HT202358: Using the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool

Learn about Using the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool
jed leland

Q: I just ran iphoto library updater and now all my photos except the updated ones are gone. Help!

I just ran iphoto library updater and now all my photos except the updated ones are gone. Help!

Where did all my current photos go?

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), 5,1

Posted on Nov 30, 2014 11:47 AM

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Q: I just ran iphoto library updater and now all my photos except the updated ones are gone. Help!

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  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Nov 30, 2014 11:54 AM in response to jed leland
    Level 10 (84,217 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Nov 30, 2014 11:54 AM in response to jed leland

    Why did you run the iphoto library updater? Did you just update/upgrade to iPhoto 9.5.1?

     

    LN

  • by jed leland,

    jed leland jed leland Nov 30, 2014 11:57 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 30, 2014 11:57 AM in response to LarryHN

    I had some older photos which I was told couldn't be viewed unless I ran it. I thought it would just update the older photos, but now I can't find my newer library.

  • by jed leland,

    jed leland jed leland Nov 30, 2014 12:07 PM in response to jed leland
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 30, 2014 12:07 PM in response to jed leland

    I just found the option to switch library and all my photos are back. Thanks. (whew)

  • by jed leland,

    jed leland jed leland Nov 30, 2014 12:09 PM in response to jed leland
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 30, 2014 12:09 PM in response to jed leland

    By the way, what's the best method of backing up iphoto to an external drive?

  • by Terence Devlin,Solvedanswer

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Nov 30, 2014 12:14 PM in response to jed leland
    Level 10 (139,485 points)
    iLife
    Nov 30, 2014 12:14 PM in response to jed leland

    Most Simple Back Up:

    Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.

     

    Slightly more complex: Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically.

     

    Example of such apps: Chronosync - but there are many others. Search on MacUpdate or the App Store

  • by jed leland,

    jed leland jed leland Nov 30, 2014 11:59 PM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 30, 2014 11:59 PM in response to Terence Devlin

    Aaargh. Thought I had this cracked, but guess I'm in a bit over my head. Don't know what I was thinking earlier, but:

     

    I did what you suggested - dragged the iPhoto Library from the Pictures Folder to another Disk, and it copied 142 of the 170 Gbs to the back up disk and then stalled. I dragged that to the trash, emptied it, and started over only to get this message after 21Gbs in:

    "The operation can’t be completed because an item is being modified."

     

    I have these photos backed up in Time machine, so I'm no longer hyperventilating, but was looking for another safety.

     

    Also, I now have two iPhoto libraries because of the iPhoto Updater thing I did. (see above)

     

    Any suggestions?

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Dec 1, 2014 12:55 AM in response to jed leland
    Level 10 (139,485 points)
    iLife
    Dec 1, 2014 12:55 AM in response to jed leland

    A back up application - such as Chronosync mentioned above - will usually sort out those issues for you.

     

    As for two libraries - what do you want to do? Dump one? Merge them?

  • by jed leland,

    jed leland jed leland Dec 1, 2014 1:20 AM in response to Terence Devlin
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 1, 2014 1:20 AM in response to Terence Devlin

    Merge them.

  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Dec 1, 2014 2:56 AM in response to jed leland
    Level 10 (139,485 points)
    iLife
    Dec 1, 2014 2:56 AM in response to jed leland

    If you have Aperture 3.3 or later and iPhoto 9.3 or later you can merge libraries with Aperture.

     

    Otherwise the only way to merge Libraries is with the paid ($20) version of iPhoto Library Manager