HELP! Accidentally removed iPhoto database

Please help! I was looking for a file in Finder and came upon seemingly-strange files (I'm not a computer expert at all) so I followed them back to their folder not realizing that it was part of iPhoto, and deleted them, thinking they were some kind of extraneous material. Then I realized they were part of iPhoto, went and removed them from Trash. But I can't find a way to make the iPhoto database work in iPhoto. When I open iPhoto it is completely empty! I just got back from a long trip and I had all my photos there, edited and organized...please help! What do I do? When I open iPhoto it prompts me which iPhoto library I want to use, and then it doesn't open anything but instead prompts me again telling me I need to upgrade iPhoto. I decided not to touch anything yet and ask for help. Thank you in advance!

Does nobody know anything about this?

I decided not to touch anything yet and ask for help. Thank you in advance!

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You should have made that decision before deleting the files in the first place. When you restored the files from the Trash where did you put them? You can restore files from the Trash by right clicking on them and selecting "put back". The system will return them to their right place.

Do you have a backup of your photos? On the camera perhaps?

You can create a new iPhoto library by holding down the option key when opening iPhoto, but that's not going to do any good unless you can find your photos.

When I restored the files I tried moving them into the "Pictures" folder on my computer, and tried to combine them with iphoto. I did not know there was a "put back" option. What I am asking is currently, does anyone know how I recombine the Database folder with the iPhoto application?

All of my photos still exist on my computer, I was able to find them and re-enter them into the blank iPhoto. What I am asking is if I can restore the albums, etc - the organization of my photos - in iPhoto.

And I realize I *should not have* done that. I am not asking for help figuring out what I *should have* done. I know I made a mistake and didn't think about what I was doing. Now that I have confessed my sins can I move on to figure out how to fix this or not fix this? Thanks.

Now that I have confessed my sins can I move on to figure out how to fix this or not fix this? Thanks.

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If you found your photos you can re-organize them once more. You should create a new library first (see above). Once that's created you can get things back the way they were but it may take some work.

And, for future reference. Make a backup of everything so that if another accident occurs, you can restore from the backup. Use Time Machine which came with your copy of OS X.

We were all new users at one time. Don't feel bad about making a mistake and deleting something you shouldn't. Been there, done that.

Thanks, but I was looking for a more technical explanation of how a database can be, or cannot be, recombined with iPhoto. Everything you said I already figured out, I am in the process of reorganizing but I was looking for some intelligent feedback on possibly REALLY fixing the problem. And I did backup my computer, only before I added the last batch of photos because I was out of the country and not lugging around my external hard drive so that it could be left accidentally in some city across the seven seas.

Does anyone else know anything about application databases?

Does anyone else know anything about application databases?

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Member chas_m is knowledgeable on databases and especially with iPhoto. I'm sure if he sees your post he'll jump in and help out. If not, drop him a PM, I know he'll be happy to assist. Good luck.