Photos System Library Won't Stick & No Media Browser

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Level 3

576 points

Photos System Library Won't Stick & No Media Browser

Sometime recently, Photos [Version 4.0 (3461.7.160)] stopped "remembering" my System Library designation. Consequently (I believe), the Media Browser in file dialogs doesn't work at all.*

My default library is on an external volume. MacOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G6015) with latest updates.

I have exhausted normal options here. I have opened Photos with opt-down. There is list of libraries (both photos & iphoto). it shows my "default" as "Last opened" but not (and nothing) as the "system library".

In Photos prefs I can select that library as system library. Once selected, the "Use As System Library" button becomes greyed out as expected. But this does not persist across launches of Photos, and media browser still doesn't work during that current Photos session. The next time Photos is launched, the "Use as System Library" button is again active/selectable.

I've also tried clicking "Other Library" at the bottom left corner of the "Choose Library" dialog (when opening Photos opt-down.) Same results.

Of course, in above I've referred to this "Move your Photos library" support doc. It's also not an issue of some photos not appearing in Media Browser, it's any recognition of a system library in Media Browser.

Is there a relavent prefs file to try nuking (and what else would be lost if so)? Other suggestions?

Additionally, this used to work before on an earlier version of Mojave. Something broke since.

Mac Pro, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jul 18, 2020 3:45 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

200,585 points

Jul 18, 2020 8:45 AM in response to Loren Ryter

If Photos is not remembering the library on the external drive as the system library, there is probably something wrong with the external volume. You have referred to the support document "Move your Photos library". Is everything set up as described there, including the "Ignore ownership" flag?

And is the external volume always connected before you log into your user account, so the Photos background processes can find it, when you log in?

Have you run Disk Utility to check the external volume? If an external volume is rather old and starts failing, it will occasionally dismount itself, and that could cause Photos to forget the location of the system photo library.

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Answer 2

Loren Ryter Author

Level 3

576 points

Jul 19, 2020 3:16 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for your reply. The volume in question is physically internal (to MacPro) but not boot volume. I use it to hold large files within user domains (with symlinks, when necessary; but in this case not necessary as you can designate an external library). So ignoring ownership is not possible. But I verified permissions were correct (compared to default Photos library) within the entire file hierarchy. Same issue. Then tried making permissions even more permissive (755 all the way down instead of 700 & 755). Same problem

Volume is fine, relative recently replaced, never dismounts, SMART status fine. Cannot do DU First Aid because can't unmount disk. Why?:

Failed to unmount “Arjuna” because it is currently in use by “photoanalysisd”.

Assume that's a a background process scanning library for content. Photos not running. Next wil try restarting.

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Answer 3

Loren Ryter Author

Level 3

576 points

Jul 19, 2020 6:09 AM in response to léonie

update: since managed to verify disk with Disk Utility first aid, and it is fine. Problem persists.

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Photos System Library Won't Stick & No Media Browser

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