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Q: Lost iPhoto files and Thumbnails

I recently upgraded to Yosemite. Yesterday when I opened up the iPhoto (which I have it in my external drive due to the size of file) I get the message that it is not compatible with the new system(or something like that) and ask me to upgrade so I did. Then another message pops ups and asked for rebuilding the Thumbnails. So I clicked rebuild. Next it asked me to do one of three things(I can't remember all of them) so I chose the last one which is to download a photo to iPhoto. Now I only have that photo I downloaded in iPhoto file but not the rest of my pictures. The iPhoto library which is stored in my EHD shows it has 349GB but it only show one thumbnail of the last picture I downloaded after the rebuild process. What can I do to recover the rest of the file?

Thanks for your help.

George

<Personal Information Edited by Host>

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), null

Posted on Dec 19, 2015 12:45 AM

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Q: Lost iPhoto files and Thumbnails

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  • by Terence Devlin,

    Terence Devlin Terence Devlin Dec 19, 2015 12:52 AM in response to getrich1
    Level 10 (139,572 points)
    iLife
    Dec 19, 2015 12:52 AM in response to getrich1

    Option 1

    Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.

     

    If that fails:

     

    Option 2

    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)

     

    This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.

     

    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.  

     

    Regards

     

     

    TD