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Lost Photos . Restoring from Time Machine didn't work. HELP!

Here's what happened. I pray someone can help. I've lost precious childhood photos.

1. I made a folder with a few albums inside.

2. I was going through my photos and moving appropriate ones into the albums.

3. With maybe 10-15 photos I would get the big, black exclamation point when I double-clicked on the photo to see a larger version of it.

4. Researched how I could fix this problem.

5. Tried all the iPhoto Repair Library (command/option open iPhoto) options. Didn't fix the exclamation point problem.

6. Downloaded iPhoto Library Manager. Started to run "Restore Library" but noticed it looked like the program froze, so I canceled it.

7. Went back to iPhoto and realized I had lost at least half my photos! PANICKED!

8. Decided to use Time Machine and my back-up hard drive to restore the iPhoto Library.

9. Started TM, but again it appeared like it wasn't working, so I cancelled it again.

10. Went back to iPhoto and noticed my photos were back but the exclamation point problems was still there.

11. Since TM appeared to work, I ran it about two hours after which time a window popped up saying something like "Can't continue operation. Only option was to click "Ok."

12. Opened iPhoto, and I'm back to missing half my photos (all of which appear to be from 2009 and earlier).

Majorly stressed out right now. Please can anyone help me?

Running OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 and iPhoto 9.6.1

Thank you!

macbook, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Apr 6, 2015 6:31 AM

23 replies

michael1475 Author

Level 1

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Apr 7, 2015 9:47 AM in response to Old Toad

OT,

Thanks again for your help. I hate to ask this, but can you provide a step-by-step procedure for going into Time Machine. I'm concerned I may have done it incorrectly last time.

Thank you

léonie

Level 10

195,053 points

Apr 7, 2015 9:50 AM in response to michael1475

Have a look at this support document:

iPhoto '11: Restoring from Time Machine with iPhoto '11 (9.2 or later) and OS X Lion 10.7.2 (or later)

https://support.apple.com/HT202321

Old Toad

Level 10

207,709 points

Apr 7, 2015 9:53 AM in response to michael1475

This screenshot describes it step by step:

michael1475 Author

Level 1

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Apr 7, 2015 9:59 AM in response to Old Toad

I apologize for asking such foolish questions, but is opening the Time Machine application the same as entering Time Machine?

Old Toad

Level 10

207,709 points

Apr 7, 2015 10:32 AM in response to michael1475

Yes. You do it from the TM menu in the menu bar:

michael1475 Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 8, 2015 12:05 PM in response to Old Toad

Again, my deep apologizes for being so stupid about all this, but I want to make sure I don't screw this up even more than I have already.

Step #1: Is this the Pictures folder in Time Machine or Pictures Folder on my hard drive?

#2: Which Library should I select (see attached)? Does select mean double click (which opens iPhoto) or single click?

What if the file has a different name in Time Machine than it does on the hard drive?

A thousand thanks!

notcloudy

Level 4

1,252 points

Apr 8, 2015 1:18 PM in response to michael1475

Just a head up - when you are trying a large restore from time machine - turn off the hourly backup. Same for rebuilding large IPHOTO libraries - if you expect it to take a long period of time - and note - the full library will be backed up.

Also, did you have the pictures you are looking for in folders other than IPHOTO -- prior to IPHOTO mine were imported into KODAK photo manager - I exported them anyway as a relative lost most pictures that were in another brand digital camera manager - so I just don't trust them.

Old Toad

Level 10

207,709 points

Apr 8, 2015 4:11 PM in response to michael1475

1 - The Pictures folder in Step 1 is the one on your boot drive

2 - to select just click on it once. The one to select appears to be the one titled Default Library as it's the biggest. The one called iPhoto Library appears why to small to have all of your photos You could select both and then work on them after they were restored.

Lost Photos . Restoring from Time Machine didn't work. HELP!