HT204476: Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries

Learn about Photos saves disk space by sharing images with your iPhoto or Aperture libraries
ShannonEMay

Q: An error occurred while downloading a larger version of this photo for editing. Please try again later.

Hello, Iam struggling with my Photos, when I click on a photo I get this "An error occurred while downloading a larger version of this photo for editing. Please try again later." I do not know what to do can anyone help me please?

thank you

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Nov 8, 2015 6:20 PM

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Q: An error occurred while downloading a larger version of this photo for editing. Please try again later.

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Brett L,

    Brett L Brett L Nov 10, 2015 6:46 AM in response to ShannonEMay
    Community Specialists
    Nov 10, 2015 6:46 AM in response to ShannonEMay

    Hello there ShannonEMay,

     

    It sounds like you have iCloud Photo Library enabled and you are trying to edit a photo but are getting this message when you try. I would first boot to safe mode and test the issue there:


    Follow these steps to start up into safe mode.

    1. Start or restart your Mac. 
    2. Immediately after you hear the startup sound, press and hold the Shift key.
    3. Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

    After the Apple logo appears, it might take longer than usual to reach the login screen or your desktop. This is because your Mac performs a directory check of your startup disk as part of safe mode.

     

    To leave safe mode, restart your computer without pressing any keys during startup.

    From: Try safe mode if your Mac doesn‘t finish starting up

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

     

    If it works in safe mode restart and verify that it still works. If it then stops working again then there may be a login item that is interfering with the application or network access, such as security software. You can use this article to remove or disable them in your System Preferences:

     

    OS X El Capitan: Open items automatically when you log in 

    https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21985?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US

     

     

    If it does not work in safe mode at all, then I would next perform this process to isolate the issue to the library or see if we need to test in a new user:

     

    1. Create a new library by opening Photos while holding Option. By default the library should be named Photos Library 2 and be loaded in your Pictures folder.

    2.When that library opens we need to make it your System Library by clicking Photos > Preferences > Use As System Photo Library. You will get a message saying that this will disable iCloud Photo library but don't worry about that.

    3. Click the Apple in the upper left corner of the screen in the menu bar and go to System Preferences. 

    4. Click iCloud from there.

    5. Click Options next to Photos.

    6. Re-enable iCloud Photo Library.

     

    This will make Photos refresh your library and download the thumbnails of the images in your library, after which (and it may take a while depending on the size of your library) you test the issue there. Let us know how that goes!

     

    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

  • by ShannonEMay,

    ShannonEMay ShannonEMay Nov 10, 2015 7:25 AM in response to Brett L
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 10, 2015 7:25 AM in response to Brett L

    Hi BrettL, first of all thank you for assisting me with this issue that is driving my non-techy brain crazy. Ok so I followed your steps and while in safe mode my photo still as the i on the bottom right corner etc...then followed your steps in creating a new library & two things happened...first of all I did not receive a notification that iCloud would be disabled & when I clicked on the iCloud icon I then received an error "Cloud not load iCloud preference pane". Would you be able to guide me further?

    Thanks

    Shannon

  • by sterling r,

    sterling r sterling r Nov 11, 2015 8:41 AM in response to ShannonEMay
    Community Specialists
    Nov 11, 2015 8:41 AM in response to ShannonEMay

    Thanks for the update! If you are trying to access the preference pane in safe mode, restart as normal to get back to normal mode and try accessing the iCloud control panel again. If this is not happening in safe mode, then check to see if it is happening in another standard user. That will determine what to do next

     

    OS X El Capitan: Set up users on your Mac

    https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21994?locale=en_US

  • by ShannonEMay,

    ShannonEMay ShannonEMay Nov 11, 2015 11:02 AM in response to sterling r
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 11, 2015 11:02 AM in response to sterling r

    Ok, so I get the same message in safe mode & when I leave safe mode..."Could not load iCloud preference pane".

    any further steps would be so appreciated!

    Thanks

    Shannon

  • by sterling r,

    sterling r sterling r Nov 15, 2015 1:22 PM in response to ShannonEMay
    Community Specialists
    Nov 15, 2015 1:22 PM in response to ShannonEMay

    I appreciate the info! in order to determine what to do next I need to know if this is happening in a new standard user on your Mac. Can you test that out and get back to me with how it goes?

     

    OS X El Capitan: Set up users on your Mac

    https://support.apple.com/kb/PH21994?locale=en_US

  • by ShannonEMay,

    ShannonEMay ShannonEMay Nov 15, 2015 2:29 PM in response to sterling r
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2015 2:29 PM in response to sterling r

    Hello, ok so I created a new standard user. Went to System Preferences, iCloud...then I logged in with my iCloud information. Was that the correct thing to do? Wasn't sure if you wanted me to create a new iCloud id etc. Anyway after that I was able to click on iCloud and all was good...no error messages.

    Please advise, I really appreciate this as I really need to get to my photos:) Thanx

    Shannon

  • by jeremy_v,

    jeremy_v jeremy_v Nov 16, 2015 3:51 PM in response to ShannonEMay
    Community Specialists
    Nov 16, 2015 3:51 PM in response to ShannonEMay

    Alright, progress! So the issue has to do with your original user on the computer. I would next open your user accounts library folder with these steps:

     

    1. Click the Finder icon in the dock 

    2. Click Go in the Menu Bar at the top of the screen

    3. Hold Option on your keyboard, and you will see Library appear in the list under Go

    4. Click Library

     

    That should open a Finder window, then:

     

    1. Open the Preferences folder here

    2. Move all files that start with 'com.apple.icloud" to the desktop by dragging them out

    3. If that just makes a copy of them, then right click those files in the Preferences folder and choose 'Move to Trash'

    4. Go back to the Library folder as described above

    5. Open the Caches folder

    6. Repeat steps 2 and 3 here and move the folders that start with 'com.apple.icloud' to the desktop

    7. Also move the folder named 'com.apple.systempreferences' to the desktop in the same manner

     

    Once that is done, restart the computer and test out the System Preferences again. This should clear out and refresh the data for the System Preferences iCloud pane and allow proper access once again.

  • by Grahamps,

    Grahamps Grahamps Dec 9, 2015 4:46 PM in response to jeremy_v
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 9, 2015 4:46 PM in response to jeremy_v

    Cheers and thank you! Your answer was sufficiently detailed and easy to follow, and it appears to have solved my problem!