How to Rebuild an iPhoto Library

iPhoto is an application made by Apple, Inc., as part of its iLife suite of products for the Mac OSX operating system. iPhoto allows you to import your photos from a digital camera or scanner and tag, sort and organize them. If your iPhoto library appears unreadable, is missing photos or thumbnails, or is otherwise unstable, you might want to rebuild the library. Rebuilding your iPhoto library is not difficult, but it is recommended that you back up your current library before you begin.

Instructions

1. Make sure iPhoto is not open.

2. Press and hold the "Command" and "Option" keys on the keyboard if you are using iPhoto 4 or later. If you are using iPhoto 2, press and hold the "Shift" and "Option" keys.

3. Open iPhoto, keeping the keys held down until you are prompted to rebuild the library.

4. Select the right option for your needs from the dialog box that appears and click on "Rebuild." If you are using iPhoto 4 or earlier, you will not be given a dialog box but will instead be prompted to name and save the library before clicking "Rebuild."

Tips & Warnings

• Run "Software Update" before beginning to download any iPhoto updates.

• Back up your iPhoto library before you rebuild it. If there is a problem rebuilding it, you can restore your library from the backup.

Resources

• Apple iPhoto