Aperture / Iphoto library looks empty.

What version of iPhoto and of the OS?

What format is that external drive?

One important thing is that the file size of the library, thats stored on an external drive, is really big, 4.6gb so i think my photos are still there.

As test, move the Aperture Library from the external drive to your Pictures folder on the internal drive. Can you open it on your internal drive? Launch Aperture 3.6 and use the command "File > Switch to Library" to open the library.

this didnt change anything

Did Aperture open the copied Aperture library or did it still open a default library?

One important thing is that the file size of the library, thats stored on an external drive, is really big, 4.6gb so i think my photos are still there.

You can check, if the photos are still there by ctrl-clicking (or right clicking) the library. From the contextual menu, that will pop up select "Show Package Contents".

This will show you a Finder window with the folders inside your library. Be careful, not to modify anything inside, but open the folder called "Masters". Are any photos inside the "Masters" folder? Or is there an additional folder "Old Masters"?

Your library is stuck in the middle of the upgrade. Copying the photos from Old Masters to Masters will not relink the versions to the originals.

Either restore your iPhoto Library from the last backup and try the upgrade again,

• or copy the ""Old Masters" folder out of the library,
• rebuild the iPhoto Library with the First aid tools
• and import the photos from "Old Masters" again.
• Check the library for a folder "Recovered items". That may be copies of the old masters.

• To launch the "First Aid Tools" hold down the options-command keys while double clicking your iPhoto Library.
• Then select "Rebuild Database" from the First Aid panel.
• If you don't have a backup of the iPhoto Library make a backup copy before trying to rebuild.

Thanks for instructions. Does it mean that I will lose all my versions, ratings etc with my old photos? I have 400Gt+ library with lots of modifications and I would be a catastrophe it they are blown away ;(

Does it mean that I will lose all my versions, ratings etc with my old photos? I have 400Gt+ library with lots of modifications and I would be a catastrophe it they are blown away ;(

Are you seeing the same library corruption as omar.msk after trying to upgrade the library? An apparently empty iPhoto library, and the original image files in the "Old Masters" folder instead of the "Masters" folder?

Then it is the same bug. Recreating he iPhoto Library by importing the Old Masters into a new empty library will only rescue the photos, but not your work - edits, rating, albums, ...

Copy the Old Masters to an external drive for save keeping, also the Old Previews and Old Thumbnails. Then try first to restore your iPhoto library from your last backup you made before the upgrade. (iPhoto '11: Restoring from Time Machine with iPhoto '11 (9.2 or later) and OS X Lion 10.7.2 (or later)). Then add any newer photos from the "Old.." folders, that have not been part of the backup.

Quit the app first and make a copy of the library just in case. Then open the pkg (see the steps on how to to that from one of the posts above). If the Masters folder and Previews folders are empty, rename the folders to something else. Then rename the Old Masters to Masters and the Old Previews to Previews. Close row pkg and relaunch the app. Make sure not to move or touch anything else inside the library. Good luck.