Can't Access iPhoto Library

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jmartensen Author

Level 1

0 points

Can't Access iPhoto Library

Hi,

I am phasing out an old iMac (late 2006 24-inch desktop) that's running OSX 10.7.5 and iPhoto 9.4.3.

My iPhoto library, containing 30,000+ photos, was created from that computer.

All of the photos are stored on an external hard drive.

I have been running Time Machine for regular back ups.

I just bought a MacBook Pro, running OSX 10.10.3 and iPhoto 9.6.1.

That uses the new Photos app.

I've had no problems importing new photos to Photos via that computer, and set up a new library.

I can open iPhoto on both machines, and can navigate to my old iPhoto library, but it's greyed out and I cannot open it or import photos to/from it on either computer..

How can I restore access to that iPhoto library, so I can see and manage all of my old photos, and merge my old iPhoto library with the new Photos library?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch,Early 2015), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), iPhoto 9.6.1

Posted on Jun 27, 2015 7:06 AM

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Answer 1

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,408 points

Jun 27, 2015 7:27 AM in response to jmartensen

All of the photos are stored on an external hard drive.

Is that the iPhoto Library? Or just the photo files? What format is the disk?

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Jun 27, 2015 7:43 AM in response to jmartensen

and can navigate to my old iPhoto library, but it's greyed out and I cannot open it or import photos to/from it on either computer..

Where do you see the library greyed out?

Are you trying to import it to iPhoto using "File > Import"? Or when you are using the command "File > Switch to Library" in iPhoto?

Is your old Photo Library on a Time Machine drive? How is the drive connected?

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Answer 3

jmartensen Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 27, 2015 8:50 AM in response to Yer_Man

Library and photos are both on external hard drive, and on my personal Dropbox folder. Time Machine backs up to the external hard drive, connected via USB.

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Answer 4

jmartensen Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 27, 2015 8:54 AM in response to léonie

When I navigate through iPhoto on either machine, the library is greyed out. I can see it, and point to it, but can't access it.

That's true whether I try "File > Import" or "File > Switch to Library"

Old photo library is on an external hard drive, where my Time Machine back ups are stored. Connected via USB. I also copied everything up to Dropbox, to have a cloud backup (I store docs and everything else on Dropbox, so thought I'd prefer having photos there too, instead of on iCloud).

Now I'm realizing I'm having the library access issue when trying to switch to or import to the Library on Dropbox. I wonder if the issue is just that it's on Dropbox?

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Jun 27, 2015 9:20 AM in response to jmartensen

Old photo library is on an external hard drive, where my Time Machine back ups are stored. Connected via USB.

That is probably the problem. The newer iPhoto versions will not open a library on a Time Machine volume.

Copy the library to a different drive, locally mounted and formatted MacOS Extended (Journaled). If you have enough free storage on your system drive move the iPhoto Library to your Pictures folder. Then double-click it to open in iPhoto.

And iPhoto cannot open a library on a synced volume. It will not work in Drop Box.

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