Iphoto crashed

If you want to create a new library, because iPhoto crashed, try first to find out the reason for the crash.

Maybe repairing or rebuilding the library will suffice.

What happened directly before the crash occurred? Are you running out of disk space? Did you import new photos? Upgrade or install software? Run cleaning apps to make more space? Move the library to a different location?

And what is your iPhoto version, Rick? Your MAcOS X version?

But to answer your question how to create a new library:

Creating a new iPhoto Library will not delete your edits, books, etc. They will be stored in your old library and you can switch between libraries in turn.

In iPhoto '11 you can simply switch between iPhoto Libraries by double clicking the iPhoto library. This will open the library in iPhoto and make it the current library. In older versions hold down the alt/options key to bring up the library chooser panel.

To create a new library hold down the alt/options key while double-clicking the iPhoto icon and then select "other/new" from the panel. Select a name and a folder to store the library. Just don't overwrite your current library. Pick a different name. This will create a new, empty library and you can import tour older photos.

If you want to store the new library on an external drive, make sure the drive is formatted MacOS Extended (Journaled).

See: Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture

I was told to open show package contents and then drag files from masters and data into iphoto to save library. I'm not sure which folder has the edits, masters or data?

This way you will lose all your edits and all your keepsakes. Splitting the libraries will make it hard to browse all your photos; you would continually have to switch between libraries. And it would not reduce the storage required to store all your photos, unless you move most of the smaller libraries to an external drive.

they indicated running out of storage space less than 10% left with photos taking up over 20% of hard drive,

How large is the hard drive? The percentage is meaningless without the total. You should never let the free disk space drop below 10 GB free space. Anything less, and you will notice a lack of performance and finally crashes. For working with media applications like iPhoto or iMovie keep more space free.

If you really are running out of disk space move your complete iPhoto library to an external drive or split it in two, instead of splitting it into several libraries. The iPhoto '11 can cope with libraries with 1000000 photos without crashing. Modern external drives are so small; it is no hardship to carry them around.

Moving the complete library to a new, empty drive would give you plenty of space for the years to come. Just format the drive as described in this document as MacOS Extended (Journaled):
Format external drives to Mac OS Extended before using with Aperture

Then drag the library to that drive and you are done. Double-click it to open in iPhoto.

Don't forget to include the external drive in your regular backups.

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the icon grid.

Step 1

For this step, the title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select

SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages

from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select

View ▹ Show Log List

from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

In the top right corner of the Console window, there's a search box labeled Filter. Initially the words "String Matching" are shown in that box. Enter the name of the crashed application or process. For example, if iTunes crashed, you would enter "iTunes" (without the quotes.)

Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Select the messages from the time of the last crash, if any. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.

☞ The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.

Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.

☞ Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

Step 2

In the Console window, select

DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION ▹ User Diagnostic Reports

(not Diagnostic and Usage Messages) from the log list on the left. There is a disclosure triangle to the left of the list item. If the triangle is pointing to the right, click it so that it points down. You'll see a list of crash reports. The name of each report starts with the name of the process, and ends with ".crash". Select the most recent report related to the process in question. The contents of the report will appear on the right. Use copy and paste to post the entire contents—the text, not a screenshot.

I know the report is long, maybe several hundred lines. Please post all of it anyway.

If you don't see any reports listed, but you know there was a crash, you may have chosen Diagnostic and Usage Messages from the log list. Choose DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION instead.

In the interest of privacy, I suggest that, before posting, you edit out the “Anonymous UUID,” a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes in the header of the report, if it’s present (it may not be.)

Please don’t post other kinds of diagnostic report—they're very long and rarely helpful.

116 GB free space is plenty. No reason for iPhoto to crash.

It will be good to know, if you can create a new library and if iPhoto can work well with a new library. This way we will know if your current library needs fixing or you have another problem on your Mac. On all accounts make the test, Linc Davis suggested.

You have plenty of free space - 11.6% and the more important number it greater than 10GB - you have 11 times the minimum

while it is ok to put the iPhoto library on an external drive it is not as convent and can be a bit more risky with an extra cable and power supply that san be unplugged or fail

And you certainly do NOT need to split the library into yearly libraries - that is not necessary and is a really bad idea - the "genius" who recommended that should be fired!

My guess is that if you backup your iPhoto library and launch iPhoto while holding the option and command keys down until the first aid window appears and repair permissions and rebuild your database you will be fine - it is risk free and easy to try

LN

Should I try to rebuild database? Any risks in doing this?

No, since it's you backup library and you have another copy available. Do the following:

1 - launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down to open the First Aid window. Be sure to follow the circled recommendation in the screenshot.

2 - Run Option #4, Rebuild Database.