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Resolved Question

iPhoto library copied from old computer won't show

Aug 3, 2011 9:03PM PDT

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">iPhoto 9.1.1 on a brand new iMac, Lion. Set old G5 (10.5.Cool as a target in Target Mode and dragged iPhoto Library (which was on iPhoto 4.03) to the Pictures folder of the new iMac. Got message "There is a library there already: Replace?" I chose "Replace". The replaced Library no longer had the special iPhoto sunset icon that the Library it replaced had - just a blank rectangle. The replaced Library is not recognised by iPhoto.<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">In the iMac: iPhoto, Library Photos and iPhoto, Recent, Last Import show all that stuff that came with Lion (some pics, icons etc.) but no sign of my photos.
<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">I opened iPhoto Library on the iMac and my photos are there in the usual year folders, with AlbumsData.xml, a Folder "Albums" containing the titles of my albums, Dir.data, iPhoto Selection with the names of some photos (in 2010 only), iPhoto.db, Library.iPhoto (dated 24 July 2911, iMB in size,with the iPhoto sunset icon), Thumbs32.data, Thumbs64.data, ThumbsJPG.data.
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<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Now, i'm getting "You can't open your current iPhoto library using this version of iPhoto. This library must be upgraded by the iPhoto Library Upgrader application before you can use it with iPhoto. Please reinstall iPhoto from your iLife disc." My backup of the Lion installation (in the form of InstallESD.dmg) does not include an iPhoto package (it includes one for iTunes) nor the iPhoto Library Upgrader.
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<span>I don't see any "iLife Disc" either.
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What can I do please to get my photos? Thanks

Discussion is locked

Steve 1 2 3 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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I know the answer to this, but
Aug 3, 2011 9:54PM PDT

I have to remember where I found the solution.

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Yes, it is.
Aug 3, 2011 11:25PM PDT

HT 4431 gives advice on upgrading iPhoto, but I already have what seems to be the current version, and anyway, it implies that the updating of the iPhoto Library happens as a result of the upgrading process, which does not help me.

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Still looking, confirm you have run Software update
Aug 4, 2011 1:56AM PDT

and downloaded and installed iPhoto 9.0.1 update.

BTW, this is not a LION issue, It happened in SL too.

P

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FOUND IT.
Aug 4, 2011 2:04AM PDT

this is the piece of software that I used to fix this problem on a customers machine.

Go here; http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/ and download the free version.

now use the Rebuild function to fix the problem. It will creat a new library based on the XML data contained in the old library.

The good thing about this software is that it is non destructive. You do, of course, still have the original on the G5 and you made a copy of the iPhoto database too.

give this software a whirl and let us know how you get on.

Oh yes, I forgot, the rebuild will not recreate albums or slide shows, just the pictures.

P

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SUCCESS!
Aug 4, 2011 9:04AM PDT

It worked perfectly. It took about 7 minutes to rebuild 6.11 GB of photos. The log said that 20 photos could not be found. By that I guess that the .xml file listed them but they were missing.

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Great, another success story,
Aug 4, 2011 11:35AM PDT

It's always good when a plan comes together