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User profile for user: andree248
andree248 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

MacBook Air stuck 'Restoring' Photos library on external hard drive

Hi, I updated to macOS Ventura 13.1. When I now try to open my Photos library (which is on an external hard drive, and NOT synched to iCloud), Photos immediately shows a "Restoring..0%" screen (with an alert at the bottom of the screen saying that it is not connected to iCloud.) After waiting several hours I got to "Restoring..12%". At that point I forced quit and discovered macOS was copying ["restoring"] my large 306 GB external Photos library, to create an internal Photos library on my 144GB internal macOS SSD drive (which I do Not want, and obviously won't work.)

How do I get Photos to open my external drive library, without imposing an unwanted 'Restore'?

thanks for any help

Andree

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 13.1

Posted on Jan 6, 2023 4:14 PM

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2 replies
User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,601 points

Jan 7, 2023 7:48 AM in response to andree248

You may want to check, if the file system format of the external volume is compatible with Photos.

Photos 8 on macOS 13 cannot work properly with a photos library, if the file system format is not compatible or there are other issues with the external drive. Then Photos will try to create a new library on the internal volume. See: Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

  • The file system format should be MacOS Extended (Journaled) or APFS
  • The volume must not have been used for Time Machine backups.
  • The volume should have a wired connection and not be a network share.

As a test, try to set the "Ignore ownership on this volume" flag. If it is not possible, you cannot use the volume for a library, even if you did not notice any problems on the older system versions.



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User profile for user: andree248
andree248 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Jan 28, 2023 3:00 PM in response to léonie

Checked all these (external HD is MacOS Extended (Journaled); never used for Time Machine; and wired to the MacBook Air. Updated to Ventura 13.2. Set "ignore ownership on this volume" successfully (though the HD "forgets" that setting every time I restart.) For both the "admin" user and "Me", I have Read+Write access, and clicked to "Apply" those settings (and waited) while it updated the hard drive. Still...when I disconnected the HD, restarted the Mac, re-attached the external HD photo library, and attempted to open it with Photos... Photos wanders off and begins again attempting to "Restore" my (now)-244 GB external HD photoslibrary by (creating) a photos library on my internal SDD (which only has 44 GB free, so that obviously won't work.)

How do I get Photos to just "Open" my External HD photos library...instead of continually trying to re-create it on my internal SDD??

The external Photos file was working FINE before I updated to Ventura 13.1. I am SO frustrated with Apple updates!!

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MacBook Air stuck 'Restoring' Photos library on external hard drive

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