Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
Until very recently, I enjoyed my own photos as the desktop images. Now, suddenly, I can only use Catalina images from this folder: System/Library/Desktop Pictures.
I attempted to rename a few of my photos to start with "Catalina" but discovered I cannot put any images into that folder.
I can use my own photos for the screensaver.
Mac OS 10.15.4 Catalina
iMac 21.5-inch, Late 2012
iMac 21.5", macOS 10.15
First make sure your Photos library is designated the System Photos Library:
Next if necessary boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down, reset the Desktop Image and check there to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.
NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.
Lastly if still a problem follow the instructions in this Apple document: Resolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder - Apple Support
First make sure your Photos library is designated the System Photos Library:
Next if necessary boot into Safe Mode (How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support) by booting with the Shift key held down, reset the Desktop Image and check there to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.
NOTE: Safe Mode boot can take up to 10 minutes as it's doing some system cache cleaning, volume verifying and directory repairing.
Lastly if still a problem follow the instructions in this Apple document: Resolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder - Apple Support
Curiouser and curiouser. This is what I see:
I don't know why my photo library is named iPad Photos Library.
There are two iPhoto libraries; one is mine and the other is my partner's.
Aperture is mine (was mine).
And this is what it looks like when I try to set my preferences for Desktop images:
I don't know why it will not allow me to escape Catalina.
I am puzzled.
After I followed the steps you listed, (by the way, I was surprised to see the safe mode screen show Catalina in stark black, yellow, red, very dark colors), no change resulted. However, looking more carefully at the Photos Preferences General window, I see this: Library Location: myname > Pictures > iPad Photos Library.photoslibrary
This seems very odd, that it points to iPad Photos.
Any idea about how to change this?
Thank you.
We get strange colors because it blows some of the graphic card support files.
To get it to point to a different library as the System Photos Library open the library you want an make it the System Photos Library. Photos always opened the last library it had opened previously.
Please tell me how to find the library I want - (how many are there?)
Where are they?
And if you have any idea what caused my Desktop choices to suddenly be limited to pictures of Catalina, I would like to understand that.
Thank you!
PROBLEM SOLVED.
When I want to choose my own pictures for the desktop, and have them change, I have to click on one of the photos in the group. Then Preferences lets me choose how often to change the picture. All good.
Now I wonder if this is a new step; I don't remember doing anything that resulted in Catalina being my default desktop image.
I still wonder why my Photos Library is called iPad, but I guess it does not matter.
Thank you for taking me to places on my iMac that I never noticed before.
Launch Photos with the Option key held down and in the Choose Library window you'll see all of the Photos libraries that are on your boot drive and any mounted external HDs.
What do you see?
Good work. :)
Why is my iMac Desktop image now limited to Catalina?
