What can I do? Every "iPhoto Library Upgrader" I've downloaded fails to prepare the my iPhoto Library, so I can't open iPhoto any more.

what version of iPhot are you trying to upgrade from? What version are you trying to upgrade to?

LN

backup your iPhoto library, depress the option and command keys, launch iPhoto and rebuild your database

LN

You have to actually go to your Applications/Utilities folder and find the upgrader app there. Then double click on it.

Option 1

Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.

If that fails:

Option 2

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.

Regards

TD

Are you sure you've run version 1.1 of the upgrade software and not 1.0? The APPLE DIALOGUE box linked me to a file that never worked, but i found the most recent version on the japanese support site http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1523?viewlocale=ja_JP&licale=ja_JP

the app itself is in english.

Go back to the iPhoto Library Upgrade page again and download. The page was fixed this AM so that it downloads the correct application: iPhoto Library Upgrader 1.1

OT

Absolute genius! Thank you. The Apple rep had no idea how to help me but this simple fix just worked. Thank you!

I want to add a solution for future mac users. I just bought a brand new macbook pro. I restored a backup from an old macbook pro which had the old iPhoto (7?). I got the same error message when launching the new iPhoto11 - that it needs to be upgraded and prepared. I downloaded the iPhoto library upgrader - installed it, and nothing else happened. iPhoto still would not launch. the STUPID THING IS - that iPhoto Library Upgrader went to my UTILITIES FOLDER - and I had to install that too.

Macintosh HD / Applications /Utilities/ iPhoto Library Upgrader.

I installed that, iPhoto finally launched and began to prepare my library. Over 15,000 photos took a couple of minutes to prepare (but i have the 16GB ram macbook pro).

that should have opened in a new my finder folder so I knew to install that as well. Now it works !

Sometimes apple is really stupid. Hope this helps someone.

Or, as I mention on October 20th 2013...

You have to actually go to your Applications/Utilities folder and find the upgrader app there. Then double click on it.

This was the only way that I could get this to work.... Thanks So Much!

The best way to go about this issue is to manually goto your pictures folder on finder where you will find the iPhoto Library.

open it and you will be asked if you need to upgrade it. ( sometimes if might say that you dont need to upgrade ) but after it will automatically open the iphoto app.

after you close the app and reopen... it will work like a charm... :-)

hope this helps...