My photo library disappeared on my external HD. PH photos error Domain error 1000

Thanks everyone. I got my photo library back. I tried the easiest solution. I shut down my laptop and disconnected the external HD. Waited a few minutes and restarted my laptop. Plugged my external HD into a different USB port, (just in case that made a difference) and clicked on the HD icon and my photo library appeared again!

In the future, when I update my software system on my laptop, should I keep my external HD for photos plugged in? I never do, but wonder if I should?

This system has worked for me but I wonder the best way to back up the photo library on an external HD. I have over 50,000 photos on it. I don't want it on icloud. My laptop doesn't have enough storage room. I'm afraid that putting on my other external HD on time machine will screw up the photo library (have heard it can do that. )

Thanks

Rich, I have the WD Passport 4 TB drive. It has worked well except now. Just now I tried to edit the album and the photo app crashed and apple sent this report: The default interactive shell is now zsh.

To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.

For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.

Warning: The declared constraints for <NSToolbarItemViewer: 0x7f84e64915a0 'NavigationBar'> were previously invalidated only because a declared constraint was snipped or manually deactivated. This indicates missing invalidation for a view's changing state that affects its declared constraints. To debug, set a breakpoint on `_NSViewRemovedDeclaredConstraintBreakpoint`

2022-06-07 15:53:32.943 Photos[2966:29294] Warning: The declared constraints for <NSToolbarItemViewer: 0x7f84e64915a0 'NavigationBar'> were previously invalidated only because a declared constraint was snipped or manually deactivated. This indicates missing invalidation for a view's changing state that affects its declared constraints. To debug, set a breakpoint on `_NSViewRemovedDeclaredConstraintBreakpoint`

I looked at the apple support link and I think now this is way over my head. I don't want to risk screwing everything up. Perhaps I will hire a tech person I have used in the past to look at this problem.

Thanks for your help.

Thanks for your reply. My external HD is plugged into USB port of my laptop. I only plug it in when I'm using the app, so it is not plugged for software updates or time machine backups. This external HD is solely used for photos. I have another external HD for time machine. I moved my photo library to it 2 to 3 years ago and it generally works. Now, I don't see the photo library in the finder. When I click on the HD icon, nothing appears. Underneath the finder window, it says 0 items, 4.84 TB available. Here is info on my external HD.

I don't remember exact sequence of events or details but I think the problem started when trying to change order of photos in an album. A window came up saying it was unable to perform that function. Choice was to cancel or terminate function. When I clicked cancel, nothing happened and the window still came up. So I clicked terminate. I think that's when the photo app closed. When I tried to reopen app, warnings came up such as Unable to open the library 1000 or PH Photos Error Domain error 1000. I would appreciate any help? Do you think it might help to shut down laptop and reboot? Or would that make it worse? Thanks

No. This is what worries me. When I click on HD icon, nothing appears. The photo library used to appear. Also on the bottom of the finder box it says 0 items, 4.84 Tb available. I'm hoping that the photos are still hiding in the Tb that has been used.

Thinking of shutting down and rebooting laptop and also removing and reinserting USB from HD to see if that works. Would that do something bad?

Leonie and Rich, thanks for your suggestions. Will try the disk utility and getting another backup external HD for photos. At least it would give me peace of mind.

Is it necessary to do a software update on my photo app located on my external HD? I never leave the external HD plugged in when I do the updates.

I am now able to access my photo library on my external HD. But as Leonie and you suggested I tried to use first aid on the disk utility and got this message, "first aid process has failed. Backup data on this volume. Volume could not be unmounted. Operation failed." This worries me.

So before I continue I need to get another external HD to back up this external HD. Right?

Rich,

Thanks. Called Support this morning and she was very helpful and cleared up some issues. Told me before proceeding, I should make a backup copy of photos first.

Told me to copy and paste my library into different library on another HD. I've tried 3 times and just before it finishes it says the operation cant be completed because an item with the name LA Photos Library already exists. I copied the photo app labeled LA Photos Library and pasted into another external HD. No other library on that HD has that name. Perhaps I cannot copy it as an app with the photos organized in albums, etc? I would be happy to rename the photo library in other HD but it doesn't allow me to do so before it is copied.

Thanks for your suggestions. May try to call support again.

Linda

Rich, ordering a new drive now. Wirecutter suggests Toshiba Canvio Flex. Trying to figure out if it works with 2014 Macbook Pro- although maybe it's time for a new one. Any suggestions?