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Help...I've lost half of my iPhoto library. Have Time Machine, but can't restore :(


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Help...I've lost half of my iPhoto library. Have Time Machine, but can't restore :(
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-25, 11:17

Two Fridays ago I was messing with some stuff, redoing some Flickr things (I did something stupid/clumsy and broke a bunch of links...long story). Anyway, I restored some things, then went out of town. Got home (this has been about 10 days and I just haven't had the heart or patience to fool with it.

In a nutshell, I'm trying to get the iPhoto library (14.7GB) from Wednesday or Thursday (March 7 or 8) BACK to present day.

When I go back in Time Machine, find that library file (14.7GB, the little palm tree photos, etc.) and click "restore", it brings it to "today", but then tells me I don't have permission to access "iPhoto library".

I've got nearly a thousand pics I've taken in the past 18-20 months of my friend, her son, our travels, etc. They're somewhere on my Time Machine drive, I see the 14.7GB iPhoto library file and I know it's from the day before I loused everything up.

How do I get this back and have my current library photo back to its ~16GB/2,500-photo self (instead of this sad, truncated one I'm looking at now).

SOLUTION
Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by arteggio View Post
It seems like everything has been suggested, but you might also try going to TM disk > ~/Photos > Get Info > unlock, add your own user account, and in the little menu choose 'apply to all items' and let it finish so that your account definitely has access to everything in there.

If that doesn't work, maybe apply your permissions to the whole backup folder, or the whole disk. I don't think any harm can come from this.

If that still doesn't work, have you tried copying a new user account? It's usually one of the first things mentioned but I didn't see it this time. Try applying that account to the library's/folder's/disk's permissions.
SOLUTION
  quote
SpecMode
Wait what
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: El Dorado County, California
 
2012-03-25, 11:25

You might try moving the existing (bad) iPhoto Library into another folder, or renaming it in the Finder, and then restoring the copy from Time Machine. Once you've made sure the restored copy has everything you expect, then you can obliterate the 'bad' copy.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-25, 11:33

I thought that was going to work (it churned on it a bit longer and felt different). But just when I started to get excited, and that something was going to finally work, that same message popped up again:

Quote:
The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access "iPhoto Library"


I'm logged in, I'm the only user on this machine, full admin privileges, etc. I don't understand this...

I'm in 10.6.8, all other updates are current, etc. I've never had a bit of trouble with iPhoto (it's been my go-to photo organizing/sharing/upload app for years...my entire life for the past decade is on it). I just got careless and wasn't thinking a couple of weeks ago and messed things up, and all I want to do is put my iPhoto library back to the way it was on March 7-8...which I assumed was the sole purpose of bastard Time Machine.



The one time I need to "reach back into the past" to fix/restore something, it's not working...

Grrr...
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PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
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2012-03-25, 16:25

Sometimes you have to go into the info menu and "unlock" it, even if you are the admin. Also try repairing permissions.
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Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2012-03-25, 16:49

Can you manually copy the backup over? Do be careful — I remember hearing that that's generally a bad idea, but I can't recall why.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-25, 17:11

I've tried. I get the above message when I put it either into place or just on my desktop. It's like it's fighting me, not wanting me to get all my stuff back.

First off, am I even doing it right?!? Going back in Time Machine to March 7th or so, navigating to the iPhoto Library file (14.7GB), selecting it, clicking "Restore" and then...???

That's when it all falls apart. I would've thought it would bring it up to today's Finder window/Photos directory, maybe prompt me to restart iPhoto, rebuild/restore everything as it was, I'm happy again, etc.

  quote
Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-03-25, 17:25

Any chance you need to trigger TM/Versions *within* iPhoto?
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dmegatool
Custom User Title
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: At home
 
2012-03-25, 17:30

Could it work in iPhoto ? Like open it, enter time machine, go back to the date, select all and restore.

If not, maybe you could chmod the whole folder with the terminal to fix the permissions ? Input of others would be require for this solution though. I would certainly not try it on my only recommendation.

