Photos keep reappearing in my library

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Level 1

8 points

Photos keep reappearing in my library

Hi,

A similar question has been asked but my photos keep reappearing on my MacBook, after I spend hours going on a deleting binge. It's really annoying because it's taking up all my disk space and my laptop keeps sending me warnings.

I thought it may be iCloud automatically importing my phones photostream so I switched photo stream off in iCloud on my Macbook.

I was then going to switch iCloud photo library off altogether but it keeps sending me warnings that it will delete photos that are not downloaded. All my originals aren't downloaded because my disk space is full from the photos I deleted which keep coming back, I even upgraded my iCloud storage but still not enough.

Can someone please help! Has anyone else had this problem

The operating software I'm running on is Mac OS High Sierra version 10.13.6.

Thanks

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Mar 31, 2021 4:02 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

197,655 points

Apr 1, 2021 1:13 AM in response to OliviaNut

Keep My Photo Stream disabled on all devices, as long as you are using iCloud Photos.

It is risky to work with your Photos Library at all, while you are not having enough storage on your Mac to finish the current update. Your screenshot is hiding your iCloud Preferences. Keep iCloud Photos enabled and do not try to turn it off. To save storage on your Mac, enable "Optimise Mac Storage" in the "Photos > Preferences > iCloud". Then the photos will be show in Photos, but not downloaded.

You need to save your Photos Library on an external volume, while you are trying to solve the storage problem.

Get yourself an external drive with enough storage to hold all your photos. And prepare it as described here: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support
Quit Photos, if it is running.
Then launch Photos while holding down the options key ⌥. And when the library chooser dialog appears select to create a new library. Create this library on your external volume.
Make this library your System Photos Library in "Photos > Preferences > General: use as System Photos Library"
Make this library your iCloud Photos Library Photos > Preferences > iCloud". For this library do not enable "Optimise Mac Storage". You will want to let all iCloud Photos to this library, so you have an archive of all your photos.
Wait for the syncing with iCloud to finish.

Once this library is holding all your Photos (that can take several days, if your library is large) you can try again to free storage in iCloud by deleting bad shots and duplicates. use the key combination ⌘⌫ to delete photos, not just the delete key.

Once you have rescued your library, you can delete the current library on your system volume and start over with a new, empty library on your system drive, but this time with "Optimise Mac Storage" to save storage on the internal volume. I would keep only your favourites in this library and make it as small as possible, if you are limited with storage in iCloud and on your Mac.

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Answer 2

DiZoE

Level 4

3,021 points

Mar 31, 2021 11:06 PM in response to OliviaNut

Hey there!

Good question. Can I ask where you are deleting the photos from exactly? (Photos app on Mac, iOS, iCloud.com)?

Also, can you say if the same happens on your other devices? Or they delete from one device, but not the other?

Likewise, a good test is deleting some from iCloud.com, and seeing if they DO delete from ALL your devices, or not. (And even doing the same test deleting from Mac, iOS, etc).

Thanks! That may help to figure it out.

Likewise, if you disable iCloud Photos on your Mac, if they are downloaded onto other devices, they will remain on the other devices, and if not, they will still remain in iCloud for 30 days, if you decide to either keep, or delete them.

Delete and recover photos and videos on iCloud.com:

https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/delete-and-recover-photos-and-videos-mm08b49040b5/icloud

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Answer 3

DiZoE

Level 4

3,021 points

Apr 2, 2021 3:16 PM in response to OliviaNut

Hey again!

On your Mac, with Photos open, on the top left, click:

Photos > Preferences > General.

Is the option to “Use as system library” selectable?

If so, select it because iCloud will only sync with the library designated as the System Library.

I thInk usually when Photos aren’t syncing with Mac, that’s the reason.

Hope that helps, let me know!

Designate a System Photo Library in Photos:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204414

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Answer 4

OliviaNut Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 2, 2021 2:15 AM in response to DiZoE

I deleted over 2000 photos in iCloud which I never checked before so thanks for that and it freed up a tonne of space. Although I checked my other devices (laptop and phone) and it did not delete the photos on these devices that I deleted in iCloud. This is really frustrating as I guess it means I will need to repeat the process on both my devices and go on another deleting binge which will take me a couple of days.

iCloud is not disabled on my Mac but it appears that photos app is not syncing with the changes I made. I also checked my phone and it turns out iCloud was not enabled, I'm now worried if I turn it on it will transfer heaps of the photos I just deleted back onto iCloud.

I can't seem to win either way.

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Answer 5

OliviaNut Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 3, 2021 12:55 AM in response to léonie

Hi leonie,

Thank you so much for your lengthy reply, fortunately I didn't have to resort to my external hardrive. Although I did take your advice on changing to 'Optimise Macbook Storage" so thanks for that tip, managed to get it all sorted in the end :)

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