Graeme Ison

Q: iPhoto 9.6 Yosemite asks to do upgrade and then permissions repair

After the Yosemite upgrade, iPhoto was updated and was all running fine. Could access photos etc.  iPhoto previous version was the Mavericks one, so not v7 or before, requiring the Library upgrade tool.

 

Last night when trying to access iPhoto, it comes up with a message saying the library needs to be upgraded.  (https://www.dropbox.com/s/9svb2pc91821sm0/Screenshot%202014-10-24%2014.00.48.jpg ?dl=0)

 

Ignoring the fact that this doesn't make sense as I have been using this library with the updated 9.6 iPhoto, I then click the Upgrade button.  iPhoto starts 'Examining photo library' for a while and then comes back with a message saying the Library cannot be opened and that the permissions need to be repaired.  After asking it to repair permissions, it fails and says the file cannot be opened.  (https://www.dropbox.com/s/vc3w6c8rh24hpyk/Screenshot%202014-10-24%2014.07.40.jpg ?dl=0)

 

After trying the following, the symtpoms changed slightly.

 

1) Restarted the Mac (as you do)

2) Deleted iPhoto and re-installed it (advised in another thread)

3) The file was on an external USB drive, which was Mac OS Extended Journaled (and has been working on there for 2 years), so just in case, I moved it to the main hard disk in the Pictures folder

3) Ran Disk Utility repair permissions just in case, but no errors found in that file.  Rebooted and ran again to make sure.

4) Showed Package Contents of iPhoto Library file and moved out the iPhotoLock.data file

 

After trying all this, it now skips the permission repair option and just goes straight from the upgrade screen to the failed to open screen.

 

I have now tried the iPhoto Library Manager tool and that opens the Library just fine (version 4.19), which suggests everything is there and working, but that iPhoto has just stopped working.  However, if I use iPhoto to open or create other iPhoto Libraries, it works fine, which indicates a problem with the Library itself.

 

I have also tried opening the file from my iMac (also Yosemite and iPhoto 9.6), but it comes up with the same messages and errors.

 

Now trying a complete rebuild using iPhoto Library Manager as iPhoto won't open the file to do a rebuild using CMD-Option.  This may take days for the 130Gb Library, so just wanted this post up in case anyone else is having similar issues and may have found a solution.

 

Any and all ideas welcome!

 

Thanks,

Graeme

Mac mini (Late 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10), 16Gb RAM, 2.3Ghz Core i7

Posted on Oct 24, 2014 6:43 AM

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Q: iPhoto 9.6 Yosemite asks to do upgrade and then permissions repair

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  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 2, 2014 1:02 AM in response to Graeme Ison
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    Nov 2, 2014 1:02 AM in response to Graeme Ison

    This exact thing just happened to me, exactly like BrianSteffans said. It isn't a normal rebuild. I also save to an external hard drive (LaCei via thunderbolt), which is what the apple guys suggest when your have a large iPhoto collection. My mac is 3 weeks old and upgraded to Yosemite. I think all the files are there, when I get info on iPhoto library, it says it is 260GB but I just can't get them accessed with iPhoto. I have tried changing libraries, when you find the right one, it is just greyed out, like it can't be clicked on.

     

    What is strange is it was fully working and then said it needed upgrading, I hadn't even done an update or anything...

     

    I just don't have time for this crap, I was assured that Yosemite was fully tested and I just keep getting problem after problem, don't even let me get started with iMovie....

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 2, 2014 1:19 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (139,557 points)
    iLife
    Nov 2, 2014 1:19 AM in response to scaarlet121

    The same question... what format is the external drive? Answer that question if you want help.

  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 2, 2014 1:43 AM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 1:43 AM in response to Terence Devlin

    Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

     

    Yesterday I used iPhoto, it was fine, this is why I find this really strange, it has been working fine with with the upgrade till now.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Nov 2, 2014 1:47 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (107,357 points)
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    Nov 2, 2014 1:47 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?

    Don't guess, check the file system:  By default most drives will be formatted for use with Windows systems.

     

    • Select the external drive in the Finder and open the Info panel  with   "File > Get Info" from the main menu bar.


    • Click the disclosure triangle below "General" to show the file system.
  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 2, 2014 1:58 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 1:58 AM in response to léonie

    Thanks for replying, I didn't guess, that's exactly what I did, and that is what it said, but I wasn't sure if that was the info you needed. It is definitely Mac OS Extended (Journaled) when I do as you ask.

     

    It's not windows formatted, I have been using it fine on the mac for 3 weeks, my old mac died, so the mac shop transferred all my large file data (iTunes, iMovie and iPhoto) to this one. I doubt they would of done that with it windows formatted.

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 2, 2014 1:13 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (139,557 points)
    iLife
    Nov 2, 2014 1:13 AM in response to scaarlet121

    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

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Nov 2, 2014 1:19 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (107,357 points)
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    Nov 2, 2014 1:19 AM in response to scaarlet121

    And I was not sure because of the question mark, sorry.


    What is strange is it was fully working and then said it needed upgrading, I hadn't even done an update or anything...

     

    MacOS X may install updates in the background without you noticing. That will depend on your settings in the System Preferences  > App Store pane. Have you set this to "Install Updates"? Then app updates will be installed automatically.