Dave Mustaine :"God created whammy bars for people who don't know how to solo."
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-25, 17:39

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post
Any chance you need to trigger TM/Versions *within* iPhoto?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmegatool View Post
Could it work in iPhoto ? Like open it, enter time machine, go back to the date, select all and restore.

If not, maybe you could chmod the whole folder with the terminal to fix the permissions ? Input of others would be require for this solution though. I would certainly not try it on my only recommendation.
Can't believe I didn't think of that before. But I just tried it and the iPhoto window shrinks down, others appear behind it going "back in time" (but they're black/empty), I get the dateline on the right side and I can scroll through. But I can't select or make the current iPhoto window "go back". And the only Time Machine options/command available to me is "Cancel".

Seems like it could work, but it doesn't. I was hoping I could go back to March 7 and see what my Events used to look like.
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TheMats84
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
 
2012-03-25, 19:59

Will any of this help you? I found it in iPhoto Help.

"If you use iPhoto 9.1.4 or later and Mac OS X v10.7 or later: To restore photos, quit iPhoto, open the folder containing your iPhoto library, and then open Time Machine.

"If you use earlier versions of iPhoto or Mac OS X: To restore specific photos or Events, open iPhoto and choose File > Browse Backups. To restore your entire iPhoto library, quit iPhoto, open the folder containing your iPhoto library, and then open Time Machine."

I hope this is of some use to you.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-25, 20:10

Dammit to hell, I don't know WTF is going on. All these ideas and suggestions are great, and SHOULD do the trick. But every time I try one from the Finder, I get that stupid message from above (not having permission to access the library, etc.).

Any time I try a method from within iPhoto, I can't actually "go back" and bring anything forward, or move back in time to March 7 to grab/select anything. The timeline works, but the windows on screen don't recede or "travel" correspondingly, nor do the back/forward arrows work. As before, only "Cancel" is available to me as a working option. It just displays the frontmost, current (today) iPhoto window, and a bunch of blank/old ones stacked behind...but I can't access/reach into them (from within iPhoto). I can when doing it from the Finder, but then I get that "you don't have permission..." message. Over and over.

Mats84, your suggestion/method above worked at first, and I was so amped (I opened up the window where my current iPhoto Library is. Then entered Time Machine, flew back to March 7's iPhoto Library, selected it, clicked "Restore" and it then "flew" frontwards into the present day and into the current Pictures folder (where I'd renamed the old one). It chews on it a bit, I get a "preparing to copy" dialog/task bar(?) and then, after about 15-20 seconds, the "you don't have permission..." message.

So it blocks me from both approaches...Finder or iPhoto. One saying I don't have access, the other not allowing me to travel back in time at all.

It's being a real bastard.

This is so damn stupid...this should've been solved/fixed weeks ago, and I've searched online, Apple's forums, I've tried everything sensible/obvious (and then some).

Now I'm just getting pissed. This is the kind of no-rhyme-or-reason shit I deal with anytime I sit down at a you-know-what machine...where something simple, obvious and basic should just work the way it's supposed to (and then, before I know it, 2-3 hours has passed and I have nothing to show for it).

My New Year's resolution regarding "patience" has bitten the dust, to say the least...



It's obviously some sort of permission/access issue, but I have no idea why and I've never encountered it before. In fact, about a year or so ago, I used Time Machine to retrieve some old iPhoto pics and events and it worked perfectly, just as expected. I don't know what's different now, or why this one thing is impossible (so far).

I'm giving up for tonight. I'll check here again tomorrow. I just need to get this restored at some point...we're talking nearly 1,000 photos/dozens of events from the best moments of the past 18-20 months of my life. I'm gonna absolutely freak the hell out if they're lost and unretrievable for good...

  quote
thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2012-03-25, 20:38

Do you have any other back up you could use to restore from?
Maybe try restart. It looks like you've tried most things.................Cue resident experts............maybe Brad, Chucker??...................Hope you get this resolved I know how upset I would be in you situation.

