How to open old iphoto library on an external drive with Ventura

This is no longer supported on macOS 13 Ventura. The last version of macOS supporting the opening of an iPhoto Library in Photos has been macOS 12 Monterey.

All you can do on Ventura is to create a new Photos Library and then import photos and videos from your iPhoto Library into Photos. This will import the original image files from your iPhoto Library, but not the albums or the keywords.

When I try to open any iPhoto Library in Photos I get this warning:

pamelatea wrote:

I can't even access the old Iphoto library. Is there a way to get the photos out of the Iphoto library just as photos not as a library?

What happens? Can you not select the iPhoto Library, when you use File > Import in Photo?Where is your old iPhoto Library? If it is on external volume, the file system format may be incompatible or there are permission errors. Try to copy the iPhoto Library to your Pictures folder, if you have enough free storage.

Got to where ever you have that iPhoto library stored. Right click on the icon and choose 'Show Package Contents'. A window will open within the package and you will find your photos in the Masters (or in some versions) the Originals folder. Note this is a last gasp resolition. You only ge the images as downloaded from your camera. You lose and and all work you did on them.

"A window will open within the package and you will find your photos in the Masters (or in some versions) the Originals folder."

Are hidden photos accessible in the iPhoto Library when you click "show package contents"?

Are they in a specific place?

Even if they were marked "hidden" in iPhoto?

yes. The hidden photos are not hidden in the package.