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'I downloaded Catalina and now find my iPhoto does not work any more! How can I get it to work? DESPERATE!'
If you are facing the iPhoto not working on Mac Catalina issue, it is because that is the way things are designed. iPhoto has actually been retired and Apple no longer supports it. As a replacement to the app, you now have the Photos app that does pretty much all the tasks as the iPhoto app.
But if you have been an iPhoto user and you are now confused as to what to do to access your photos as the app no longer functions, you might want to look for solutions. The following guide should provide you with some tips on how you can overcome the issue and get access to your iPhoto photos. There are actually multiple ways to resolve the issue so you should not have any issues.
Problem 1. iPhoto Not Working/Opening, How to Access Photos in iPhoto?
'Can I retrieve all the photos I still had in iPhotos? Once I downloaded Catalina, iPhotos could no longer be opened. I didn't realize Catalina had that feature. My thousands of iPhotos seem lost. Is there anything I can do?'
If you are like the above user and the iPhoto not opening on Mac Catalina at all, it is because the update is preventing that from happening. Any Macs that runs macOS Catalina or later will not let you launch iPhoto because the app has been retired long ago and Apple does not support it any longer.
Apr 22, 2015 How to use multiple photo libraries with Photos for Mac. Photos for Mac lets you work with multiple libraries. Learn how to choose a default library, open another library, and merge multiple. Dec 12, 2013 iPhoto will open the last library you were using. No Problem Mac provides training and support statewide – No Problem Mac Phone Support. Sandy on March 18, 2014 at 1:44 am. Great instructions, but how do I move photos from 1 library to the other. I have tried copying the library and then deleting unwanted photos but the file. Apr 17, 2015 Mac users coming from iPhoto may wish to move an iPhoto Library to the new Photos app. While importing is an option when first setting up the Photos app in OS X, many users many have skipped the in.
The following are some of the things you can do to access your photos that were stored in the iPhoto app on your Mac.
Solution 1: Migrate to the Photos app that comes with Catalina
iPhoto does not work starting with Catalina and there is no chance it will work in any future macOS updates. Therefore, your best solution is to get your photos migrated to the new replacement app you have on your Mac.
The new Photos app lets you easily import your photos from iPhoto. The following shows how to do the task.
Step 1. Hold down the Option key on your keyboard.
Step 2. Launch the Photos app from the Launchpad on your Mac.
Step 3. A prompt will appear asking you to select the library you want to access. From this list, choose your iPhoto library and click on Choose Library.
Your iPhoto library along with all of your photos will launch in the Photos app. You can now manage your photos in this app from now on. That is how you get the images from iPhotos library to Photos library.
Solution 2. Recover Missing Photos in iPhoto If You Failed to Migrate
In an unfortunate case if the migration procedure did not go well and you ended-up losing your photos, you will need to use a recovery software to recover your photos.
Tenorshare UltData - Mac Data Recovery, a software that lets you easily and quickly recover lost files on your Mac. You can use it to recover your lost photos in a few clicks as shown below.
Step 1 Download and install the software on your Mac. Launch the software when it is installed. On the main interface, click on the drive you want to scan and then click on the Scan button.
Step 2 Select Photos in the left sidebar and you will see your photos in the right-hand side pane. Select the ones you want to recover and click on Recover.
Step 3 Choose the folder where you want to save your recovered photos.
Problem 2. How to Upgrade iPhoto on Catalina?
'I upgraded to Catalina and I need to use iPhoto. How do I upgrade it?'
Soon as you notice that iPhoto no longer works in Catalina, you will likely start finding ways to get the app to somehow work on your Mac. Not only with iPhoto but you will do it with any other app when it refuses to run on your machine.
Solution: There is no solution
Unfortunately, there is no solution to your issue. iPhoto is retired and no matter how hard you try to run it on your Mac running macOS Catalina, the app will just not run. It is because the app uses an old framework that Apple no longer supports.
Problem 3. Is There an Application like iPhoto?
'I prefer using iPhoto over Photo. Is there an application like iPhoto that will run using the new OS Catalina?'
It is natural to look for alternatives when an app does not work on your machine. Since iPhoto has stopped working on your Mac, you might want to see if something similar is available in the market for you.
Solution: Use iPhoto Alternative Software like Google Photos
Fortunately, you have a great alternative to iPhoto available for your Mac. It is Google Photos and it allows you to upload, manage, and keep your photos on the cloud. It provides 15GB of free storage for original quality photos and unlimited storage for photos that are set to high-quality.
Problem 4. How to Backup iPhoto library Before Catalina Upgrade
View Iphoto On Pc
'How do I find my iPhoto library on my hard drive? I want to put all my iPhoto library on an external disk before I even think about upgrading as I have read iPhoto will no longer work when Catalina is installed. I genuinely hate the photos app and much prefer the ease and control I have with iPhoto. When I click on the iPhoto in my applications folder, there isn't any library there.'
If you already know that iPhoto is not going to work in Catalina, you might want to backup your iPhoto photos to an external hard drive before you proceed with the Mac update. This is actually the best way to keep your photos safe as well as easy to import into the Photos app when the update is installed.
Iphotos On Windows
Solution: Backup iPhoto libraries to External Hard Drive
Your Mac lets you easily backup your iPhoto photos to an external hard drive and you do not even need an app to do the task. Everything that you need is already available on your machine
Step 1. Open a Finder window and head into /User/
Step 2. Open the Masters folder on the following screen and you will see all your photos organized by their years.
Step 3. Copy these folders and paste them onto your external hard drive using Finder.
You have successfully created a backup of your iPhoto photos on your hard drive.
Sum Up
If you are wondering 'how to access my photos in iPhoto after Catalina upgrade', there are a few easy ways to do the task as described above. You should be just fine with using any method available in the above guide.
Photos in your System Photo Library are available in apps like iMovie, Pages, and Keynote. You can also sync them to iOS devices and view them on Apple TV. And if you want to use your own images as your desktop picture or screen saver, the images need to be in your System Photo Library before you can select them in System Preferences.
If you have only one photo library, then it's the System Photo Library. Otherwise, the first photo library that you create or open in Photos will become the System Photo Library. If you have more than one library, you might need to designate a System Photo Library, so other apps can access the photos and videos you want them to use.
Follow these steps to designate a System Photo Library:
- Quit Photos.
- Hold down the Option key and open Photos. One of the photo libraries is already designated as YourLibraryName (System Photo Library).
- Choose the library you want to designate as the System Photo Library.
- After Photos opens the library, choose Photos > Preferences from the menu bar.
- Click the General tab.
- Click the Use as System Photo Library button.
If you open a second or different library in the Photos app, and you haven't designated it as the System Photo Library, other applications will use photos from the original System Photo Library. Hold down the Option key when you open Photos to see which library is set as the System Photo Library.
iCloud and the System Photo Library
You can use iCloud Photos, Shared Albums, and My Photo Stream only with the System Photo Library. If you choose a different library in Photos without designating it as the System Photo Library, the iCloud tab in Photos preferences is disabled:
If you designate a new library as the System Photo Library and then turn on iCloud Photos, the photos and videos in the new library will merge with those already in your iCloud Photos. If you want to keep the contents of your photo libraries separate, don’t turn on iCloud Photos for more than one library in Photos.