Photos library on external hd all of a sudden has no data

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Level 1

18 points

Photos library on external hd all of a sudden has no data

I keep my Photos library on an external HD. I just tell Photos it's the library I want to use upon startup and it hans't been a problem. Yesterday, I started Photos and it said the library needed to be repaired so I told it to repair. Now there are no pictures. When I look at the HD files, it shows the Photos library but that the size is zero bytes

I've tried repairing it again via Photos and also running the First Aid in Disk Utility, no dice. Someone please help.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Oct 20, 2020 5:07 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

TonyCollinet

Level 7

23,867 points

Oct 21, 2020 4:29 AM in response to Lrac

Your working library - don't try to open it if it is on the external FAT 32 drive. Get it onto a properly supported drive (APFS or MacOS extended (journaled)) and not networked, before trying to work in it.

Then work out a backup strategy :-)

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Answer 2

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Oct 21, 2020 3:42 AM in response to Lrac

It is FAT32

Likely source of the issue. A Photos Library needs to be on a disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) or APFS.

What's most likely happened is the DB file has been corrupted. However, your images may still be safe inside the package.

Right Click on the package and choose Show Package Contents. You images are inside the Originals folder. Can you see them?

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Answer 3

Lrac Author

Level 1

18 points

Oct 21, 2020 4:20 AM in response to Yer_Man

Doesn't even give me the "Show Package Contents" option. I'm running a recovery program on the drive now. About half way through and it looks like it's working.

I also have an iPhoto library that is still working that contains most of the same pics so all is not lost, just the last year if the recovery doesn't work.

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,444 points

Oct 20, 2020 5:45 AM in response to Lrac

What format is the external?

Do you have a back up?

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Answer 5

Oct 20, 2020 9:56 AM in response to Lrac

And what version of MacOS are you on?

I'm really hoping you have a backup - or at least are using Icloud.

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Answer 6

Lrac Author

Level 1

18 points

Oct 21, 2020 3:20 AM in response to Yer_Man

It is FAT32 and no, no backup unfortunately. I'm definitely moving everything over to the iMac when I get this fixed. Didn't have room on the past model.

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Answer 7

Lrac Author

Level 1

18 points

Oct 21, 2020 3:21 AM in response to TonyCollinet

Catalina (10.15.7) and no, no backup. :o(

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Photos library on external hd all of a sudden has no data

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