# restore iphoto from time machine



## allieoop (Jan 26, 2010)

Hi there
I did something with my iphoto and when I went to look at my pics they were all gone except the black screen had white outlines of every pic but I couldn't see the pictures.   It wanted to build my thumbnail and for whatever reason I didn't choose yes.  I think I should have.  So.......I thought time machine would pull all those photos back.  I restored from earlier in the day when it was fine.  I had about 4000 photos and after restore I ended up with over 40000 photos.  It had put all the clipart and all kinds of photos in there from programs.  Also it duplicated every picture I had at least 3 times.  I did go in a delete all the clipart pics.  Now I have about 35000 pics.  The photos now are not all large size when I click on them.  Alot of them are really small when I try to open them.  I can't even think about going through all of those pics individually.  HELP!  
I thought the Time Machine would restore back to what it was previously with my 4000 or so pics.  Does anybody know what happened?
I'm running iphoto 6 so I can't see the pics when I go into the Finder. 
Any help would surely be appreciated!


----------



## djackmac (Jan 26, 2010)

You should drag your current iphoto library to the desktop and rename iphoto_old or something like that. Then go back in time machine when you were positive iphoto was the way it was before and drag that version to your pictures folder. Then try to launch iphoto and if everything is better just take the iphoto_old library and delete it.


----------



## allieoop (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks for the idea.  It sounds like it would work. 
Should I drag iphoto from the Finder-Applications spot???
Or is there a way to drag iphoto itself.  Am I looking in pictures?  I actually found them in Pictures-iphoto library-originals.  I can see all the duplicated folders.  Sorry to be so daft!   Just don't want to flub this up again. 
Allie


----------



## djackmac (Jan 27, 2010)

Its the whole iphoto library from your pictures folder from the last known good time machine backup.


----------



## allieoop (Feb 1, 2010)

Sorry, I've been so late in replying.  I've just been really apprehensive  and scared to do something wrong!
I've have located exactly where I screwed up in time machine.  I have dragged my current screwed-up iphoto to the desktop and renamed it.  I can't open iphoto so I'm sure that is right. 
Now when I went into time machine, I went to the right date (prior to screw-up) and I went to Pictures-iphoto library.  
Now when you say drag into pictures that's where I'm stumped again.  I'm in Time Machine and I can't drag into into the Finder window in Pictures because I'm in Time Machine.  What am I missing?
It doesn't make sense to me to drag it to pictures in time machine because it's there already.  Do I choose iphoto library and click restore???
Thanks for your patience with this!


----------



## djackmac (Feb 1, 2010)

You don't necessarily need to do the drag and drop. Just open the Time Machine interface go to your users/youruser/pictures/iphoto library of the known good date and at the bottom right there will be a restore button. Click restore and you should be all set.

The drag and drop option can be used outside of the TM interface through the finder. It looks as though you are trying to drap and drop through the TM interface.


----------



## allieoop (Feb 1, 2010)

Thank you.  I will give it go!


----------



## allieoop (Feb 1, 2010)

It didn't work.  It still wants to import oer 40000 photos.  For some reason I've got every piece of clipart on the computer in iphoto and tons of pictures that are from some program but I haven't got a clue where.  I was doing it folder by folder and then it got really persnickity when I wanted to put them into iphoto.  Some imported and some didn't so..... I am going through the entire folder that I put on the desktop before I began and dragging them back in.  Just as well because it appears there needs to be a clean up in iphoto!  I had a brilliant idea to reverse my ipod as the photos were up to date but then I realized they weren't full resolutions.  Now they will be.  I'll check off that option!  It's so weird I've got triple versions of my pics and some are really small and then some are the originals.  Unfortunately I have to go through every file to figure it out.  There isn't a clear sign that tells me what size it is just by looking at the IMG number.  Oh Lordy, I won't do this again.  It's going to take me forever.  I'll go year by year!  
Now I'm just wondering about all that clipart.  Since I'm trashing it from iphoto I wonder if that will be a problem elsewhere?  Any thoughts on that one??
Thanks for your help.


----------