I used to be undecided.....But now I'm not so sure.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-03-25, 20:45

Yeah, I've restarted the Mac, remounted the Time Machine Drive (I can see/access any other files, from ages ago, no problem). I've restarted iPhoto, I've lit incense and chanted, etc.

I'm mostly mad because of how this all came about (a brief moment of careless, off-the-chart stupidity on my part that I still can't even fully grasp/explain, nearly three weeks later). It's all on me, and so unnecessary. So 70% of my anger/frustration is squarely aimed inward. The remaining 30% on Time Machine and iPhoto acting like a-holes and not cutting me a break.
  quote
Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2012-03-26, 01:23

You could probably get around the permissions issue using sudo, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.
  quote
dmegatool
Custom User Title
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: At home
 
2012-03-26, 06:13

To get you on track with the chmod, you'll start terminal and type
Code:
sudo chmod -R 777
Then drag the iPhoto folder on the window so it write the path automatically. So you get
Code:
sudo chmod -R 777 /This/is/thePath/to/iPhoto/BackupFolder
777 means read,write and execute permissions. Someone may validate this solution though. I would do it if it was my things but I can't say "do it without hesitating". It's not a software or something, we're talking photos/memories.

Thinking of it, you'll probably have to do it on the whole backup folder cause I think Time Machine doesn't make it easy to navigate. Bunch of numbered folders and all... Playing with all the files on the backup now, definitely validate this solution and make a backup of the backup

Dave Mustaine :"God created whammy bars for people who don't know how to solo."
  quote
Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-03-26, 19:19

Is it a permissions issue on the current folder (as in the destination) or the source (backup)?

Maybe you should go to your iPhoto folder, right click, and see what the permissions are set to... I remember having similar trouble trying to overwrite files a few months back...

User formally known as Sh0eWax
  quote
alcimedes
I shot the sherrif.
 
Join Date: May 2004
Send a message via ICQ to alcimedes  
2012-03-27, 10:25

Ok, this might be too simple, but have you tried this?

Restore the iPhoto Library to your user folder, but not the normal iPhoto location.

Hold down option and launch iPhoto. It will ask you to select a library to use, select the one you just put in your user folder. If it works, you can try moving it then, or just continue to use it in the new location.

Google is your frenemy.
Caveat Emptor - Latin for tough titty
I tend to interpret things in the way that's most hilarious to me
  quote
bassplayinMacFiend
Banging the Bottom End
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
 
2012-03-30, 08:25

Any luck?
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-06, 19:28

I cannot get this to work. I've tried everything I know, everything suggested here.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-06, 20:44

Have I just lost all these damn photos? I see the old iPhoto library sitting there in my backup, from March 6 2012, at 14.71GB. I've tried a dozen different ways to bring it to "today". I've repaired this, reset that, restarted this, tried from the Finder, tried from within iPhoto, tried in Time Machine.

All that happens, each and every time, is that I end up with that same "sorry...you can't do this" message. Over and over.

And I'm not comfortable with dicking around in the Terminal thing because I'd truly be flying blind.

Why is this not working?

What else can I do?



So bummed and frustrated right now...this should've happened weeks ago. I don't know what else to check, change, tweak or do. About to wipe the whole stupid ass drive so I can't retrieve them, ever. That would almost be better than having it sit there, so close, and not being able to make it work, you know? It's almost like it's mocking me at this point..."you can't restore me...nyah nyah!"

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thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2012-04-06, 21:00

Don't wipe the drive. I've done stupid things in the past. Trust me you'll only regret it later.

All the while they are on that drive at some point you may be able to retrieve them. I wish i knew more and could help, the only thing i can think of is, would you be able to get help from Apple? Genius bar maybe?

Don't give up just yet. All is not yet lost Obi Wan.

I used to be undecided.....But now I'm not so sure.
No trees were harmed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
  quote
Dave
Ninja Editor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bay Area, CA
 
2012-04-06, 21:29

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
Have I just lost all these damn photos? I see the old iPhoto library sitting there in my backup, from March 6 2012, at 14.71GB. I've tried a dozen different ways to bring it to "today". I've repaired this, reset that, restarted this, tried from the Finder, tried from within iPhoto, tried in Time Machine.

