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Photo lIbrary problem

I am trying to combine multiple photo libraries. When I open a library and select export to move to another folder...nothing happens. No dialogue box...nothing.

MacBook Pro 13″, 10.15

Posted on Jan 4, 2021 9:49 AM

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Posted on Jan 4, 2021 11:45 AM

When I open a library and select export to move to another folder...nothing happens. No dialogue box...nothing.

when you open a Photos Library in Photos you should be able to export selected photos. It is not normal that no dialog box appears. Could it be that the dialog is hidden behind another window?


Restart your Mac and Photos, then try to export with no other application running.


Do you have plenty of free storage on your Mac? Is your Photos Library stored locally on yourMac or on an external volume?

Are you using iCloud Photos?



3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 4, 2021 11:45 AM in response to rumpelstiltskin12

When I open a library and select export to move to another folder...nothing happens. No dialogue box...nothing.

when you open a Photos Library in Photos you should be able to export selected photos. It is not normal that no dialog box appears. Could it be that the dialog is hidden behind another window?


Restart your Mac and Photos, then try to export with no other application running.


Do you have plenty of free storage on your Mac? Is your Photos Library stored locally on yourMac or on an external volume?

Are you using iCloud Photos?



Jan 4, 2021 10:02 AM in response to rumpelstiltskin12

You are selecting the thumbnails of pictures you want to export, correct?


then going file>export?


See here for the official methods for merging photo libraries.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT209528


These are not ideal. If you use iCloud there is a better method of merging via iCloud.


Another alternative is to use power photos (a paid app) which can copy images from one library to another.

https://www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/


Jan 4, 2021 10:49 AM in response to rumpelstiltskin12

That's not the correct way to merge libraries. The quicker and easiest is to use the paid version of PowerPhotos to merge the libraries according to this PowerPhotos help file: Merging libraries.


The other way is to use the iCloud Library. That requires you to purchase enough iCloud storage to house both libraries. The process can take up to weeks depending on the size of the libraries.


Exporting the photos out of one library and importing into the other will lose all metadata you've added and any albums, etc. that you've created. The other methods do not.


Photo lIbrary problem

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