Photos App not exporting pictures. Shows: Unknown error (4)

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Level 1

11 points

Photos App not exporting pictures. Shows: Unknown error (4)

If I have two different photos in my photos library with the same filenames (like "102_0228.JPG"), they both display in the Photos app just fine as different pictures. However, when trying to export one of them, it always returns the 'Unknown error (4)'. Other photos export without problems.

I found a way to get the photos to export. My photos are stored in iCloud. By bringing up iCloud Photos, I can select the photos I want to download and then click the 'cloud download' button at the top. This will download the photos, even the pictures that with the desktop app return the 'Unknown error (4).'

Is there something that can fix my local Photos App? I saw something about reindexing a Photos library. I'm afraid if I do the photolibraryd daemon process will run for a month!

Does anyone know of a fix? I'm running the latest 10.15.5 MacOs.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jun 12, 2020 9:02 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

197,751 points

Jun 12, 2020 10:16 AM in response to danmcneece

how have you been exporting the two photos? Did you use the export preset "Filename: Use Filename" or a different preset? Did you use "File > Export > Export unmodified Original" or did you use "File > Export > Export ... Photos"?

Try to export the two problematic photos with "File > Export > Export unmodified Original" but separately, not in one go. And use a different filename preset than before. exporting the original will allow you to check the original file from your library. The files may be in a file format, that is incompatible with Catalina, even if the filename extension is JPG.

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Answer 2

danmcneece Author

Level 1

11 points

Jun 12, 2020 11:35 AM in response to danmcneece

I tried exporting the photo as 'original' or medium PNG or medium JPG. Every time it throws the unknown 4 error. I used to be able to bring up the preview editor and then save the photo from that app. Now when I choose edit with Preview it gives me this error: Unable to make resource locally available: <PLInternalResource: 0x7fda473fba00> {

assetUUID: 23B35578-9AA0-463E-8455-C71C257900AE

objectID: 0xa35e96f063c2f3b7 <x-coredata://1771329C-66B8-490F-BBA7-FFD9D6D99514/InternalResource/p2875>

resourceType: img-prim

version: org

dataStore: Primary (0)

dataStoreSubtype: Original (1)

dataLength: 806452

fileID: -1

localAvailability: none

localAvailabilityTarget: neutral

remoteAvailability: unavailable

remoteAvailabilityTarget: available

isDerivative: NO

unorientedWidth: 2048

unorientedHeight: 1536

orientation: 1

qualitySortValue: 2147418122

fingerprint: ARx8ti/HLdXDtBIRGOM0oImyaFla

uniformTypeIdentifier: public.jpeg

codec: (null)

sidecarIndex: 0

ptpTrashedState: untrashed

cplType: Original

}

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Photos App not exporting pictures. Shows: Unknown error (4)

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