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How can I get iPhoto backup to open as main library?

This is probably my first mistake- I only copy and pasted my iPhoto icon to my external drive- and it opened and I saw all my photo's and streams. So being a newbie I figured it worked.

I reinstalled OS X Mavericks because I wanted to start fresh. Now, using my external hard drive, I can't open the pasted "iPhoto"- a message pops up saying

"Caution: The iPhoto Library is a Time Machine backup, and so cannot be used as the main library. Reopen iPhoto with the option key held down to choose another library."

There is no other library I want, nor need- I need that one- it has my last year basically of my children- one of them who is going to pass from terminal cancer. I need a miracle. Nerds?! Geeks?! I NEED YOU! 😟

MacBook Air (13-inch Mid 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Sep 9, 2014 9:01 PM

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12 replies

Sep 9, 2014 9:10 PM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

Your post is not clear and is very confusing


1 -- there is an iPhoto Application that is located in your Applications folder and an iPhoto library that by default is located in your Pictures folder - which one did you copy and paste?


2 - the error you are reporting indicates that you are trying to open a Time Machine backup - this can not be opened - it is created by the TimeMachine program and it must be restored using the Time Machine application - Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac -


3 - If you copied and pasted something it is not a TimeMachine backup - It is a copy and it would need to be drug to the pictures folder and then you launch iPhoto


so we need to know exactly what you have and what you did including the version of iPhoto that you have


LN

Sep 10, 2014 10:07 AM in response to LarryHN

I'll try to be more helpful:

To answer #1: before removing OS X, in my Finder I went to Applications, right clicked on my iPhoto icon an selected "copy". I then pasted it in my external hard drive. I then went to the external hard drive and opened that icon I had pasted- and it opened iPhoto next to the one I have on my dock.

To answer #2 & 3: I didn't do the copy and paste in a TMB. I am simply on the reinstalled OS X and trying to access the icon I dropped in my external HD- The version of iPhoto is 9.5.1


What do you need to know I have? (i.e.: computer? OS?)

Thank you

Sep 10, 2014 10:19 AM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

To open an library that has been backed up with Time Machine the library must first be restored from the TM hard drive to your boot drive as shown in this screenshot:

User uploaded file


If you have photos in your current library that you want to preserve rename it before restoring the library from TM.


If the restored library is from an earlier version of iPhoto that what you're currently running it will have to be converted to the new version the first time it is opened.

User uploaded file

Sep 10, 2014 10:34 AM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

in my Finder I went to Applications, right clicked on my iPhoto icon an selected "copy". I then pasted it in my external hard drive.

So you copied the iPhoto application to an external drive - that does not copy your photos - your photos are in the iPhoto library in the pictures folder


trying to access the icon I dropped in my external HD- The version of iPhoto is 9.5.1

Why? what you dropped on your external HD is an application not a library and is of no use - you, as I previously said, need to restore your iPhoto library using the Time machine Applications


2 - the error you are reporting indicates that you are trying to open a Time Machine backup - this can not be opened - it is created by the TimeMachine program and it must be restored using the Time Machine application - Mac Basics: Time Machine backs up your Mac -

Read the TM instructions and then use Tm to restore your iPhoto library from your backup made just before the reinstall


LN

Sep 10, 2014 10:56 AM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

TM must be run all the time - that is its purpose - running it "occasionally" is worthless and means that you really do not have a backup


So now your options are to use the last photo library backed up or to try data recovery software (File Salvage for example) or services to recover the images and then import them into a new iPhoto library


You really must always have a backup if your files and photos have any value to you - without one it is just a matter of time until you lose them - your time unfortunately just came


LN

Sep 10, 2014 3:38 PM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

So sadly, I have accepted that I will lose everything since my last backup. Now, I don't want to install everything from that back up on my OS- since I want to start as clean as I can- How can I get JUST my iPhoto's (now that I've only backed up those files, not just the application icon like I had done previously?) When I follow the tips on how to do so, the Time Machine shows that I cannot select which data/applications I would like. I must be missing a step?

Sep 10, 2014 3:45 PM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

certainly it allows you to restore a single file - or the iPhoto library package


the procedure is detailed in the link I provided


Basically you launch the Time Machine Application and go back in time to the time your want to restore from and using a finder looking window you select the iPhoto library in your pictures folder for that time and click restore


Restoring data from Time Machine backups


With Time Machine, you can go "back in time" to restore files, versions of files, or your entire system. Make sure your backup drive is connected and mounted. If it is not, Time Machine alerts you that "Your Time Machine backup disk can't be found."

Restoring specific files or folders

Choose Enter Time Machine from the Time Machine menu. The restore interface appears. You can literally see your windows as they appeared "back in time."

User uploaded file

You can use the timeline on the right side of the window to reach a certain point back in time. The timeline shows the times of all backups on your backup drive. If you don’t know exactly when you deleted or changed a file, you can use the back arrow to let Time Machine automatically travel through time to show you when that folder last changed.

Note: Dates in pink indicate the data resides on your Time Machine backup device. Dates in white indicate the data resides on your Mac. In OS X Lion v10.7 and later, portable Macs include local snapshots.

You can also perform a Spotlight search from the Finder. Simply enter a search term in the Spotlight search field, and use the back arrow to have Time Machine search through your backups to find what you are looking for.

Before you restore a file, you can also use Quick Look to preview a file to make sure its the one you want. Highlight the file and press the Space Bar to bring up a quick look.

To restore, select the file/folder and click the "Restore" button. The file will automatically be copied to the desktop or appropriate folder. If the file you are restoring has another file in the same location with the same name, you will be prompted to choose which file to keep or keep both.

LN

Sep 11, 2014 1:11 PM in response to LarryHN

Okay, so I have my photo's opening on my new install- BUT it didn't happen by clicking "restore"- that wasn't highlighted- but somehow I clicked on the top right corner and selected iphotolibrary from the drop down box that was there. I can access from my external and select which library to use, but it is not transferred over to my HD folder "iPhoto". Also, the reinstall did not have iPhoto, so I downloaded it, and it comes up separately from my externally transferred iPhoto.library. The restore ultimately did not go as the link said it would.

Sep 11, 2014 3:39 PM in response to kelseyhasnoclue

Of course - if the drive that contains the iPhoto library is not available you can not access it


I can access from my external and select which library to use, but it is not transferred over to my HD folder "iPhoto".

You need to drag it to the pictures folder on you main Hard drive and launch iPhoto while holding the option key down so you can switch to that location


iPhoto library that by default is located in your Pictures folder


LN

How can I get iPhoto backup to open as main library?

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