible mess as you are describing importing two or three versions of each each photo plus allk face thumbnails

Do Not Import a library ever

I also tried opening the iphoto library into "Preview" just to see what would happen and all of my previewed images are the small versions + ugly faces.

And do not open your iPhoto library using preview or any other program - stay out of the inside of the library - there are no user servicable parts in it and any attempt to do anythign to the contents of the library will corrupt it and cause problems, data loss and possible photo loss

I keep feeling like I'm doing everything right

No - you are pretty much doing everything wrong and that is the source of your problems

the directions were

If you launch TimeMachine and go to the time your wnat to restore from, select the iPhoto library abd click restore it will restore the library - you then launch iPhoto (and if you restored to the pictures folder) iPhoto will open the library and everything will be fine - if you restore to a different location you depress the option key and launch iphoto using the select library window to select the restored library

Note the word IMPORT is not included anywhere - nor is any instruction to go into the iPhoto lliubrary using any program

You restore and launch iPhoto - that simple and that is all

You need an iPhoto library that you have not mucked around with and that have not had another iPhoto library imported into it -- Do you have one?

LN

Reply

Answer 9

itsa_Lisa Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 4, 2013 11:14 AM in response to LarryHN

ok. i can't restore my library, as you described earlier becayse my time machine has grayed out past the point i got a new harddrive in June. the past files are unclickable.this is why i opened my time machine as an external harddrive. but there is no restore option as an external hard drive.

I have the basic iphoto that my mac came with.

i also created a new library, for these backed up photos. it is currently empty.

Reply

Answer 10

itsa_Lisa Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 4, 2013 11:15 AM in response to Old Toad

I do not know how my harddrive is formated. it is a Terrabyte drive. I used it on my mac as a time machine. but i also have access to it as a harddrive, like a giant USB. i don't know fancy lingo, is there a place I can find more technical information for you?

Reply

Answer 11

Old Toad

Level 10

207,403 points

Aug 4, 2013 11:29 AM in response to itsa_Lisa

Check this website on how to get TM to restore to a new hard drive: Apple OSX and Time Machine Tips. It's the best info on TM out there.

Reply

Answer 12

Old Toad

Level 10

207,403 points

Aug 4, 2013 12:31 PM in response to itsa_Lisa

This specific topic may be what you're looking for: Time Machine - Troubleshooting E3. I can't see backups for a disk/partition that's no longer connected

Reply