Photos stuck on restore from time machine

If the library is on the time machine, that doesn't necessarily mean it is referenced

However, you cannot store / use a library on a time machine drive as the permissions structure is not compatible. Which is why photos keeps trying to repair it.

You need to move the library elsewhere. Either to your system drive in the pictures folder, or to a correctly formatted (APFS or MacOS extended) and directly connected (no ethernet or wifi) external drive, with the ignore ownership checkbox checked. See:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201517

Marmalade06 wrote:

From recollection,#1 - the library is on the time machine so suspect that it's #2 - a referenced library? I don't use iCloud as the storage is too large.

#1 - That's why you're having problems. The TM drive is setup with a special ecosystem of permissions and hard links and does not support running a Photos library from it. You should copy the library to your boot drive or another external drive that is formatted as shown below. Also that will allow you to backup the

#2 - if you can get the library opened go to Photos' General preference pane and see if it's a referenced or managed library. Also what happens if you unmount the TM drive and launch Photos? What do you get?

Marmalade06 wrote:

The photos are stored on the Time Machine.

Do you mean the library is on the Time Machine drive or that you're running a "referenced" library and the source photo files are on the TM drive?

Which is it: managed or referenced?

FWIW only TM backup files should be on the TM drive. Storing and accessing files from the drive is not supported.