Photos not able to copy iPhoto files

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Level 1

10 points

Photos not able to copy iPhoto files

I recently bought an iMac 21 inch and can't seem to add my iPhoto library from my old iMac to it. I've tried dropping the iPhoto library onto the Photos icon in the dock and get the error message -

"These items cannot be added to you Photo library because the file format is not supported by Photos"

I really want to get my iPhoto library copied across because my old iMac is about to die! I do have a TIME MACHINE back up of the entire old Mac's hard drive.

Any help is much appreciated.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on May 7, 2019 3:06 AM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

197,751 points

May 7, 2019 4:40 AM in response to Dan Farrell

This problem has also been reported by another user. I am not sure, what is going on.

Which version of iPhoto created the old iPhoto Library?

If it has been iPhoto 7.1.2 or older, you need first to upgrade the iPhoto Library with the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool. You can download the iPhoto Library Upgrader here: Using the iPhoto Library Upgrader tool - Apple Support

After installing it, run it once to upgrade the iPhoto Library. This is only necessary for version 7.1.2 or older.

Instead of dragging the iPhoto library onto the Photos icon, try to open it by ctrl-clicking or right-clicking it. Then select "Open with Photos".

Where is your iPhoto Library currently? You can only open it in Photos, if it is on a compatible drive. If your iPhoto Library is on an external drive, check, if the drive has the file system format MacOS Extended (Journaled) or APFS. The drive needs to have a wired connection, not a NAS, and it must not be used by Time Machine. You may want to copy the library to your system drive, if the external drive is not compatible.

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