iPhoto library corrupted: Can I rescue actual photos?

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Level 1

5 points

iPhoto library corrupted: Can I rescue actual photos?

About two years ago, I was working with a 283.35 Gigabyte iPhoto library. Unacceptably large, I know... but I'm older and wiser now. It was well over 3 years worth of photos, and in my defense I did go into the Apple Store at least once, learned how to split the libraries up, etc. At one point, I moved the whole thing to an external drive... and ultimately began backing up several months worth of photos at a time.

Before I'd gotten very far... the drive appeared to crash. I had only an error message saying 'This drive is unreadable' and that I could 'Reformat, Ignore, or Eject'.

I assumed I'd lost everything, moped around a bit, and moved on... happy that at least my favorites were on Flickr.

Last night I pulled out the old drive, plugged it in and again saw the 'reformat / ignore / eject' prompt. This time began googling, saw some people mention DiskWarrior, and I wound up talking to their tech support about the drive. Through screen sharing, he was able use my Terminal and actually got the drive working again within minutes. I immediately tried to make a backup copy of this massive iPhoto library, only to learn after an error message part way through that IT is corrupted file, and likely caused all my external drive problems in the first place.

Using an analogy of a sinking ship, I'm hoping to throw a lifeline and rescue small groups of passengers from this library which I have no interest in fixing. Once I make sure they're not corrupt on an individual basis, I could then import the ones I still want into my current, newer library.

Basics:

- MacBook Pro running 10.9.2

- I don't know the version of iPhoto I had when the library was corrupted, but the current version is 8.1.2.

- I'd like to not disconnect the external drive (a USB LaCie) until I've saved eveyrthing, in case it won't mount next time.

Can anybody direct me how to get into the library file and begin saving my passengers, perhaps one event folder at a time? I have ZERO interest in saving comments, edits, albums, etc. Just the passengers! 😟

Message was edited by: Bredlo

OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), Cinema Display 23 HD

Posted on Apr 10, 2014 12:10 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,290 points

Apr 10, 2014 12:15 PM in response to Bredlo

Easiest route to try:

Download iPhoto Library Managerand 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.

Other than that you can try recover your original photos and start over:

Go to your Pictures Folder and find the iPhoto Library there. Right (or Control-) Click on the icon and select 'Show Package Contents'. A finder window will open with the Library exposed.

Look there for a Folder called 'Originals', your photos are inside.

A general comment:

About two years ago, I was working with a 283.35 Gigabyte iPhoto library. Unacceptably large, I know...

The diks space used by the iPhoto Library does not matter. What does matter is the number of items within. iPhoto 6, 08 and 09 are good for 250,000 items. So, no not at all "unacceptably large".

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Answer 2

GagnesM

Level 1

8 points

Apr 10, 2014 1:09 PM in response to Yer_Man

Hi Terence

I need some help and you seem to be the man to go to

I downloaded mavericks os x afterwards iphoto was locked

I went to the app store to update the iphoto app and the message I got was:

Update unavailable with this apple ID'

this update is not available for this apple ID either because it was bought by a different user or the item was refunded or cancelled

I bought this computer and have not had any refunds or cancellations

Please help I just want my pictures back

thank you

XXX

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Answer 3

Bredlo Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 10, 2014 1:20 PM in response to Yer_Man

Thanks Terence. You may look like a crabby ole' man made of bronze, but your advice is great. I may try the second route first, as I don't need another library to contend with and would frankly like to throw out much of the doubles, blurry photos and things I'll never want.

Thanks again! 🙂

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Answer 4

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 10, 2014 1:20 PM in response to GagnesM

Log in using the Apple ID that was used to set up the computer and update - not clear on exctly what you have so it might be under purchases, updates or just in the App store - if you have any version of iPhoto '11 then the udate to version 9.5.x is free - if you have a previoud version then you must pruchase

And in the future please do not thread jack as it confuses you, the original poster and the voleteers and makes it ess likely tha to will get an answer - new topics should be new threads

LN

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 10, 2014 1:26 PM in response to Bredlo

You marked this solved - is it? TD's suggetion is a geat way to start - if it does not resolve things the way you get your photos (and this may damge the iPhoto ibrary so do not try it unless you are absolutely positive that you are not going to continue to try to repar the library) - right click on the iPhoto lbrary an dshow package contents - find the masters folder and dupicate it - drag the copy out of the libray - this contains yoru original photos - you can now build a new libeary from them - if you drag each folder of phtos o iPhtoo you will created new events matcing the old events

LN

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Answer 6

Bredlo Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 10, 2014 1:38 PM in response to LarryHN

Thanks for clarifying, LN. Yes, it's solved. I opted to use Terence's second suggestion first, and right-clicked on the corrupt library to access the originals. I'm copying them over a month at a time onto a different drive.

There, I can safely go through them and import the ones I wnat to keep into my current iPhoto library (which I created after losing the corrupt one). Thanks for the quick responses, problem solved.

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Answer 7

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 10, 2014 2:12 PM in response to Bredlo

Great - just was not sure

LN

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