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Mac Photos app not exporting edits

When I select a photo, and choose File>Export 1 photo, the exported photo does not contain the edits. It's the same as if I chose export unmodified original.


The only way to export with edits, that I have found, is to share via email, actual size.

Posted on Apr 11, 2022 1:42 PM

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Posted on Apr 15, 2022 12:33 PM

Photos.


It looks like the problem is the photo. I tried the same edits and export on other photos from the same camera, and it worked. So I duplicated the problem photo, made all the same edits, exported, and it worked.


Thanks léonie for all your help!

11 replies

Apr 14, 2022 11:58 PM in response to léonie

Yes. But holding both shift keys didn't work. I tried the Terminal command to boot into Safe Mode but that didn't work either. So I did the following:


  1. turn off M1 Mac Mini
  2. Press the power button and hold it until the startup disk screen appears
  3. select the startup disk
  4. hold the shift key, and "boot in safe mode" appears.
  5. hit enter key
  6. the Mac boots in safe mode.


However, safe mode didn't solve the photo exporting with edits. Thanks for your help!

Apr 15, 2022 3:29 AM in response to Robert Cole2

You could try to repair the Photos Library.

Switch back to your main library by quitting Photos, then double-click your main library to open it in Photos. But hold down the key combination ⌥⌘ firmly, while double-clicking the library.

Photos should now try to repair the library. For a large library it may take several hours, even days, depending on the library size.


Things to consider before trying to repair a library:

  • Trying to repair a library can make the damage worse. Make a backup copy of your library, if you do not have a current backup.
  • Repairing a library that is syncing with iCloud Photos will result in a lengthy new upload to iCloud. If your library is an iCloud Photos Library, you may want to repair it by downloading a fresh copy from iCloud instead of repairing and having to wait for the new syncing and upload. You just might make your new library the system photos library (Photos > Preferences > General: Use as system Photos Library) and then enable iCloud Photos.


It might help to know what has caused the damage to the library. Do you remember what happened between the time, when you last could export the edits correctly and when the trouble started?

Apr 11, 2022 1:54 PM in response to Robert Cole2

Hi


Try:

1 - restart your mac then try.

2 - restart your mac in safe mode, try in safe mode, then restart and try again.


When you say it is like export unmodified, do you have non jpg images (eg heic, or raw) that export in their native formats and are not converted?


Where is your library stored? If on an external drive, what is the format?


What version of MacOS do you have?

Apr 14, 2022 11:14 PM in response to Robert Cole2

Does your keyboard have two Shift keys? One on the left and one on the right? Try both.


Have you been running any cleaning apps to remove duplicates? Some of them are very dangerous and are destroying the Photos Library and Photos may longer be able to find the edited versions or the originals. Repairing the library may not be able to fix the damage done by duplicate cleaners. In that case you will have to restore an undamaged version from your backup.



Apr 15, 2022 2:37 AM in response to Robert Cole2

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant "try both shift keys in turn", perhaps the other one will work.

But as restarting the Mac in safe mode did not help, you may want to test, if your Photos Library has a corruption.

Quit Photos, then hold down the options key ⌥ while restarting Photos. select to create a new library.

Import one photo for testing into this new library. Edit it, then try to export the edited version.

Does it work for a new Photos Library?


BTW, what kind of edits are you applying, that cannot be exported?



Mac Photos app not exporting edits

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