exclamation mark on trying to open photo
When I try to view a photo in the library, it comes up with an exclamation mark - how do i fix this?
iMac 21.5″, OS X 10.11
Question marked as
Top-ranking reply
An exclamation mark could mean two things -
- the format of the photo may be incompatible with your version of Photos (it could be an unsupported RAW format or a HEIC from a new iPhone file or similar)
- or the original image file may be missing.
Is there an error message when you try to view the photo enlarged? If yes, what is the message? What is the file format of the image files? Look at the filename extension in the Info of the photo.
If the filename extension is "heic" and the photos have been imported from an iPhone or iPad, you need to upgrade the system of your Mac to macOS 10.13 High Sierra or newer. macOS 10.13 is the first system that supports the space saving HEIC format. See this support article for more details: Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices - Apple Support
If the image files are RAW files, check, if the RAW format of your camera is on the list of supported cameras for your System version. On macOS 10.11 (as shown below your question) these camera models are supported: Digital camera RAW formats supported by OS X El Capitan - Apple Support
If the error message is showing the original files as missing, we need to know more about what has happened to your Photos Library. Have you moved the Photos Library or deleted photos using the Finder? When you import photos, do you let Photos copy them into the library or are they stored outside the library?