HT204414: Designate a System Photo Library in Photos

Learn about Designate a System Photo Library in Photos
oki zoe

Q: When I try to switch libraries here is the message I receive: Photos does not have the necessary permissions to create a Photos library in the folder that contains your library. Tried changing the permissions in Terminal and I'm not allowed. Can I switch?

When I try to switch System Libraries in the new Yosemite Photos app, here is the message I receive: "Photos does not have the necessary permissions to create a Photos library in the folder that contains your library." Tried changing the permissions in Terminal and I'm not allowed. How do I allow permissions and switch System Libraries?

Posted on May 10, 2015 4:57 AM

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Q: When I try to switch libraries here is the message I receive: Photos does not have the necessary permissions to create a Photos li ... more

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  • by R C-R,

    R C-R R C-R May 10, 2015 5:08 AM in response to oki zoe
    Level 6 (17,660 points)
    May 10, 2015 5:08 AM in response to oki zoe

    In what folder is the Photos Library you want to switch to? Is it in the usual location in your Pictures folder, somewhere else on your startup drive, or maybe on an external drive?

  • by oki zoe,

    oki zoe oki zoe May 10, 2015 5:33 AM in response to R C-R
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 10, 2015 5:33 AM in response to R C-R

    It is in my old iPhoto library folder on my HD. I can no longer access this folder after updating to the new Photos app

  • by R C-R,

    R C-R R C-R May 10, 2015 5:56 AM in response to oki zoe
    Level 6 (17,660 points)
    May 10, 2015 5:56 AM in response to oki zoe

    OK, but where is your old iPhoto Library folder located on your HD? Also, when you say you can't access that folder, do you mean you can't find it or that you get the permissions message?

     

    Please be as specific as possible about what you have tried & what you see. Remember, we can't see what you see or know anything about your system that you don't tell us about.

  • by oki zoe,

    oki zoe oki zoe May 10, 2015 6:32 AM in response to R C-R
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 10, 2015 6:32 AM in response to R C-R

    OK - let me try to explain.  I updated from iPhoto to Photo. When asked initially which library I wanted as a System Library (from a choice of Zoe's Photos or iPhoto Library) I mistakenly chose Zoe's Photos.  This has 7 photos in it - the iPhoto library has over a thousand and was my main library. I read where I could hold down the option key while opening Photos to receive the choice to switch libraries.  When I do this and choose to open iPhoto Library, it begins to open, reaches 8% and stops with the message:  "Photos was unable to make a copy of your library before preparing it. Photos does not have the necessary permissions to create a Photos library in the folder that contains your library."  In researching this message, I found commands for Terminal (sudo chown -R your_username /Users/your_username/Pictures) that set you up to give permissions.  When I tried this I get an illegal username response to the commands.  The iPhoto folder is on my the first page of my HD when I open that - I'm not sure how else to describe it's location?  This first page has my Applications folder, the Users folder, and the Systems folder and some others.  Sorry I don't know more.

  • by R C-R,Apple recommended

    R C-R R C-R May 10, 2015 7:18 AM in response to oki zoe
    Level 6 (17,660 points)
    May 10, 2015 7:18 AM in response to oki zoe

    From the way you describe it, it sounds like your iPhoto Library may not be in your Pictures folder. What you describe as the first page of your HD sounds like the top level Finder view of your system's main folders, the one with folders named "Library," "Applications," "Users," & so on in it.

     

    Your Pictures folder should be in the Users folder, inside your Home folder, the folder with your user name & the house icon. Symbolically, & in Terminal, this is represented by the "slash" pathname format, with slashes separating the folder names to indicate what 'path' through the filesystem to take to get to the file (like in your "/Users/your_username/Pictures" example).

     

    If you can see your iPhoto Library in Finder, try this to get its slash style pathname: In a Terminal window, drag the iPhoto Library into it (but don't do anything else). This should display the pathname. If it is in the normal location you should see following the dollar sign "Users/your_username/Pictures/iPhoto\ Library.photolibrary." (f you see anything else, particularly if the first part is anything other than "Users/your_username/" the library is in a different location.

  • by oki zoe,

    oki zoe oki zoe May 10, 2015 7:34 AM in response to R C-R
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 10, 2015 7:34 AM in response to R C-R

    I tried your suggestion and here is what I got in Terminal after the $:  /iPhoto\ Library.  Does this tell you anything?  The only thing I see in the Users folder - in the Pictures folder is my new Photos library. No iPhoto Library. 

  • by R C-R,Apple recommended

    R C-R R C-R May 10, 2015 7:58 AM in response to oki zoe
    Level 6 (17,660 points)
    May 10, 2015 7:58 AM in response to oki zoe

    If there is nothing else between the dollar sign & /iPhoto\ Library that means your iPhoto Library is at the root (topmost) level of your HD, not in the Users folder where your home folder is & not in the Pictures folder in that folder. That's why you are getting the permissions & illegal username messages. By default, only the system user has write permissions for the top level. You should not try to change that or log in as the system user because you will almost certainly mess things up enough that you will have to reinstall the OS to recover if you do!

     

    What to do next depends on if you have an admin account or access to one. If you don't know what that means, go to System Preferences > Users & Groups. Your user account name should be highlighted & if it is an admin one it should say "Admin" under your name. Does it?

  • by oki zoe,

    oki zoe oki zoe May 10, 2015 8:01 AM in response to R C-R
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 10, 2015 8:01 AM in response to R C-R

    Yes - I am highlighted as admin under Users & Groups

  • by R C-R,Apple recommended

    R C-R R C-R May 10, 2015 11:50 AM in response to oki zoe
    Level 6 (17,660 points)
    May 10, 2015 11:50 AM in response to oki zoe

    Then try dragging the iPhoto Library file into your Home folder's Pictures folder. You may get a message requiring you to authenticate with your admin user password when you do this, or see the pointer change to a plus symbol in a green circle when you drag, which indicates you will be making a copy instead of moving the library.

     

    Now try opening Photos with the option key held down & choose the iPhoto Library from the list. If all goes well, & there is still a copy of the iPhoto Library at the top level of the drive, drag it to the trash, which will require admin password authorization.

  • by oki zoe,

    oki zoe oki zoe May 10, 2015 11:53 AM in response to R C-R
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 10, 2015 11:53 AM in response to R C-R

    I just returned from the Apple Store Genius Bar - you were right on.  Thanks!  We had to move the iPhoto Library into the Users & Groups folder and repair some permissions, so it works now.  Thanks again for your patience and guidance.

  • by spredpanic,

    spredpanic spredpanic Jun 3, 2015 6:14 AM in response to R C-R
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 3, 2015 6:14 AM in response to R C-R

    Alas, what if it is within the home folder's photo library page?  Same error message.

  • by R C-R,

    R C-R R C-R Jun 3, 2015 7:10 AM in response to spredpanic
    Level 6 (17,660 points)
    Jun 3, 2015 7:10 AM in response to spredpanic

    spredpanic wrote:

    Alas, what if it is within the home folder's photo library page?  Same error message.

    I'm not sure what you mean by "the home folder's photo library page." Do you mean in the the home folder's Pictures folder, or something else?