simon1973

Q: How to fix lost connections to original high-resolution pictures in iPhoto and how to import an iPhoto Book from one iPhoto library to another

Hi there,

 

I am using a MBP Pro with 8 GB cache and 1 TB HDD from beginning of 2011 with OS X Yosemite and iPhoto version 9.6 (910.29).

 

I created an iPhoto Book to print which contains my best pictures of 2013 and 2014. Then I got an error message when I wanted to print the book, saying (translated from German):

 

Book could not be created.

With photo p233432343.jpg there was an error. The original version of that photo with full resolution could not be found or is damaged. Please replace the photo or delete it from your book.

 

When I enquired further, I found out, that many, many pictures in my iPhoto library have that problem - only the thumbnail picture is found by iPhoto, but not the one with the high resolution. When looking at the photos in detail one sees that they are not sharp because obviously the photo book only refers to the thumbnail. When I went into the iPhoto Library using Finder, I saw that the original high res photos are still there. As there are an estimated 3000 photos with a lost connection (some still have, it but about 1/2 of my photos don´t), it does not make sense to import those photos manually. This photo book is just the tip of the iceberg, so to say.

 

Then I looked for solutions in some forums. I had two lPhoto libraries, one on my HDD (120GB) and one on an external HDD (175GB). Assuming there might be problems, I have deleted (moved) the one on my HDD, because the "right one" is the one on my external HDD and started iPHoto again using the alt key. But that did not work either.

 

I then tried to repair my iPhoto library using iPhoto Library Manager, and merged and rebuilt libraries. The library that came out was crap - all folders that had lost connections to the high resolution pictures now have zero photos in it. Also it is lacking the projects, including the photo book I created.

 

Then I went to find out if there is a way to import the iphoto book project from the old, corrupt library into the new, repaired library but could not find anything. It can only be exported as a file structure or website. As the file structure is missing the high res pictures, that does not even solve the "little" problem of the photobook.

 

I would REALLY appreciate your help on the two questions:

1- Can you advise what I need to to do to to get the connection to the high resolution photos established again  ? As it is more than 3000 photos, I use an automated way of reestablishing that connection. Probably an answer to this question would make question 2 irrelevant.

2- Do you know if there is a way to export and import a book project created in iPhoto from one library to another ?

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), null

Posted on Jan 18, 2015 12:24 PM

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  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Jan 25, 2015 11:51 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Jan 25, 2015 11:51 PM in response to léonie

    Thanks, I will do as advised by you.

  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Jan 25, 2015 11:55 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Jan 25, 2015 11:55 PM in response to léonie

    I thought I do Time Machine backups on a locally attached HDD as well as on the NAS. Also, I wanted to have the picture files the same way

     

    a) TIme Machine Backup + picture files on two separate, local discs and a copy of those contents on my nas (e.g. with filesync)

    b) Separate TM backup + files, done on two different destinations (locally attached drive + NAS).

     

    Is any of those two options better than the other one ?

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jan 25, 2015 11:57 PM in response to simon1973
    Level 10 (107,942 points)
    iCloud
    Jan 25, 2015 11:57 PM in response to simon1973
    can I actually import an album from an old iPhoto Library into a new one properly

    No, you cannot move products (books, cards, slideshows) between iPhoto Library. Even iPhoto Library Manager cannot do that.

  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Jan 26, 2015 2:38 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Jan 26, 2015 2:38 PM in response to léonie

    Hi Leonie,

    when I open pboto sweeper to scan all images in one folder, using the +sign in the left bottom corner of the media browser all files are grey and I can´t select any files to compare. I already contacted photo sweeper support. Any ideas ?

  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Feb 1, 2015 5:16 AM in response to simon1973
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Feb 1, 2015 5:16 AM in response to simon1973

    ok, that was a user error. for files it´s the little "+" icon in the left hand corner.

  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Feb 1, 2015 9:34 AM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Feb 1, 2015 9:34 AM in response to Old Toad

    I am shattered and finished with this. It did not work to recover my photos. Neither FAF nor DataRescue4 restored my pictures, only about 40GB out of 170GB could be restored. I think I´ve tried everything in every way. Really disappointed.

     

    Anyway, now I need to restore my last iPhoto library backup which stems from March 2014. The problem is that it is located on a NAS which I can´t connect to my computer via USB. I can´t even see the Time Machine backup when I go onto the NAS. How can I get the iPhoto Library out of the old backup ?

