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Can't open Photos library - in use by another program

When I launch Photos, I get a message saying that the library cannot be opened and that it is in use by another program. I tried starting with command-option held down but get the same message. Tried logging out and logging back in, tried restarting the computer. I didn't find anything useful at Apple support. Any suggestions?

iMac 21.5", macOS 10.15

Posted on Dec 25, 2019 5:51 PM

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Posted on Dec 26, 2019 7:46 AM

It's on an external SSD. It's been there for years with no previous problems.


The good news is I restarted the computer again this morning, and now the problem is resolved. I still don't know what caused it, but at least it's gone.

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Can't open Photos library - in use by another program

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