Photos Libraries & Mail not allowing to attach a photo Catalina upgrade

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Level 1

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Photos Libraries & Mail not allowing to attach a photo Catalina upgrade

Hello

Upgraded to Catalina on imac

Before doing so exported my Aperture photos album to the Photos app. They are all there.

So I have two photo libraries - which I would prefer to be one. The Apperture photos and then the original Photos app album, (taken with mobile etc prior to upgrade, must be on icloud?)

Both libraries appear in the Pictures file, one as the new Photos library (the Aperture one) and the other as the Photos (Original). I can alternate between the two libraries but would rather they be as one larger photo library.

This is what happens on my imac.

Either way, whichever Library I use I cannot access any photos to attach to an email in Mac Mail. I compose text then click attachment, go to Photos app, the pane appears with no actual photos, then does a disappearing genie effect and no attachment is on the email.

I can attached a jpg from the desktop ok.

Anyone else had this issue?

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Nov 6, 2019 11:27 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

léonie

Level 10

195,169 points

Nov 7, 2019 12:42 AM in response to JohnSculp

That is the harder part, because Photos has no tool to merge libraries, like Aperture had. It would have been easier to merge all libraries using Aperture, while you could still run Aperture.

The easiest way to merge libraries in Photos in a lossless way, so all albums will be merged and the originals and edited versions will remain paired, would be to let the libraries merge in iCloud (this takes a very long time) and plenty of cloud storage and local storage:

Make one of your Photo Libraries your iCloud Photo Library. Wait for all items to upload to iCloud.
Now make the second library your iCloud Photos Library. Wait for the photos to upload to iCloud.
The merged library will download to the library you are currently using as the iCloud Photos Library.

It should suffice to subscribe for large iCloud Storage plan for a month, then cancel it after a month, once your library has been downloaded to your Mac.

For alternatives see this user tip: Notes on Merging Photos Libraries, 2019 V… - Apple Community

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

195,169 points

Nov 6, 2019 11:56 PM in response to JohnSculp

Have you tired it this way:

While in the Mail.app, viewing a new mail you are composing, click the Photo Browser in the toolbar, not the "Attach" button.
In the Photo Browser select the Photos Library. It will take a while, until the list of photos appears.
Now drag the photos you want from the Photos Browser into the new mail you are composing.

When I drag from the Photo Browser into the body of a new Mail. the image will be attached as it should be.

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Answer 3

JohnSculp Author

Level 1

15 points

Nov 7, 2019 12:07 AM in response to léonie

Yes this has worked thankyou for a prompt reply. That Solved that part for me.

Hopefully someone could advise on the joining of the two libraries, the new one created from my old Aperture photos and the original Photos app library - without losing any......

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Answer 4

JohnSculp Author

Level 1

15 points

Nov 7, 2019 5:34 AM in response to léonie

Hi thanks for this, yes I have approx 15000 photos in the new Photos library (Aperture projects). So for the time being I may just swap between the libraries as necessary. Perhaps Apple will update the Photos App to allow merging of libraries one day.

Grateful for your replies.

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Photos Libraries & Mail not allowing to attach a photo Catalina upgrade

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