     

    Since iPhoto does not let you select the library with "Switch to Library", try running the Library First Aid Tools by selecting the iPhoto Library in the Finder and double-clicking the Library, not iPhoto. That will ensure it is repairing/rebuilding the correct library.

    • Select your iPhoto Library in the Finder and hold down the key combination option-command ⌥⌘  .
    • Keep the keys held down firmly, while double clicking  your iPhoto Library, until you are seeing the First Aid panel.  "Rebuild Library".

    If that does not help, use "Repair Permissions" and "Repair Library" as well.

  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 2, 2014 3:33 AM in response to léonie
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    Nov 2, 2014 3:33 AM in response to léonie

    That's OK thanks both of you.

     

    I did the repair database, says would you like to import like 144,000 photos? So I said yes, then it is just the circle that goes around. When I go to the apple force quit, it says it isn't responding, or do I just have to leave it for ages while it imports that many photos? Otherwise can try the rebuild database if it really is not responding...

     

    Leonie, I don't have install updates as automatic in the app store.

     

    I really don't want to loose my photo books

  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 2, 2014 3:41 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 3:41 AM in response to scaarlet121

    OK it is looking somewhat promising, I just left it and it has started importing them, so it took about 15 minutes for the wheel till it finally kicked in.

     

    I think the problem was when it said repair disc on the original upgrade, I said yes and the wheel went around forever, so I force quit it after about 20 minutes cause it said it wasn't responding, possibly if I had just left it they may have imported them. Just want to put that out there for anyone having the same issues.

     

    I have no idea how these photos are going to be organised though, may have to use my Time Capsule back up, it is seriously saying I have 144,000 photos...

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Nov 2, 2014 3:49 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (107,357 points)
    iCloud
    Nov 2, 2014 3:49 AM in response to scaarlet121
    I did the repair database, says would you like to import like 144,000 photos? So I said yes, then it is just the circle that goes around. When I go to the apple force quit, it says it isn't responding, or do I just have to leave it for ages while it imports that many photos?

    It is not normal, that iPhoto will import 144,000 photos after a repair or rebuild.  iPhoto must have found photos in your iPhoto library, that are not paired with any versions.  Importing that many photos can take a full day without any visible progress, and I doubt the result will be useful.

     

    To rescue this library TD's option 2 should work, but iPhoto Library Manager cannot rescue your books.

    Do you have a backup from before this happened?  It might be easier to restore the previous version.

  • by scaarlet121,

    scaarlet121 scaarlet121 Nov 2, 2014 4:00 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2014 4:00 AM in response to léonie

    It doesn't seem normal to me, but basically I had no photos when I opened iPhoto, everything had disappeared. I am watching it now as they are importing and only 10,000 have imported so far and it is every photo I have on there coming through.

     

    I do have a TC backup, but its about two months old. I had just switched to a new computer and have been using an external HD to store my iPhoto library. I was told this was like a TC back up. Since this was already basically backed up, I didn't put it on TC, well actually I did try but couldn't work it out, but I have now.

     

    Worst comes to worst I will back up to TC, but I am just lost how yesterday everything was there and now it isn't. I know the library is still intact cause I can see it is a big file still. My computer is only a couple of weeks old so it is covered by support, I am going to ring Apple in the morning and see if they have any ideas.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Nov 2, 2014 4:10 AM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 10 (107,357 points)
    iCloud
    Nov 2, 2014 4:10 AM in response to scaarlet121
    I had just switched to a new computer and have been using an external HD to store my iPhoto library. I was told this was like a TC back up.

    If you store your iPhoto Library on an external drive, and that is your only copy, it is not a backup. There is nothing you can restore from, if that copy is corrupted.   Is your Lacie Disk a RAID array?

     

    Let the repair run, but it is really not normal, that iPhotot is trying to import, after a repair.

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 2, 2014 5:04 PM in response to scaarlet121
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Wireless
    Nov 2, 2014 5:04 PM in response to scaarlet121

    I have an external firewire drive that houses my iphoto library which is 550 gigs large.  I updated to Yosemite last week.  Late 2012 imac.

     

    Yesterday I plug in my iphone and usually it opens iphoto and I import my photos on my phone.  But I got a message that I had to update the library, and that it would take about an hour. Like many others, this has led to major problems.  First I had to repair permissions then it was generating thumbnails for a long time and I clicked on the "Do it later" button and it started generating something else but seemed to hang so I force quit iphoto hoping to start over.

     

    Well, now I have iphoto open and there are no pictures.  It seems to have created a new library while my old one is just sitting on my external drive.

     

    I do Time Machine backups hourly. 

     

    What do I do?

  • by Gary Jaz,

    Gary Jaz Gary Jaz Nov 2, 2014 5:08 PM in response to Gary Jaz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Wireless
    Nov 2, 2014 5:08 PM in response to Gary Jaz

    I should add that I downloaded iPhoto Library Manager.  When I click on reveal library, it goes to my external drive where my old library is, and has the correct size (550 gigs).  But when I try the rebuild library function it says "Rebuild complete. No photos were imported".

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 2, 2014 11:03 PM in response to Gary Jaz
    Level 10 (139,557 points)
    iLife
    Nov 2, 2014 11:03 PM in response to Gary Jaz

    What format is the external?

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