Unlock old .jpg files

Software
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1

I need to rescue the original images from a very old iPhoto library of a failing LaCie backup drive. I copied a folder of the originals (Library > Show package content > Originals > Etc)

When try to copy one or more of the images into Photos it gives an error.

This is what I tried so far:

  1. I changed the permissions using the “get info” > Users and groups
  2. I changed the file name to .jpeg
  3. Change the permissions of the 2012 folder containing these images using terminal using chmod 777

Still the images open blurry and result in an error when trying to import into Photos.
The images remain “Locked”

Any suggestions how I can salvage these images?

2

Which error does it show?

3

I would try opening Photos with the Option key down
Navigate to the Library file of the old library
Open the old library in Photos and see if can convert the old database and import the images

3 Likes
4

What Lisa said + trying to open them with an older version of iPhoto, if you have one available.

Furthermore, have you tried these:
• Graphic Converter. Can open extremely many tipes of graphical files.
https://www.lemkesoft.de/en/products/graphicconverter/

• iPhoto Library Manager have helped me a couple of times during the years:
https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/

5

ERROR…

During other attempts its telling me locked file.

6

Thanks for the tip, problem is that the original library is on an old failing MB Pro.

I need to retrieve the images from a backup but can’t move the entire library over because there isn’t enough space…

7

Thanks I will have to take a look the “Graphic Converter”.

Unfortunately I can’t use the iPhoto library on the old MB pro since that one is having mayor issues. And there isn’t enough space to copy the library over to the current working MB Air…

8

Are the files really jpg? In Terminal, navigate to the directory where your files are and use the “file” command:

% file ermine.jpg

ermine.jpg: JPEG image data, JFIF standard 1.01, resolution (DPI), density 300x300, segment length 16, Exif Standard: [TIFF image data, big-endian, direntries=6, xresolution=86, yresolution=94, resolutionunit=2, datetime=2026:03:23 21:48:51], baseline, precision 8, 400x517, components 3

That may yield some insight.