Photos Library won't open

Question

Level 1

11 points

Photos Library won't open

#1 DON'T answer if you're gonna suggest the alt/command repair thing. That doesn't work when it won't open.

#2 DON'T answer if you're gonna suggest contacting apple support

#3 DON'T cut and paste another similar discussion thread here because that's not going to help....just perpetuate the endless apple circle of nothing answers.

Out of the blue the other day the photos library can't be opened. tried the "hold down alt/command to launch the repair"....that doesn't work. I get the same "...cant be opened error". So after a day I decided to go ahead and install the latest update (11.7.4). Im usually not a fan of updates....bought this used from an authorized Mac shop. It older....maybe a 2016 model. But the guy assured me it can handle a few updates. Anyhow....that didn't fix it. This is so unbelievable. I barely use this thing. Mostly for a few work emails, and I don't even have many photos on it ar all....fewer than fifty. Rather, I access albums Ive shared to the cloud via my iPhone. This thing is about to go under my car tire. Seriously.

MacBook, macOS 10.12

Posted on Mar 4, 2023 8:13 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

197,741 points

Mar 5, 2023 7:59 AM in response to 124sport

How large is the library? Is it large enough to to be holding many images?

As you have been using iCloud Photos and your photos are probably in iCloud, I second Mark's advice to restore your library from iCloud.

Launch Photos while holding down the options key ⌥ and when the dialog to choose a library appears, select to create a new, empty library.
When Photos opens, open the Settings/Preferences and in the General tab click "Use as System Photos Library".
Then click the iCloud Tab and enable iCloud Photos.

Now wait for your Photos to come back from iCloud.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

197,741 points

Mar 5, 2023 2:16 AM in response to 124sport

Where is your Photos Library stored? Is it in your Pictures folder or are you keeping it on an external volume?

Can you give us any background information what has changed before "out of the blue" the library could not no longer be opened? Something must have changed, try to remember what has been the last thing you have done in Photos.

Did you import new photos or videos?
Did you move the library somewhere else?
Did you open the library from a different user account?
Did you use any cleaning applications to save storage?

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

197,741 points

Mar 5, 2023 5:28 AM in response to 124sport

By default the Photos Library will be stored in the Pictures folder in your user home folder.

Is it still there? The icon of the Photos Library is a stack of three pictures showing the rainbow coloured flower, like this:

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Answer 4

124sport Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 5, 2023 9:16 AM in response to léonie

No it is not large at all. I barely have any photos in it whatsoever. I don’t use this machine much. Mostly for a few work emails etc.

Mostly…,I view albums that I have shared from my iPhone. And now I CAN NOT do that because the Photos Library/app does not open. So

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Answer 5

markwmsn

Level 6

15,689 points

Mar 4, 2023 12:38 PM in response to 124sport

If the standard repair tool (#1) didn't help in your case, you reject asking Apple's professionals for direct assistance (#2), and you reject reading about what helped other users in similar circumstances (#3), then you really need custom assistance from somebody for the specific problem your system has developed based either on hand-on examination or at least a lot more information than you've given us.

Absent more information, I can only offer generic suggestions.

If you use iCloud Photos and it was up to date, you can create a fresh library on your Mac, connect it to iCloud Photos, and have all your photos downloaded for you. (I'm pretty sure that trick worked back on 11.7.4, which is only a couple of years old.) Ask for details if you don't know how to do that.

If you have a robust backup system (which everybody should), you could restore the library from a point before the failure.

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Answer 6

124sport Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 5, 2023 4:20 AM in response to léonie

I have no idea where it’s stored….it is wherever Apple stores it by default. As far as I know it’s the little icon on the bottom toolbar. Didn’t do anything. After this happened I did do the last major update to Big Sur thinking that might help but it did not change.

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