Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

IPhoto albums lost after back-up

1. I just did a time machine backup for the first time. When I went back to my IMAC the albums in IPhoto were all gone. All my photos still appear to be on the computer but the albums are gone. Where did my albums go and how do I get them back?

iPhoto '08, IPhoto 9 and Snow Leopard

Posted on Mar 30, 2015 6:23 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 31, 2015 5:18 AM

1. I just did a time machine backup for the first time.

A Time Machine backup does not change any items on your Mac. It just reads the data. Did you perhaps restore from Time Machine?

7 replies

Mar 31, 2015 6:18 AM in response to FrogBear

To Leonie, thanks very much for such a quick response.


I did not restore anything. I just checked to see if all my files and photos were copied. They were. I then ejected time machine and went back to my desktop. Again, it appeared as if all my photos were on both time machine and my IMAC, just the albums were gone.


If I recreate new albums I will be scared to back up again and lose the albums again. I made a mistake. I had IPhoto 8 not 9. The time machine is the one that came with the IMAC around 2010 or 2009 when I puchaesd the IMAC.


I will be upgrading from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion in the next few days and am wondering if any of my files'photos will be lost in the upgrade. It will be an upgrade not a clean install of Mountain Lion.

Mar 31, 2015 6:25 AM in response to léonie

Thank you very much for such a quick response. I did not restore anything. I just checked to see if all my photos and files were saved, they were, and then I ejected Time Machine and went back to my IMAC. It appeared as if all my photos were still ther, just the albums were gone. I am scared to recreate the albums and then lose them if I save them again to Time Machine.


The Time Machine is the same version that came with my IMAC (around 2009/2010) and I have IPhoto 8 not 9.


Also I plan on upgrading (not a clean install) from Snow Leopard to Mountain later this week. Which is why I saved on Time Machine. Will all my photos and files carry over to Mountain Lion.

Thanks for your assistance. I appreciate the help.

Mar 31, 2015 6:33 AM in response to FrogBear

Again, it appeared as if all my photos were on both time machine and my IMAC, just the albums were gone.

Did something else happen? Like iPhoto crashed?


In that case repair and rebuild your iPhoto Library, before you upgrade to a new system. rebuilding the library will ensure, that the internal databases are consistent and will make it easier to update the iPhoto Library for compatibility with Mt. Lion.


In addition to your Time Machine backup make a copy of the iPhoto Library on an external drive.

Then follow this Help document - see the link: iPhoto 6 and later: Rebuilding the iPhoto library


There is also a nice description by Old Toad of the procedure: Rebuilding iPhoto Library 09 and Earlier


Sometimes missing library items, like albums or events are caused by having opened the wrong iPhoto library. Do you have more than one iPhoto library?


Which is why I saved on Time Machine.

How? You did run Time Machine and let it create a backup, or did you just copy the iPhoto Library to the the Time Machine drive?

Mar 31, 2015 6:38 AM in response to léonie

The photos were saved on the Time Machine Backup, so I still have them.

I will be doing another Time Machine backup on a new "My Passprt" external drive later today.


I don't think IPhoto crashed because I was able to access it on my IMAC and see the photos in the library.

I didn't know there was a second IPhoto library. But would that have made a difference since all I did was click on my IPHOTO icon on the desktop? Usually the albums are all there.


Would rebuilding the library help in this case. If so, should I rebuild it on my IMAC or on Time Machine?

Mar 31, 2015 7:04 AM in response to léonie

The Photos were saved on the Time Machine backup so I still them. I will back them up again (Time Machine" to another (new) "My Passport" external drive later today.


I don't think IPohot crashed b/c I am still able to open it on my IMAC and the photo library is still there.


I didn't know that I could have a second libray. How can I tell? Would that make a difference if the IPhoto stll has all my photos in the album?


Given what I said above about all the photos still being there, would rebuilding the library on my IMAC still help?

Mar 31, 2015 12:55 PM in response to FrogBear

I didn't know there was a second IPhoto library. But would that have made a difference since all I did was click on my IPHOTO icon on the desktop? Usually the albums are all there.

iF you click the iPhoto icon on the Desktop, iPhoto walloped the last iPhoto Library you used with iPhoto.


Sometimes iPhoto may accidentally open the backup of you iPhoto Library, if it cannot access the regular library, if the backup drive is connected. When you then work with iPhoto you may be adding albums to the backup instead of to your main iPhoto library, and when you disconnect the backup drive, your albums are gone from iPhoto, because you now are working again with the main library.

IPhoto albums lost after back-up

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.