Macworld Forums: Another iPhoto library disappearing act - Macworld Forums

Heyoka Happiness, Old Toad and all other gurus, I need your wisdom!
I am five days into my new machine, a refurbished MacBookPro 2.4 runing 10.5.5. I'm new to leopard and have
been a bit distracted trying to get my husband (the Windows 98 era newbe) adjusted to my old machine, a
PowerMac G4 running tiger, but I have not done any major purging or other extreme measures.

Everything was fine yesterday, I have imported photos since I received my new machine and have exported
slide shows to a thumb device. Today I went to import my recent photos from my camera (Sony DSLR200) to
my machine and iPhoto will not load. I receive the message, "Your iPhoto library was not found...et all".

I'm trying not to panic. I know the info is in here somewhere, but before I make the trek to the MacPac gurus and
pay out $$ I could spend in other places, I'm asking for your help. Thanks, Bickwiz

By default the iPhoto Library folder/package is located in your Pictures folder. If it's not there do a search of the hard drive for iPhoto LIbrary. Or search for "Library6.iPhoto" which is the library's database file. If you don't find it anywhere on the hard drive it may have been deleted.

If you find the library make sure it's in the Pictures folder. Then launch iPhoto with the Option key depressed and, when asked, select the option to Choose Library. Navigate to the Pictures folder and select the library there.

You husband didn't have access to your MBP did he? ;)

Old Toad,
Hmmm, something is rotten in iPhoto....I have to rebuild my library every time I open iPhoto!
I really don't want to have to call the local Mac guru, but I'm at my wits end (doesn't take long
to get to the end.) Help?!

Try rebuilding the library with iPhoto Library Manager as follows:

Using iPhoto Library Manager to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library

1 -Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.

2 -Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your User/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.

3 - Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File->Rebuild Library menu option

4 - In the next window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.

5 - Click on the Create button.

Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be untouched for further attempts at fixing or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory .

If the rebuild library isn't to your liking you can trash it and go back to the original for more fix attempts. The last ditch fix would be to create a new library from the originals of the old one. But you would lose all metadata, albums, slideshows, etc. Hence the term "last ditch". Good luck.

Waaaah, I have followed your instructions to the letter twice. When I quit iPhoto and then restart, I have
the same response....NO LIBRARY. I'm trying to be calm and not worry about it until after Christmas, but
I have come to realize iPhoto is like my child...I need interaction every day. OH, well. As I said, I will worry
about it tomorrow, tomorrow is another day. Scarlet signing out

Are you sure you were opening the new library created by iPhoto Library Manager? To make sure launch iPhoto with the Option key depressed and, when asked, select Choose Library. Navigate to the Pictures folder (or wherever you had iPLM create the new library) and select it.

OK, will try again tomorrow with a fresh brain. Thanks, BW

Od Toad,
Obviously, the holidays got in the way. Here's the latest - I have built NUMEROUS new libraries. Every time I close iPhoto
the next time I open it I receive the same message. "Your iPhoto library was not found. Do you want to find your iPhoto library?" Then, " iPhoto can?t continue without a photo library. Make sure the disk containing your iPhoto Library is connected."
Then, I have three buttons from which to select "Quit", "Create library" and "Choose library". I have checked that my iPhoto is the latest version and I think it is (7.1.5). Should I trash my current iPhoto and reinstall? As Bill the Cat would say, "ACK!"

oops, didn't mean to call you Od Toad, please forgive...Old Toad Sama

Make sure you're opening the latest library that was created by iPhoto LIbrary Manager. To do so you must launch iPhoto with the Option key depressed and, when asked, select Choose Library. Navigate to the latest library and choose it. Even if you double click the latest library iPhoto will open the last one that it had opened before. That's because that library is noted in the iPhoto preference file. To change the path in the pref file to the one you want to open you need to use the Option key method.

The default that iPhoto looks for is a library titled "iPhoto Library" that's located in the Pictures folder. So if your library is named something different or located somewhere else use the Option key method.