You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Photos for Mac - Photos library being restored for no apparent reason

I have not updated the operating system so why would photos decide to restore or update my library?

I'm using an iMac, OSX 12.4 and I have several libraries on various properly formatted external hard drives.

My large main library Photos decided to 'Update'. I left it running for 3 days and it stayed on 0%. Activity monitor said the application and the other photo processing activities were consistently using 0% CPU over that time. I quit that then tried a newer, smaller 46GB library which Photos has decided needs restoring. Why?

iMac

Posted on Aug 29, 2022 5:05 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 30, 2022 5:24 AM

That is very strange. Yes I have "Automatically keep my mac up-to-date" checked, and a new update was available, but the operating system had not yet been updated. Photos jumped the gun, which is very, very strange. I do not run iCloud library.

I started the software update and after it finished and I logged on Photos opened instantly.

Amazing.


Similar questions

4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 30, 2022 5:24 AM in response to Old Toad

That is very strange. Yes I have "Automatically keep my mac up-to-date" checked, and a new update was available, but the operating system had not yet been updated. Photos jumped the gun, which is very, very strange. I do not run iCloud library.

I started the software update and after it finished and I logged on Photos opened instantly.

Amazing.


Aug 29, 2022 2:17 PM in response to steve.888

The only reason a library updates is when there's a system update applied which will bring along a newer version of Photos. Do you have Automatic System Update enable on your Mac. If you did it might have updated Monterey and with it an update of the library. Or you may have launched Photos with the Option + Command keys held down accidentally.



If you are running iCloud Library and turn off iCloud LIbrary then back on it will trigger a new upload (actually a comparing) of photo to the iCloud library.



Photos for Mac - Photos library being restored for no apparent reason

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.