I am getting spinning wheel when I open iPhoto and cannot access pictures. What should i do?

Question

I am getting spinning wheel when I open iPhoto and cannot access pictures. What should i do?

I have an iMac OS X Yosemite 2.66 ghz. I have iphoto 9.6. When I open iPhoto I am see the list down the side but all I am getting is a spinning wheel and I cannot access pictures. Any suggestions on how I can fix this. I did try the repair permissions but nothing happened. It does say to backup your library before doing this but I wasn't quite sure how I do that. I do have time machine so I am guess that would be my backup.

iMac (24-inch Early 2009), iOS 8.1.3

Posted on Mar 6, 2015 2:51 PM

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Answer 1

Old Toad

Level 10

207,409 points

Mar 6, 2015 3:13 PM in response to rosefromst. marys

As a test launch iPhoto with the Option key held down and try to create a new, test library. Import some photos and test to see if the same problem persists. Does it?

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Answer 2

Mar 6, 2015 3:18 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks for your reply. I did try that earlier today. I had 2 library in iPhoto. One would open the other is the spinning wheel. So I set up new one as well and transfer a photo to it and it works. But the one library will not open.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,733 points

Mar 6, 2015 3:24 PM in response to rosefromst. marys

But the one library will not open.

Is this library on the same disk as the other libraries that will open or on another drive? What happened, since you could last open the library? Did iPhoto crash? Did you import new photos? Has the library been created by a different iPhoto version?

If repair permissions did not help, try the other repair/rebuild options as well. Don't rebuild without having a backup copy.

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Answer 4

Old Toad

Level 10

207,409 points

Mar 6, 2015 3:35 PM in response to rosefromst. marys

The one library is damaged and needs to be repaired. 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.

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Answer 5

Mar 6, 2015 4:52 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks Old Toad! It worked.

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