Permissions/Duplicate Burst Problems Importing into Photos from hard drive

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Level 1

8 points

Permissions/Duplicate Burst Problems Importing into Photos from hard drive

I recently bought a used late-2013 27" iMac and upgraded it to Mojave.

BACKGROUND:

My previous Photos library died in a horrible hard drive crash but I still have all the original photos that went into it: for 15 years I've imported my pictures first to an external hard drive and then back into iPhoto/Photos, where I edit and select the ones I keep and treat the hd ones as my negatives.

Takeaway: I'm importing tens of thousands pictures and they're not coming straight from iPhone, but from an external device.

PROBLEM:

So I'm importing all my pictures for the first time into Photos on Mojave and am getting error messages like "The file couldn't be opened because you don't have permission to view it" and "...duplicate bursts are not supported."

I am not importing any duplicate bursts. They are just regular bursts. As for the permissions, I am the same user and have been the same user for years, this account was migrated over. I've checked File Info, nothing unusual.

INTERESTING:

The error doesn't always occur, even with the same image. For example: If I'm copying 500 files, sometimes I will get 300 error messages. But if I copy the 500 files in smaller increments, I get no error messages. If this was really a permissions issue, why should it matter the size of the batch? The same applies for duplicate bursts.

If the computer has just restarted, I tend to have fewer issues, but if I'm running many programs at once, and the computer has been running for a while, I tend to have more permissions/duplicate issues. Once the issues start happening, they keep happening with greater and greater frequency.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Feb 21, 2019 7:53 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Feb 22, 2019 9:49 AM in response to Arrell_ODee

Library is on local drive, ‎⁨Macintosh HD⁩ ▸ ⁨Users⁩ ▸ ⁨myusername ▸ ⁨Pictures⁩

External with pics is "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"

Nothing out of the ordinary there. Here are some tests you can run:

1 - launch Photos with the Option key held down and create a new, test library. Try to import a batch of 500 photos into it. (this is to check to see if the problem is limited to your current library or is wider in scope.

2 - log into another user account on your Mac and try importing a batch of 500 files to see if you get the same error warnings (to see if the problem is limited to your account or is system wide).

2 - boot into Safe Mode, Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac, and try a batch of 500 again (to see if any 3rd party software is contributing to the problem. Safe Mode also clears caches and repairs directories as needed).

Report the result of the tests in your reply.

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Answer 2

Arrell_ODee Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 22, 2019 1:35 PM in response to Old Toad

So I moved on to the other two tests: #2 importing to another user account and #3 booting into safe mode.

Both had promising results at first, but then eventually hit a snag. Once I could get 500 uploaded, I would push the envelope to 1000 and see. Is 500 a magic number? Why would going above it trigger a bogus permissions warning?

I've now tried repairing the original Library and that let me upload the biggest batches yet. I'm pushing the envelope and still no problem. I think you've solved it!

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Feb 22, 2019 11:32 AM in response to Arrell_ODee

Have you tried running Photos' First Aid on the problem library, i.e. launch Photos with the Option+Command keys held down?

and then you'll see this window:

Note: If you have the iCloud Photo Library enabled this will trigger a complete re-upload of all photos.

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Answer 4

Arrell_ODee Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 22, 2019 11:29 AM in response to Old Toad

Thanks so much for the tips.

I started with test 1—creating a new, test, library—and have imported 1000-file batches without any incident, where before it would have taken dozens of small transfers.

Should I move on to other troubleshooting tips, or should I just assume there was something amiss permissions-wise with the original Library and that the problem is solved?

And would you recommend I just use this Library from now on, should I delete both libraries and make a brand new one? (I labeled this one "Photos Library TEST"), or should I throw the other one out and rename this one?

EDIT: I SPOKE TOO SOON. WILL WRITE ANOTHER REPLY SHORTLY, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY ANOTHER PERMISSIONS ERROR OCCURRED.

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Answer 5

Arrell_ODee Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 23, 2019 5:44 AM in response to Old Toad

UPDATE:

The problem persists. If I repair the Library, it relieves the problem somewhat, but it keeps happening: duplicate bursts AND no permission during large imports, no problem during small imports.

I like troubleshooting, but really I want to know: what is happening here?? Why am I getting a bogus error? This never happened before with any of my imports for 15+ years.

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Answer 6

Feb 23, 2019 8:15 AM in response to Arrell_ODee

I had this problem with OSX El Capitan and getting Photos to put on FB. 1st I also have my MAC and iPad Synced so I went to my Ipad and made sure all the proper setting were on. Make sure Photo is enabled to Transfer to Mac or PC. Then I had to go into System Preferences on my Imac OS X and under Internet Accounts Facebook was there but it wasn't enabled, so I enabled it. Now my pictures are going thru fine. I hope this helps anyone. I' not sure if I needed to enable FB in my Internet Accounts but I do know I have to have icloud enabled for Photos and enabled AOL so I hope this helps.

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