IPhoto Upgrade Catch 22

Friend running MacOS 10.7.5 wanted to update the OS but stick with iPhoto. So, we updated to Mavericks before realizing that she had an “old” version of iPhoto, version 9.1.5, which I figured we could update later. (In hindsight, I should have updated iPhoto when she was still on 10.7.5, but here we are.)

The combination of OS 10.9.5 and iPhoto 9.1.5 shows iPhoto as a non-launchable program. When I look at her App Store > Purchases, it shows iPhoto as “installed” and button is greyed out. So, I figured no problem, I kept all the iPhoto updaters from that era. However, when I run the 9.2.1, 9.3.1 or 9.4 or 9.4.3 updater, they all report that “the version of iPhoto installed on this Mac must be updated through the App Store” — which now is not possible.

I also have the iLife ’11 DVD, so I uninstalled her copy of iPhoto (the app and the receipt files located both in /Library/Receipts and in /var/db/receipts) and installed from iLife ’11. Installed just fine. However, I’m left with a non-launchable iPhoto, although it’s a slightly newer version 9.2.1. When I run any of the updaters (9.2.3, 9.3, etc), it gives me the error message “iPhoto 9.1 or later is required to install this update.” which is a bogus message, but probably something that Apple has ceased to care about.

As far as I know, there was never an iPhoto 9.6.1 updater put out by Apple — by that time it was updated via the App Store.

Any ideas on how I an get a runable version of iPhoto on this Mavericks Mac? (Yosemite is not the answer for other reasons I won’t go into). I do have Mavericks installed on a bootable external with an iPhoto that works (not exactly sure which version, but probably either 9.4.3 or 9.6.1). I know I could copy the app, but what support files also need to be copied. Or is there some way to “trick” the current updaters into working?