Photos app stuck on "Restoring" Screen after Catalina Update

This was, apparently, caused by a failed video upload from my Mac. It wasn't a large video file (88MB), but big enough that it corrupted my library's sync with iCloud. This is now the 50th problem I've had with iCloud Photos, and it's quite upsetting.

To update on my previous post. The repairing remained at 0% for about 3 hours, then started to count and finished within another 10 hours. The library then just worked fine, but after closing Photos and restarting the computer, the same procedure started all over again, although this time the total time needed was "only" eleven hours. Looking into the library folder, it seems the files psi.sqlite, psi.sqlite-wal, Photos.sqlite-shm and Phtos.sqlite.lock were changed within the first few minutes, and then it took almost elven hours to modify Photos.sqlite and Photos.sqlite-wal. As far as I can see, nothing else was modified.

You were told wrong. It's perfectly OK to have the library on an external HD as long as that drive is formatted as shown in this screenshot:

and connected to the Mac by cable.

More information can be found here: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

Apple isn't here. We're all users like yourself. However, we will try to help.

Download and run Etrecheck. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.

Copy the report

and use the Add Text button to include the report in your reply. How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, i.e. an Etrecheck Report

Before running Etrecheck assign Full Disk Access to Etrecheck so that it can get additional information from the Console and log files for the report:

Then we can examine the report and see if we can determine what's causing the problem..

All of you that experience this issue, do you have Time Machine on the same partition?

If so, is Photos library included or excluded within the Time Machine?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250805248

User -Michael- got this solution from Apple:

I had the same problem, with iTunes 12.8.2.3 (running on macOS 10.13.6) and iOS 13.2.3.

First, I went through the steps listed at If your computer doesn't recognize your iPhone, iPad, or iPod - Apple Support . That didn't fix the problem, but I felt it was important to try those things  first before calling in for assitance.

Then, I called Apple Support. After some research, the person I spoke with said to go to Download iTunes 12.8.2 for Mac and install this slightly older version.

I did. While the installer was running, it downloaded additional updates, as did iTunes 12.8.2 itself when I launched it. I then ended up with a re-updated version of 12.8.2.3 that was able to see my iPhone. 

This completely fixed the problem for me.

I do have same type of issue. I have :

• 1 iMac 27 (end 2014) now with Catalina 10.15.2.
• 1 iPhone X with 13.3
• 1 iPad Pro with
• 1 iCloud subscirption 2T
• 1 Photo library of approx 70.000 photos in the internal main 1T SSD of the iMac

All of a sudden, coinciding with the upgrading to Catalina, my Photo App in the iMac stopped importing from iCloud the pictures taken with the Iphone or the iPad. This happend more than 1 month ago and after suffering a lot in terms of reading articles, uninstalling iCloud, reverse, etc etc, nothing has changed !!!! All other iCloud functions work perfectly in all senses.

Somebody can help ? Thank you so much... getting mad with this very annoying problem from Apple !!!

Hi.

You have to search for the corrupted photos.

1. create a smart folder with the properties: ISO is empty. If there are photos found, that do not have a propper thumbnail (you will not be able to see them, and they cannot be exported), delete them.
2. if after that the „curation“ is still going:
3. create a smart folder with the properties „camera model is empty“. Do the same as to 1.
4. if the „curation“ has not finished in a few minutes after that you have to search manually for the corrupted photos, as i have described at the post above.

This was the only thing that worked for me.

Have a nice day !!

"Try repairing the library: launch Photos with the Option + Command keys held down"

Thanks for this ! The repair ran to 100% completion in a few minutes on the MBP 16,1 but then did not progress further. Already 1 hour looking like this:

Yikes, 24 Hours for this process?!

I just launched Photos after upgrading to Catalina and I see an animation at the bottom of the App with a progress bar going from "Composing Layout...", "Gathering Favorites...", "Deleting Duplicates...", "Analyzing Scenes...", "Curating Best Photos". Seems to be taking forever, is this really going to take 24 hours?!

My issue is that the Photos kept saying no permission and ask to repair the library to no avail in my time capsule after Catalina update. In the end I moved the library (400gb) to a hard disk that I formatted using my MBA (Catalina). The Photos restored the library and opened it successfully. Then I move back the library back to my time capsule and it works.

Give it a try.