I need help to restore my iphoto library - that I have deleted in a strange way without purpose. Any tips how to restore it? it contained pictures from the last 4 years .. I was told it hasnt been deleted "the right way" so there should be a chance to recover it somehow.. ? Any experts????
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Restoring of iphoto library
- Thread starter claudialaumann
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First off, how exactly did you delete it, what steps?
Drag to trash? Deleted via iPhoto Library Manager? Dragged the file to the Trash in Finder? Playing in Terminal?
When Recovering from any accident it is best to know how the accident occurred.
If of course you have a current TM backup then nothing should be lost and you can simply go into the Time Machine and restore it but I assume you are asking because you don't have a TM backup?
Drag to trash? Deleted via iPhoto Library Manager? Dragged the file to the Trash in Finder? Playing in Terminal?
When Recovering from any accident it is best to know how the accident occurred.
If of course you have a current TM backup then nothing should be lost and you can simply go into the Time Machine and restore it but I assume you are asking because you don't have a TM backup?
No backup ...
Yes unfortunately I dont have a back up. And I have emptied my trashcan many times after - before I found out, that my library was suddenly missing.
The sad thing is I have no f... clue how I could delete it... or when I dit it.
I exported some of the fotos (around 100) to put them on a extern harddisc.
The next thing I know is, when I went in to the iphotolibrary some time after, it was all empty :-((
Yes unfortunately I dont have a back up. And I have emptied my trashcan many times after - before I found out, that my library was suddenly missing.
The sad thing is I have no f... clue how I could delete it... or when I dit it.
I exported some of the fotos (around 100) to put them on a extern harddisc.
The next thing I know is, when I went in to the iphotolibrary some time after, it was all empty :-((
Hmmm, first do a search and make sure you didn't inadvertantly move the library rather than delete it.
Next do a search of All My Mac for image files, see what and where it finds anything.
Then I would download one of the photo recovery apps (I use and have paid for Softote Photo Recovery for Mac), good ones will allow you to scan for free - but possibly only memory cards, not drives - and see what it finds before you have to pay for it to retrieve the files. (Note that this may find image files but not in the library structure). Unless the disk space has been written over again then this <should> find most of your images, depending on the size of your drive(s) it may take quite some time as it has to read the entire disk.
After that if that hasn't turned them up then I believe they are gone.
At this time I wouldn't assume that even if you have an SSD they are gone, whether the SSD has zeroed out the data would depend on several variables, carry out the above searches anyway, they will only cost you some time, the alternative is to give up without searching....
Next do a search of All My Mac for image files, see what and where it finds anything.
Then I would download one of the photo recovery apps (I use and have paid for Softote Photo Recovery for Mac), good ones will allow you to scan for free - but possibly only memory cards, not drives - and see what it finds before you have to pay for it to retrieve the files. (Note that this may find image files but not in the library structure). Unless the disk space has been written over again then this <should> find most of your images, depending on the size of your drive(s) it may take quite some time as it has to read the entire disk.
After that if that hasn't turned them up then I believe they are gone.
At this time I wouldn't assume that even if you have an SSD they are gone, whether the SSD has zeroed out the data would depend on several variables, carry out the above searches anyway, they will only cost you some time, the alternative is to give up without searching....
yes I searched for it on the macbook - its physically not there anymore - if I should have a hope - I have to restore something .. I asked at the Humac store, he told me there might be a chance, because I hadnt deleted it "the right way" - he could see that (whatever that means) - If I left it by them it would cost me min. 1600 $, and I couldnt be sure, that they could restore it.
So his advice was to find a forum like this...
----------
Ok thanks I will try to download a photo recovery app - and see if I succeed to find anything ... yeah I dont care about the library structure, but I would be more than happy to get all my images from the last 4 years back!!!
Thanks to you all for your help!!!!
)
So his advice was to find a forum like this...
----------
Ok thanks I will try to download a photo recovery app - and see if I succeed to find anything ... yeah I dont care about the library structure, but I would be more than happy to get all my images from the last 4 years back!!!
Thanks to you all for your help!!!!
)Did you use the search tool (Spotlight) as I suggested, not just looking for it in Finder?
If so get some recovery software and scan the drive for images.
claudia wrote above:
[[ unfortunately I dont have a back up. And I have emptied my trashcan many times after - before I found out, that my library was suddenly missing.
The sad thing is I have no f... clue how I could delete it... or when I dit it.
I exported some of the fotos (around 100) to put them on a extern harddisc.
The next thing I know is, when I went in to the iphotolibrary some time after, it was all empty :-(( ]]
Well, I know it may be painful to hear this, but this is exactly why one keeps a backup around.
You -might- be able to recover some of the lost images by using a data recovery app such as "DataRescue3", but there is no promise that it will work for you, particularly if you have continued to use the drive that the iPhoto library was on (because in the process of "using" the drive, deleted files get "over-written" by NEW disk activity).
One thing to try first:
If you have Spotlight enabled, search for "iPhoto Library".
Any results?
In the future, you should learn what a backup is.
You have already discovered why you need to have one.
A cloned backup of your internal drive is easy to create and maintain.
Go forth from this day and learn, a sadder but wiser person....
[[ unfortunately I dont have a back up. And I have emptied my trashcan many times after - before I found out, that my library was suddenly missing.
The sad thing is I have no f... clue how I could delete it... or when I dit it.
I exported some of the fotos (around 100) to put them on a extern harddisc.
The next thing I know is, when I went in to the iphotolibrary some time after, it was all empty :-(( ]]
Well, I know it may be painful to hear this, but this is exactly why one keeps a backup around.
You -might- be able to recover some of the lost images by using a data recovery app such as "DataRescue3", but there is no promise that it will work for you, particularly if you have continued to use the drive that the iPhoto library was on (because in the process of "using" the drive, deleted files get "over-written" by NEW disk activity).
One thing to try first:
If you have Spotlight enabled, search for "iPhoto Library".
Any results?
In the future, you should learn what a backup is.
You have already discovered why you need to have one.
A cloned backup of your internal drive is easy to create and maintain.
Go forth from this day and learn, a sadder but wiser person....
yes I searched for it on the macbook - its physically not there anymore - if I should have a hope - I have to restore something .. I asked at the Humac store, he told me there might be a chance, because I hadnt deleted it "the right way" - he could see that (whatever that means) - If I left it by them it would cost me min. 1600 $, and I couldnt be sure, that they could restore it.
So his advice was to find a forum like this...
----------
Ok thanks I will try to download a photo recovery app - and see if I succeed to find anything ... yeah I dont care about the library structure, but I would be more than happy to get all my images from the last 4 years back!!!
Thanks to you all for your help!!!!
claudialaumann,
Do you recover all your iphoto pictures? If so, you should share the clue to recover pictures in this situation to give someone help with the same problem.