johnfromburwood

Q: Why is there no Photo Library option in screensaver?

My MBP 17, Mac Mini and my Macbook Air all run El Capitan.  The Macbook Air has the Photo Library option in screensaver preferences yet the other two machines don't.

 

What am I missing?

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1), 16Gb Ram

Posted on Oct 27, 2015 8:32 PM

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Q: Why is there no Photo Library option in screensaver?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Oct 27, 2015 10:05 PM in response to johnfromburwood
    Level 8 (40,255 points)
    Oct 27, 2015 10:05 PM in response to johnfromburwood

    When you're in System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver > Screen Saver, try clicking "Source" in the lower right.

     

    If the lower right says something else (like Screen Saver Options), choose a photo-displaying method on the left side.

  • by Eau Rouge,

    Eau Rouge Eau Rouge Oct 28, 2015 1:22 AM in response to johnfromburwood
    Level 4 (2,995 points)
    Mac App Store
    Oct 28, 2015 1:22 AM in response to johnfromburwood

    In the Screensaver Preferences in System Preferences when you click on Source do you get the option to choose Photo Library

    at the bottom of the submenu. If you do your next dialogue should look like this.

    Screen Shot 2015-10-28 at 08.01.43.jpg

    As you can see I have Aperture and iPhoto available for use as Screensavers, (note the disclosure triangles) Photos is not available because

    the Library I use for Photos is not my System Photo Library. This may be what you are experiencing. To change to the default Library, hold

    the alt/option button whist opening Photos and you should get a dialogue asking you to Choose Library, with a list of options. If there

    are options look for the System Photo Library, and chose that.

    Screen Shot 2015-10-28 at 08.14.25.jpg

    Close System Preferences, if it was open, then reopen and go to Screensavers Source> Photo Library, Choose and the dialogue should look like this, with Photos available, just click on the disclosure triangles and choose the set you wish to use. Very long winded I know but hope it helps

     

    Screen Shot 2015-10-28 at 08.17.37.jpg

  • by robbarf,

    robbarf robbarf Jan 23, 2016 3:37 PM in response to Eau Rouge
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 23, 2016 3:37 PM in response to Eau Rouge

    I'm having the same problem but I don't get the screens shown above when I click on source.  I click on Source and go to Choose Folder.  iPhoto is not an option.  Why is that?

  • by robbarf,

    robbarf robbarf Jan 23, 2016 4:40 PM in response to robbarf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 23, 2016 4:40 PM in response to robbarf

    The above screens showing the photo options is not coming up when I click Source.

  • by Eau Rouge,

    Eau Rouge Eau Rouge Jan 23, 2016 11:44 PM in response to robbarf
    Level 4 (2,995 points)
    Mac App Store
    Jan 23, 2016 11:44 PM in response to robbarf

    When you click on source you get a drop down menu. At the bottom of that is the option to choose

    Photo Library, click that.

    Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 07.37.37.jpg

    Once you click Photo Library the next dialogue should be like this.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 07.39.20.jpg

    Click the disclosure triangles next to the Apps Library you want to use.

    Then choose from the drop down list what items you want to use.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 07.43.29.jpg

  • by RosaRobert,

    RosaRobert RosaRobert Feb 9, 2016 1:10 AM in response to Eau Rouge
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Feb 9, 2016 1:10 AM in response to Eau Rouge

    No Photos Menu.jpg

    I think I have the same problem as some of the above people.  The "Photo Folder" is simply missing in my 10.11.2

    It was there in 10.10.  Photos are all there and readable by the photos app.

  • by Eau Rouge,

    Eau Rouge Eau Rouge Feb 9, 2016 1:17 AM in response to RosaRobert
    Level 4 (2,995 points)
    Mac App Store
    Feb 9, 2016 1:17 AM in response to RosaRobert

    do things change when you download and install this.

    Download OS X El Capitan 10.11.3 Combo Update

  • by RosaRobert,

    RosaRobert RosaRobert Feb 9, 2016 11:47 AM in response to Eau Rouge
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Feb 9, 2016 11:47 AM in response to Eau Rouge

    Updated to 10.11.3 - no change

    then all the updates - no change

    One thought I had was it is to do with running the photos library on another disk - that would make mine different.

    To do that I help option when starting photos - working in 10.10 though!   I feel screensaver doesn't think I have photos

  • by Eau Rouge,

    Eau Rouge Eau Rouge Feb 9, 2016 11:16 PM in response to RosaRobert
    Level 4 (2,995 points)
    Mac App Store
    Feb 9, 2016 11:16 PM in response to RosaRobert

    The Screensaver can only run from a Photos library that is on the internal disc.

    you will need to set one up on there.

     

    Hold the option/alt button whilst starting the Photos app, you will get the Choose Library dialogue,

    click Create New, and set a Photos library up in your Users(Home)/ Pictures folder, it will give its self

    a default name but you can call it something appropriate.  You will need to import the images you would like to

    see in your screensaver. If the images you want to use are in your off board Photos library you may want  to

    export them to a folder, so you can then import them to your new Photos library. hopefully this will bring the

    option to select Choose Library in your Screensaver preferences.

     

    Screen Shot 2016-02-10 at 07.13.42.jpg

  • by RosaRobert,

    RosaRobert RosaRobert Feb 15, 2016 12:17 AM in response to Eau Rouge
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Feb 15, 2016 12:17 AM in response to Eau Rouge

    I thought that might be the case.  Not going to do it, just spent months of effort getting them all in one place.  Have external 8TB raid of data for a reason, really don't wish to start creating multiple libraries.  I see if I can find other options.

  • by RosaRobert,

    RosaRobert RosaRobert Feb 15, 2016 12:19 AM in response to RosaRobert
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Feb 15, 2016 12:19 AM in response to RosaRobert

    I create one to test to see what would happen.

     

    I'll get tricky in an hour and create a link.

  • by virtualsheep,

    virtualsheep virtualsheep Sep 18, 2016 5:35 PM in response to johnfromburwood
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 18, 2016 5:35 PM in response to johnfromburwood

    Open Photos, Click on Photos on the menu bar and click on preferences.  Once your library is selected (internal disc or external disc) click on "Use as System Photo Library".  Close System Preferences for the Screen Saver if it was open and then reopen it and now the Photo Library should be an option in the drop down now.

     

    She