.webp file causing issue in Photos app (Monterey)

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Level 1

4 points

.webp file causing issue in Photos app (Monterey)

I inadvertently saved a .webp file to my Photos library Imports folder. Since then, Photos shows my Photos Library as empty; but in my Pictures file, my PhotosLibrary still shows 13GB of content. Worse, I can't delete it: Once I select the .webp photo, if I right-click on it (in order to get to 'Delete Photo'), Photos immediately quits; if I try to use the menu bar, as soon as I move my cursor over the 'Image' tab in the menu bar (on my way to 'Delete Photo'), Photos immediately quits.

Has anyone else experienced this? And does anyone have a solution? Thanks.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Dec 10, 2022 2:31 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Richard.Taylor

Level 6

9,774 points

Dec 11, 2022 8:05 AM in response to keegiebaby

Wow, that's weird! Do you have backups? If not, you should make a copy of this library before you try to fix it and mess up everything!

The first things to try are these:

Restart the computer (of course)
Rebuild your Photos Library--close Photos and re-launch by option-command-clicking the app icon.
Make a new user and see if the same problem recurs with it
Use another library if you have one, or make a small test Library with a few pictures in it and see if the same thing happens.
Start in Safe Mode (different for different computers) This bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

One of these steps may fix the problem, but their failure to work is also diagnostic.

If this doesn't help, tell us about your preferences settings:

In Photos>Preferences>General,

Is "Use as System Photo Library" grayed out (indicating it is) or solid (indicating this isn't your system library)?

Is "Copy Item to the Photos Library" checked? (This is the default, indicating a "Managed Library")

In Photos>Preferences>iCloud

Is "iCloud Photos" checked?

If it is, is "Optimize Mac Storage" check?

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

197,031 points

Dec 11, 2022 8:30 AM in response to keegiebaby

I also had a lot of problems in Photos 7 on Monterey, when the file has been saved to Photos as .webp . It interfered with the upload to iCloud Photos and caused some background processes to crash.

I had to export all .webp files from Photos as JPEGs and then reimported them as HEIC.

Is your Photos Library an iCloud Photos Library , with all items stored in iCloud? Then the easiest way to rebuild your Photos Library would be to create a new, empty Photos Library and sync it with iCloud to download all your photos.

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Answer 3

keegiebaby Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 12, 2022 4:32 PM in response to Richard.Taylor

Thank you so much for the suggestions, Richard 🙏.

I DO NOT have a back-up of this library (my bad), and it IS NOT in an iCloud Photos Library. I have tried to make back-ups over the last couple of days, but again, weird things happened: I tried to save the ~ 15GB library to an empty 32GB USB flash drive; that drive still shows empty but now says it only has about 17GB of space left 🤦‍♂️!

Library Location is [My name]>Library>Photos>Libraries>Syndication.photoslibrary

"Use as System Photo Library" WAS solid...until I just clicked on it; now it's grayed out and I wouldn't know how to undo that 🤦‍♂️. Is that a good or a bad thing 😬?

"Copy Items to the Photos Library" IS checked.

Here's a weird thing: In Photos, the 'Library', 'Memories', and 'People' tabs are all empty ("No Results"), but the 'Recents' tab is full -- it shows every (I think) photo I've imported since I got this laptop in 2016! SO is the 'Shared with You' tab. So I know the data is still in there. But it freaks me out that the 'Library' itself shows empty.

Also weird: Under 'Albums', all the 'Media Types' tabs (Videos, Selfies, etc) are full, but 'My Albums' is empty, and I had a couple of dozen of them.

---> Here's my new question: Do I dare try Safe Mode and/or relaunch-rebuild my Photos Library without having a back-up...?

Thanks for any other advice you may have to offer.

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Answer 4

keegiebaby Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 12, 2022 4:41 PM in response to léonie

Thanks, Léonie 🙏!

As I just told Richard, my Photos Library IS NOT and iClouds Library.

I was somehow able to export the .webp files as .jpg and reimport them as HEIC; but the .webp are still in my 'Recents' and 'Imports' and the Library still shows empty, although my 'Recents' is complete(!).

I really don't like that there's nothing I can seem to do to delete the troublesome .webp files from my 'Recents' and 'Imports'. I can select them, but then hitting the Delete key has no effect, and any other path to deletion causes Photos to immediately quit and changes nothing ☹️.

I really appreciate knowing I'm not alone with these issues, tho. Thanks 🙂!

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.webp file causing issue in Photos app (Monterey)

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