How to Repair a Specific Photos Library in Photos for Mac

by: léonie

Last modified: May 9, 2020 2:35 AM

1 548 Last modified May 9, 2020 2:35 AM

The Photos user Guide describes how to repair a library: Repair your library in Photos on Mac - Apple Support

This procedure will repair the library, that Photos has last opened. But what to do, if we want to switch to a different library, and a different library needs repairing? We may not be able to make it the current library by opening it.

If we have several Photos Libraries, we need to ensure, that the correct library will be repaired.

To select the library you want to repair, try it this way:

Quit Photos, if it is running.
Make a current backup copy of the Photos Library, if your backup is not current. Do not overwrite an older backup of the library, from the time the library has been still working. You may need it.
Open the folder with the library to be repaired in the Finder
Hold down the key combination option-command ⌥⌘ while double clicking the library to be repaired (do not click the Photos.app as described in the user guide).
Photos will now open and repair the selected library.

This will only work, however, if the the Photos Library is on volume, that is compatible with Photos. You must not try to repair the library on a volume that has been used for Time Machine backups, or is accessed over the network. The file system format should be MacOS Extended (Journaled) or APFS (for Mojave or Catalina). Trying to repair the library on an incompatible volume may result in Photos switching to a default library on your system volume instead of repairing the selected library.

Once Photos comes back after repairing the library you can check which library has been opened In the Photos Preferences > General. There is a button to reveal the current library in the Finder.

A warning: Repairing a Photos Library is an expensive operation and may make the damage worse, if the library iss damaged beyond repair. For an iCloud Photos Library it will result in lengthy new sync with iCloud. Repair a library only if you have narrowed down the issue to the Photos Library. See: When should we repair a Photos Library? - Apple Community