     

    When I go to iPhoto and then open Time Machine it does not work, because it´s not showing the backup on the NAS (a seagate central 4tb).  unfortunately I can´t get it´s IP address very easily, because I got many networked devices in my network. It´s just a mess. Sorry to bother you again.

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Feb 1, 2015 9:52 AM in response to simon1973
    Level 10 (141,336 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 1, 2015 9:52 AM in response to simon1973

    Time Machine debugging is above my pay grade.  But there might be some help at this website: Apple OS X and Time Machine Tips,  possibly E2 on this page: Troubleshooting

  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Feb 8, 2015 2:06 AM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Feb 8, 2015 2:06 AM in response to Old Toad

    First of all I have successfully recovered pictures from all SD cards that I used in the last year. That was about 30GB of pictures.

     

    BUT, I did not succeed in restoring the pictures from the hard disk using the deleted files scan with Data Rescue 4. I managed to rescue only about 25% of the lost high-res pictures, for most of the rest, data rescue 4 only found thumbnails that iPhoto had created but not the hi-res originals.

     

    So now I am doing the following:

     

    a) Deep scan of the affected external HDD where my iPhoto Library resided before the crash

    b) Recover the Time Machine Backup that is located on a network drive which I cannot connect to my PC via USB cable  - it only works as a network drive and I can only get data onto it through ethernet (trying to... did not get there yet)

    c) Then use photo sweeper again to eliminate duplicate photos (which will take - again - ages...)

    d) Then check if the iPhoto Library from my backup works correctly

    e) If so, then import all pictures in the iPhoto Library AND store them separately as files on an external HDD and in Amazon S3 Glacier (or iCloud - I have to compare prices again regarding the 200 GB/ 1TB option of iCloud vs S3 Glacier- any hints on this ?)

    f) Then run photo sweeper again - within the iPhoto Library

    g) Then rebuild the albums that I had before


    And then it will be 2016. :-(


    My current challenge:

    Joking aside, a) works fine but b) is tricky, as the backup is 1,22 TB and I need to get it onto another HDD that I can then connect locally via USB to my Mac. The problem about restoring iPhoto from it is that the 175GB iPhoto Library that was lost, was NOT part of that backup, as it resided on an external HDD which was not backed up. So the only thing I can restore is my old iPhoto Library from March 2014 that - at the time - was still on my Mac, before I moved it to the external HDD. And when I open iPhoto, iPhoto does NOT give me the option to restore from there, I think it does not recognize this backup, but I simply can´t go back in TIme Machine window to choose that backup. And that´s where I have that problem. How on earth can I restore this old iPhoto Library from TIme Machine ? I will try the link Old Toad provided before. If anyone else out there knows, I´d appreciate the help !

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 8, 2015 2:17 AM in response to simon1973
    Level 10 (107,942 points)
    iCloud
    Feb 8, 2015 2:17 AM in response to simon1973
    So the only thing I can restore is my old iPhoto Library from March 2014 that - at the time - was still on my Mac, before I moved it to the external HDD. And when I open iPhoto, iPhoto does NOT give me the option to restore from there, I think it does not recognize this backup, but I simply can´t go back in TIme Machine window to choose that backup. And that´s where I have that problem. How on earth can I restore this old iPhoto Library from TIme Machine ?

    You first need to restore the iPhoto library from Time Machine, using Time Machine, not iPhoto.  iPhoto '11 cannot browse Time Machine backups.

     

    if you cannot select that backup in Time Machine, check Pondini's page:

     

    http://pondini.org/TM/E2.html  E2.  I can't see some backups

  • by simon1973,

    simon1973 simon1973 Feb 8, 2015 12:35 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iLife
    Feb 8, 2015 12:35 PM in response to léonie

    sorry to bother you, leonie. How do I restore the iPhoto Library from Time Machine ? I have got the 1,22 TB file in front of me but when I doubleclick it, time machine goes grey - seems not to work anymore. When I open Time Machine and then navigate there it´s the same. I am doing TM backups since years but have never had to restore something until now.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Feb 8, 2015 12:49 PM in response to simon1973
    Level 10 (85,113 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Feb 8, 2015 12:49 PM in response to simon1973

    You navigate to the iphoto library you want to restore, clic on it to select it and click on "Restore"  --  https://www.apple.com/support/timemachine/

     

    LN

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