All that happens, each and every time, is that I end up with that same "sorry...you can't do this" message. Over and over.

And I'm not comfortable with dicking around in the Terminal thing because I'd truly be flying blind.

Why is this not working?

What else can I do?



So bummed and frustrated right now...this should've happened weeks ago. I don't know what else to check, change, tweak or do. About to wipe the whole stupid ass drive so I can't retrieve them, ever. That would almost be better than having it sit there, so close, and not being able to make it work, you know? It's almost like it's mocking me at this point..."you can't restore me...nyah nyah!"

I might manually copy the backup somewhere else before Time Machine decides it's too old to keep.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-06, 21:40

I will...if I can. I'm not able to copy/move it anywhere. That's the problem.
  quote
arteggio
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Within
 
2012-04-07, 10:50

It seems like everything has been suggested, but you might also try going to TM disk > ~/Photos > Get Info > unlock, add your own user account, and in the little menu choose 'apply to all items' and let it finish so that your account definitely has access to everything in there.

If that doesn't work, maybe apply your permissions to the whole backup folder, or the whole disk. I don't think any harm can come from this.

If that still doesn't work, have you tried copying a new user account? It's usually one of the first things mentioned but I didn't see it this time. Try applying that account to the library's/folder's/disk's permissions.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-07, 11:02

Ohmigosh, that did it...all 14.7GB are now copying into my present-day Pictures folder (where I should be able to rebuild my iPhoto library as it was a few weeks ago (I've not used it much the past few weeks, obviously...it would just bum me out/piss me off to even launch it).

Still copying, but I'll report back and let you know if this did indeed fix it. 11 minutes remaining...

Talk about a load off my mind, if this works.

You don't realize just what photos and "capturing those moments" really mean...until you run up against the idea of never seeing them again.



I've been in such a funk over all this...pictures of someone very special to me, and her son, were suddenly gone. All the stuff we've done, places we've gone and things we've seen the past 18-20 months, etc. I've documented every one...school stuff, trips, weekends, lakes, amusement park, birthdays, get-togethers, general "how cute" pics, etc.

I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but this is the first time I've been able to copy that 14.7GB iPhoto library file from March 6 back to present day. So I have to believe that was it (applying to all, etc.). I was tackling it from the library file itself, but I backed out a level to the Pictures folder and did what you suggested. And when I clicked "restore", it brought it forward into today's Picture folder in my account and started copying...never gave me the usual "don't have access to this item" message. For once!

If this works, I'm buying you a beer the size of a house if I ever see you.



EDIT: It worked!!! Everything is back, just like it was a month ago.

Now I don't have to dread/hate launching iPhoto anymore.

A most sincere and gracious "thank you". To everyone (I tried every suggestion given, so I appreciate the help).

*sigh*...that's a weight off my shoulders.
  quote
thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2012-04-07, 11:11

Now if you had wiped that drive.......................................
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-07, 15:54

I know. I often need to be saved from myself, I've learned. Some day I'll grow up and realize that my initial gut reaction - especially one stemming from anger/frustration - might not be the ideal approach to a given situation...
  quote
zippy
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Unknown
 
2012-04-07, 16:15

I'm glad that arteggio's solution worked for you!


It got me wondering if running Repair Permissions on the Time Machine drive would have solved the problem so I went back through the threads to see if that had been tried.

It looks like PB PM had suggested it, but I don't know if you for sure tried it - do you remember? I'm just curious to know if it actually required the manual unlock (which PB PM also suggested, but must have been missed in all the other suggestions so props to both arteggio and PB PM).
Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
Sometimes you have to go into the info menu and "unlock" it, even if you are the admin. Also try repairing permissions.
Glad you are back to whole!

Do you know where children get all of their energy? - They suck it right out of their parents!
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-04-07, 16:37

I did indeed. I repaired permissions on the iMac, and the Time Machine drive. Anywhere I could find.
  quote
thegeriatric
geri to my friends
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Heaven
 
2012-04-07, 16:48

Glad you were successful.
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