External Drive - how to restore from Time Machine

[callipygia600]

I have had Time Machine configured to back up my photos and videos on an external drive. My Time Machine backup is a separate drive attached to my MacBook by FireWire. I have Leopard OS. I have in the past successfully retrieved deleted photos from the Time Machine backups using iPhoto.

Now, unfortunately, the external drive with the photos and videos has developed a problem (possibly power-related) so that my MacBook no longer recognizes that drive. Obviously, this means that iPhoto can't find/open that photo library. Which means that iPhoto can't access the backup via Time Machine. Help! The photos must surely be on the Time Machine backup but I can't figure out any way to retrieve them.

 

[callipygia600]

Figured it out

OK, I figured it out. You go back in Time Machine to a window for a date where the data was still available. Then in the bottom folders of that Time Machine window, click the backup folder and everything is there. Choose the photo library (or file/folder) to restore and when Time Machine says the original location is no longer there it lets you create a new folder in which to put the restored files/folders. Maybe this'll help someone else.