iPhoto needs update, update not available = no iPhoto

Updating to iPhoto 9.6.1 is a bit tricky now, since Apple stopped selling iPhoto from the AppStore. See this User Tip:

Get iPhoto 9.6.1 if you didn't update before OS... | Apple Support Communities

You can no longer buy iPhoto from the App Store anywhere, and also not update it from the "Updates" tab of the App Store. You can however reinstall it, if it is showing among your Purchases at the App Store and associated with your AppleID.

Sign into the App Store and look at the Purchases tab. If you do not see iPhoto there, try to unhide your Purchases as described on this page: Hide and unhide purchases in the Mac App Store - Apple Support

If iPhoto shows on your Purchases tab, reinstall as described in this User Tip:

Get iPhoto 9.6.1 if you didn't update before OS... | Apple Support Communities

The main idea is to move the incompatible iPhoto app to the Trash, so Spotlight does not see it as installed, reload the App Store by pressing ⌘R, and then to try to download again from the App Store - from your Purchases tab, not from the main page, since you can neither buy iPhoto nor update it, but you can reinstall, if your AppleID is associated with it.

So move iPhoto to the Trash (don't empty the Trash), relaunch the App Store. The button to the right if iPhoto should change to Install on the "Purchases" tab.

Alternately, you could migrate your iPhoto library to the new Photos.app.

When you launch Photos, it will try to migrate your iphoto Library, if it can find the library. Where is your iPhoto Library stored? If it is in your Pictures folder, simply drag the iPhoto Library to the Photos icon in your Dock to migrate it to Photos.

Photos will make a migrated copy, so you still can use your iPhoto Library with iPhoto.

Go to the App Store and check out the Purchases List. If iPhoto is there then it will be v9.6.1

If it is there, then drag your existing iPhoto app (not the library, just the app) to the trash

Install the App from the App Store.

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Sometimes iPhoto is not visible on the Purchases List. it may be hidden. See this article for details on how to unhide it.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4928

One question often asked: Will I lose my Photos if I reinstall?

iPhoto the application and the iPhoto Library are two different parts of the iPhoto programme. So, reinstalling the app should not affect the Library. BUT you should always have a back up before doing this kind of work. Always.

Truly, thank you kindly for the advice. Unfortunately, since I received my macbook pro last week, preinstalled with Yosemite, there was never a need to purchase iPhoto in the past from the app store.

But if have an iPhoto Library, you must have owned a copy of iPhoto at some time. If you ever updated iPhoto beyond iPhoto 9.4.5 it will be listed at the AppStore, since these updates have been distributed by the AppStore. Check the Purchases page on both your accounts and try the "Unhide Purchases" (
Hide and unhide purchases in the Mac App Store - Apple Support)

The second option (upgrading to the Photos.app) sounds great to me. Unfortunately again, that app in not available in the Japan or UK apple stores (countries where I have accounts), and it is no simple matter to switch to the US store because I need a us bank account and/or iTunes card and I would have to make a new account.

The new Photos.app is installed as part of the System and comes with MacOS X 10.10.3 - it cannot be not downloaded from the App Store. Have you checked the Applications folder, if Photos is there?

Which iPhoto version did you migrate from your old Mac? If it is iPhoto 9.6 you can use brute force to make it run on MacOS X 10.10.3. I learned this from Old Toad 🙂

• ctrl-click iPhoto in the Applications folder.
• Use the command "Show Package Contents.
• In the Finder window that will open, open the folder "Contents", then "MacOS". Double Click "iPhoto" to launch it.
• If this works, drag this iPhoto version to the Dock.