Photos 5.0 is constantly hanging on Catalina 10.15.7 on my Mac Book Pro when I try to move edited photos. What to do?

Question

Photos 5.0 is constantly hanging on Catalina 10.15.7 on my Mac Book Pro when I try to move edited photos. What to do?

I have already tried creating a new Photos Library with about ten different pics and then editing a couple of them. Only the edited ones created the hang issue; the rest were movable as usual.

Side note: I updated my MacBook Pro a couple months ago to Catalina, which is when the problem began, but I only discovered yesterday that it was related to edited photos only.

In my primary iCloud-connected Photos Library, it seems to be stuck on uploading at 544 items. I am tracking it now but haven't seen it move since noting the number yesterday.

I have Photos set to "Download Originals to this Mac" because I have a ton of space and new memory, and because I hoped this would solve the hang problem.

I assume one problem is that Photos is stuck in the uploading process, but I don't know how to find it or fix it.

Help! I have graduation and vacation photos to share and just can't deal with doing it all from my iPhone 12 mini!

Thanks so much.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 30, 2023 3:02 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Aug 31, 2023 3:32 PM in response to léonie

I am not using a 3rd party extension/app. I am simply editing within the Photos app -- things like cropping, choosing a Live photo, adjusting shadows. In my test with the new Library, I only cropped and that was enough to stall it.

Note that when I've edited a Live photo, Photos is now freezing those photos (i.e., nothing happens when I pass my cursor over the Live play arrow). I can't do anything with the photo again until I revert it to the original photo.

I deleted all five photos (plus one short video someone texted me) from the "Unable to Upload" folder (all photos were .png screenshots), then paused and resumed uploading (also quit and reopened Photos). So far it's still saying 544 to upload.

The only other thing I can think of that may be an issue here is that I have an Apple ID message popping up daily saying, "Update Apple ID Settings: Some account services will not be available until you sign in again." I don't know what account services this refers to, but when I initially went to sign out, the messaging scared me, and I canceled. I knew all my photos had not been uploaded and thought that needed to happen before I should log out, and I didn't know the status of my instruction for them to be stored locally, as I'd restored my entire computer to a new hard drive.

Thank you for your help, léonie! I saw your original responses to a previous very similar question and followed your advice there to get me to here.

Reply

Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Sep 1, 2023 6:15 AM in response to valleycatmama

It is difficult to suggest something, but the first thing to fix would be to check your AppleID settings. Are you seeing the message "Update Apple ID Settings - Some account services will not be available until you sign in again" on the Mac or the iPhone?

You do not necessarily have to sign out of iCloud - on the iPhone it should suffice to open the Settings app and tap on Update Apple ID Settings. Tap Continue. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted to do so. usually the message should go away, once you enter the password.

Only, if you are in loop with repeated requests to update Apple ID Settings, consider to sign out of iCloud in the in the System Preferences and sign in again. But do not turn off iCloud Photos, it would require a complete new upload to iCloud.

Also, check if you are having enough iCloud storage for the items to be uploaded. And enough free storage on your Mac to download all missing items from iCloud.

Reply

Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Aug 31, 2023 2:39 AM in response to valleycatmama

How are you editing the photos? Are you using the Adjustments in Photos or third-party photo editing extensions or external editors?

valleycatmama wrote:

..

In my primary iCloud-connected Photos Library, it seems to be stuck on uploading at 544 items. ...

ArHave you created a smart album with the rule "Photo is unable to upload" or is there a folder or album in the sidebar called "Unable to upload"?

Reply

Answer 4

Aug 31, 2023 6:37 PM in response to valleycatmama

valleycatmama wrote:

I have already tried creating a new Photos Library with about ten different pics and then editing a couple of them. Only the edited ones created the hang issue; the rest were movable as usual.

Side note: I updated my MacBook Pro a couple months ago to Catalina, which is when the problem began, but I only discovered yesterday that it was related to edited photos only.

In my primary iCloud-connected Photos Library, it seems to be stuck on uploading at 544 items. I am tracking it now but haven't seen it move since noting the number yesterday.

I have Photos set to "Download Originals to this Mac" because I have a ton of space and new memory, and because I hoped this would solve the hang problem.

I assume one problem is that Photos is stuck in the uploading process, but I don't know how to find it or fix it.

Help! I have graduation and vacation photos to share and just can't deal with doing it all from my iPhone 12 mini!

Thanks so much.

Reply

Photos 5.0 is constantly hanging on Catalina 10.15.7 on my Mac Book Pro when I try to move edited photos. What to do?

Similar questions