Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable

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Level 1

8 points

Your photo library is either in use by another application or has become unreadable

I've tried following the online tutorial (holding down the option & command keys), but that doesn't do anything. My husband most recently updated his iPhone 5 to IOS 7 yesterday & that's when this (among a myriad of other issues) occurred. We share an iCloud account on his phone, my phone, his iPad mini, his MacBook Air, and the iMac where the photo library lives (and won't open).

Anyone have suggestions to fix it? I have an external hard drive, but I don't even know how to access that to put the photos into iPhoto...

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on May 27, 2014 4:13 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

May 27, 2014 4:57 PM in response to jayhox

These are your options:

1. Restore the iPhoto library from the most recent backup that predates the issue.

Advantages: Always works, if library damage is causing the problem and the backup is intact.

Disadvantages: Impossible if you don't have a backup. All changes made since the backup are lost.

2. Repair or rebuild the library. Be sure to back it up first.

Advantages: May solve the problem with no loss of data.

Disadvantages: May fail. May take a long time if the library is large.

3. Scavenge the library with a third-party application called "iPhoto Library Manager," which you can find in a web search. From the application's menu bar (not the iPhoto menu bar), select

Library ▹ Rebuild

Advantages: All images should be preserved.

Disadvantages: All books, calendars, and slideshows will be lost.

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Answer 2

jayhox Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2014 6:44 PM in response to Linc Davis

I don't know how to restore the library from the latest backup...I have the external hard drive, but I don't know how to initiate a back up from it. When I go into it, there's nothing that prompts me to restore from a back up. I need pretty basic walk-through on this.

Is it possible my husband's update (and use of icloud on another device (mac book) is causing this? It does say "your photo library is use by another application" - could it be his computer?

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Answer 3

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

May 27, 2014 7:06 PM in response to jayhox

The library was damaged. Do you, in fact, have any backups?

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Answer 4

jayhox Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2014 7:47 PM in response to Linc Davis

I'm assuming I do...I can get into the back up drive (which is a Seagate) & I can see all the back up times/dates (which occur every hour). But I don't know how to restore from it. The only thing I'm struggling with is iPhoto. Everything else appears to be working fine. We did have an issue yesterday with iMessage & FaceTime (due to the shared iCloud account). Could that have anythign to do with this too?

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Answer 5

jayhox Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2014 7:49 PM in response to jayhox

I'm trying to upload a screenshot, but it won't let me...

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Answer 6

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

May 27, 2014 7:50 PM in response to jayhox

Are you backing up with Time Machine? What do you do to see the backups?

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Answer 7

jayhox Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2014 8:02 PM in response to Linc Davis

Yes, I am using Time Machine. I'm clicking on the time machine icon in the top right of my computer, or I can click on the "Seagate Backup Plus Drive" icon on the desktop.

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Answer 8

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

May 27, 2014 8:32 PM in response to jayhox

Watch the video linked below. You want to restore the iPhoto library, which is usually in the Pictures folder, from the most recent snapshot taken before it was damaged.

Mac OS X: Time Machine Basics

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Answer 9

jayhox Author

Level 1

8 points

May 28, 2014 1:23 PM in response to Linc Davis

Okay, this helps immensly. So I can see in time machine the folders containing iPhoto. But there are 2? How do I know which one is the right one to restore? I'm assuming it's the one that says it was last modified/opened on 5/24/14. So I clicked restore & it's stuck saying "preparing to copy to "Pictures" & "preparing to copy "iPhoto Library" under the bar. Does this seem normal that it would be preparing for minutes on end with nothing actually happening?

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Answer 10

jayhox Author

Level 1

8 points

May 28, 2014 1:27 PM in response to Linc Davis

Okay, it's moved along & now I have this message:

The location to which you’re restoring “iPhoto Library” already contains an item with the same name. Do you want to replace it with the one you’re restoring?

Do I click "Keep Original" "Keep Both" or "Replace"?

Sorry I'm so clueless Linc Davis, but you're helping me here...immensely! My photos of my 2 & 4 year olds (all the way back to BIRTH) are in iPhoto.🙂

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Answer 11

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,541 points

May 28, 2014 1:55 PM in response to jayhox

Replace.

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