Jim 46530

Q: Option click Photos app does not bring up dialogue to select library

I recently upgraded to OS-X Yosemite 10.10.5, and since iPhotos no longer works I opened Photos. I have 3 iPhotos libraries on an external hard drive, and when I first opened the new Photos, it asked my which one to open. Now I also want to open the other two, and Apple support says that all I need to do is to hold down the Option key when I open the Photos app to bring up a dialogue box that will let me pick which library I want to open (Get started with Photos for OS X - Apple Support).  Doing a Option Click on the Photos icon DOES NOT bring up any dialoue for me; rather it just opens the library I initially selected.  Is there a work around?

 

Thanks,

Jim

iMac (27-inch Mid 2010), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Feb 18, 2016 5:41 AM

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Q: Option click Photos app does not bring up dialogue to select library

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  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Feb 18, 2016 5:47 AM in response to Jim 46530
    Level 10 (103,678 points)
    Apple TV
    Feb 18, 2016 5:47 AM in response to Jim 46530

    It most certainly does, you may be pressing the wrong key.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 18, 2016 5:51 AM in response to Jim 46530
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Feb 18, 2016 5:51 AM in response to Jim 46530

    Keep holding down the options key ⌥ while photos launches until you are seeing the library chooser panel.

     

    You can also simply drag the library you want to open to the Photos icon in the Dock to open it in Photos.

     

    What is the format of your external drive?

    If you want to open an iPhoto Library in Photos the library must not be on a drive that is used by Time Machine, and the file system should be MacOS Extended (Journaled).

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 18, 2016 5:52 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
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    Feb 18, 2016 5:52 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    A nice new avatar, Winston Churchill   I barely recognized you!

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Feb 18, 2016 5:54 AM in response to léonie
    Level 10 (103,678 points)
    Apple TV
    Feb 18, 2016 5:54 AM in response to léonie

    It's a temporary experiment, but it's still me, one probably won't recognise the significance unless one is from the UK.

  • by Jim 46530,

    Jim 46530 Jim 46530 Feb 18, 2016 7:00 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 18, 2016 7:00 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Well, I admittedly not a Mac guy, but I assume the key labeled "option" is the option key.  Also has "alt" in upper left corner.

  • by Jim 46530,

    Jim 46530 Jim 46530 Feb 18, 2016 7:08 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 18, 2016 7:08 AM in response to léonie

    The option key on my Apply keyboard says "option" and in the top left corner says "alt". There is no key on this keyboard with icon in your post. I have already tried dragging the other library onto the Photos app icon; Photos still opens with the default library and a dialogue box pops up titled "Nothing to import" with the message "None of these files can be imported into your Photos library."

     

    I have two files for each library: one ending in .photolibrary and the other ending in .photoslibrary.  I get this same error message when I drag either onto the Photo icon.

     

    My iPhotos libraries are on a separate external hard drive than the one I use for Time Machine.

  • by Winston Churchill,

    Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Feb 18, 2016 7:39 AM in response to Jim 46530
    Level 10 (103,678 points)
    Apple TV
    Feb 18, 2016 7:39 AM in response to Jim 46530

    I'm not sure it matters where your other libraries are at the moment, even if you don't have any the option key should be opening a dialogue box for you not the application.

     

    Are you sure you are keeping it held down.

    What do you see when you open your keyboard viewer.

    as.jpg

    This is my keyboard viewer

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 18, 2016 7:48 AM in response to Jim 46530
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Feb 18, 2016 7:48 AM in response to Jim 46530
    The option key on my Apply keyboard says "option" and in the top left corner says "alt".

    It will look differently in different  countries.  If the label is "alt" or "opt", it should be fine.


    Screen Shot 2016-02-18 at 16.33.17GMT.png

     

    Photos still opens with the default library and a dialogue box pops up titled "Nothing to import" with the message "None of these files can be imported into your Photos library."

    Photos does not recognize your iPhoto Libraries as photo libraries.  What does the icon of these libraries look like?  You should be able to open the libraries, where the filename extension is ".photolibrary".  That will be the original iPhoto Libraries.

    Does the icon look like a fan of pictures with a pink flower?

    My iPhotos libraries are on a separate external hard drive than the one I use for Time Machine.

    Is the file system on this disk "MacOS Extended (Journaled)"?

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Feb 18, 2016 8:47 AM in response to Winston Churchill
    Level 10 (141,085 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 18, 2016 8:47 AM in response to Winston Churchill

    Winston Churchill wrote:

     

    It's a temporary experiment, but it's still me, one probably won't recognise the significance unless one is from the UK.

    It doesn't look at bit like Rufus. Looks more like Winnie himself.

  • by Jim 46530,

    Jim 46530 Jim 46530 Feb 21, 2016 6:31 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 21, 2016 6:31 AM in response to léonie

    The file system is "Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)"

     

    Here is a screenshot from my photo hard drive. The three libraries I had in iPhotos are "1 Pre-Australia iPhoto Library", "2 Australia iPhoto Library", and "3 Post-Australia iPhoto Library". The only one opening in the new Photos is "1 Pre-Australia iPhoto Library". Although they all have a "recovered" folder, the Pre- library opens in Photos just fine. I just don;t get the option to switch to another library when Option-clicking Photos to open (or when I drag any of the libraries over the Photos icon).

    Photo drive screenshot copy.jpg

     

    Any more ideas?

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Feb 21, 2016 6:59 AM in response to Jim 46530
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Feb 21, 2016 6:59 AM in response to Jim 46530

    Is your system drive also formatted  "Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)"?  If the external drive is case sensitive and the internal drive not, you are risking filename errors. 

    But I doubt, that this is causing the current problem.

    Have you looked into the "recovered photos" folders? Is there anything interesting to note about the files inside?  Are there only a few photos or many of them?  Do the filenames differ only in upper case and lower case letters?