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Missing iPhoto photos, moved library to desktop, now photos have returned but desktop is a mess.

Hi everyone,


Firstly thank you for your time. The OS is 10.6.8, iPhoto '09 (8.1.2). Fairly.... antiquated but it's my mum's so thanks for being patient 🙂


I came to the problem after it had been created, this is what mum can explain of it.

1. She opened iPhoto and nothing was there. None of her photos were there under Events, or Photos, or any of her Albums.

2. She decided to look for it and somehow... managed to find the folder (doubt she would know how to "show package contents" but I wouldn't go there yet). And promptly started to look in each folder for her photos, but didn't find any. She dragged all these (I don't know if she copied or she cut it) little folders named "iPhoto Library- 6/05/14" for example (there's.... 13 of them) to the desktop.

When I open this folder, I see other folders within it "Data" "Modified" "Originals". As well as some db files. I didn't touch any of it and left it alone.

3. Last night, I opened iPhoto and experienced the same problem- I could not find any of her photos from before. I didn't know what to do so told her I would try working on it tonight.

4. I switch on the computer tonight.. and TADA all her photos are back in iPhoto. And the folders she had moved/copied are still on the desktop.


Here's my questions.

1. How do I ascertain if I need to be putting these little folders back to some special place in the computer OR if I should just leave them OR if I can delete them.

2. If the sequence of events is right, should I be concerned that she couldn't find any photos in the first instance (and I experienced that too, which is why I'm worried).

3. I'm definitely backing this up for her at the earliest opportunity and I'm sure I can find a help topic for how to do so somewhere else, but I would like to sort this 'mess' out first so the library isn't corrupted (or is it already?).


Thanks in advance for your time/solutions, I hope to be able to respond quickly if further clarification is needed but I am going to have a pretty crazy couple of days!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Mum's Mac, iPhoto '09 (8.1.2)

Posted on Feb 12, 2016 7:09 AM

Reply
2 replies

Feb 12, 2016 8:25 AM in response to macen

talking about folders tells us nothing


The iPHoto library is a package and it should be in the pictures folder - drag it there intact as a single entity and then hold down the option key while launching iPhoto and select it in the select library window that appears - it will be the default location now and everything should be fine


And yes backup - she should have a TimeCapsule and be running TimeMachine with default hourly backups all the time


as to what happened - only she knows - we were not there form the info you provide it is not possible to figure it out


LN

Feb 12, 2016 8:36 AM in response to LarryHN

Thanks for the prompt reply LarryHN,


The iPhoto library is already in the pictures folder.


I will do the option key thing to select the default location.


Any suggestions for what I should do with the folders? I've looked at them and realised they are actually copies of the same folder, with the same photos. But I haven't been able to find out if it is already in the existing iPhoto library.

Missing iPhoto photos, moved library to desktop, now photos have returned but desktop is a mess.

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