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

Photos Backup not Transferring to New External Hard Drive

Hello!


So I keep my Photos Library on an external hard drive among other important files, and that entire drive is backed up via Time Machine to a separate external hard drive. Recently the drive with my Photos library on it failed. I purchased a new drive and went to restore all the data from the failed drive onto the new drive, using the Time Machine backup.


All of the other important files transferred successfully onto the new drive from the backup, but the Photos Library would not transfer. I received this error: "The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “Photos Library” can’t be read or written. (Error code -36)".


I've to transfer several times, with several versions of the backup going back 2-3 months, but I get the same message each time. I've tried transferring to a different external, in case there was a formatting issue, and received the same error. Any advice on getting this folder transferred? For reference the Photos Library is ~250gb.


This library is basically my entire life of personal photos, and I'd be pretty devastated if it was gone. I thought I had several fail safes set up, but am pretty concerned that I might lose my wedding photos, parents, etc. Any help or advice would be incredibly appreciated! My specs are below! Let me know if you need any other information.


2021 MacBook Pro 16"

Apple M1 Pro

MacOS: 13.3.1 (a)

Failed External HD: Lacie 8tb (Mac OS Extended (Journaled))

Backup External HD: Seagate 8tb (Mac OS Extended (Journaled))

New External HD: SanDisk G-Drive 6tb (APFS)



MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Jun 29, 2023 7:43 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: steve626
steve626
User level: Level 6
16,459 points

Posted on Jun 30, 2023 3:31 PM

Have you tried restoring the Photos Library from the Time Machine interface? You showed a Finder copy error in your post. Makes me wonder if you tried to recover from Time Machine.


As a last resort, you can use the Finder to recover ALL your photos by brute force. This is usually very quick. Open the backed up Photos Library by perusing your latest Time Machine backup with the Finder. When you find the Photos Library (it is usually in your Pictures folder), right click on the Library (or Option-click), and select Show Package Contents.


Then look for a large folder, it is usually called Originals (it might be called Masters). It will be much larger than any other folder. Choose View =>Show View Options => Calculate All Sizes to show the size of each folder listed.


You can create a new Photos Library by holding down the option key when you start up Photos. Then import that Originals folder, which will import into the new Library all your photos. This will bring them in as if they were just taken on a camera, there will not be any of the labels or albums or other criteria you previously created for them in your old Library, but you will recover all the photos, and they will have the meta data (e.g. date, time, location, camera details, etc.). This is not ideal but it does bring back all the photos, weddings, parents, personal life etc.

View in context

Similar questions

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: steve626
steve626
User level: Level 6
16,459 points

Jun 30, 2023 3:31 PM in response to baldwints

Have you tried restoring the Photos Library from the Time Machine interface? You showed a Finder copy error in your post. Makes me wonder if you tried to recover from Time Machine.


As a last resort, you can use the Finder to recover ALL your photos by brute force. This is usually very quick. Open the backed up Photos Library by perusing your latest Time Machine backup with the Finder. When you find the Photos Library (it is usually in your Pictures folder), right click on the Library (or Option-click), and select Show Package Contents.


Then look for a large folder, it is usually called Originals (it might be called Masters). It will be much larger than any other folder. Choose View =>Show View Options => Calculate All Sizes to show the size of each folder listed.


You can create a new Photos Library by holding down the option key when you start up Photos. Then import that Originals folder, which will import into the new Library all your photos. This will bring them in as if they were just taken on a camera, there will not be any of the labels or albums or other criteria you previously created for them in your old Library, but you will recover all the photos, and they will have the meta data (e.g. date, time, location, camera details, etc.). This is not ideal but it does bring back all the photos, weddings, parents, personal life etc.

Reply

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Photos Backup not Transferring to New External Hard Drive

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