Photos Library unable to "Repair Library Permissions" after recent Sonoma 14.1 update

A Photos Library can not be used on a networked or cloud drive. A Photos Library will not work in iCloud Drive. As Photos warns you, you should move the Library back to the Pictures folder.

If you need to use an external drive, that's OK as long as it is connected by wire. But the drive must be formatted in either APFS format or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Additionally, the drive can not have had Time Machine on it since it was formatted. There have been so many problems with using incompatible drives that now the newest macOSs won't even allow a Library on a non-Mac formatted drive to open, since there is a chance of damaging the Photos database. See this:

Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support

Hi. I just encountered the same problem. None of the above answers were very explicit, but I figured it out from piecing together the info. Odds are the library is on icloud or somewhere else where it can't be found. Mine, it turned out, had somehow migrated to the desktop on icloud. Once I moved it back to the pictures folder on my MacAir, all my photos magically reappeared!

This is a typical problem, if the Photos Library is in a location, where Photos does not have the full access to the library. The library Chooser dialog will not offer a library, that Photos cannot access.

Where is your Photos Library stored? Are you keeping it in your Pictures folder, the best place for a library.

Or is the library on your Desktop or in the Documents folder? The library must not be on the Desktop or in Documents, if these folders are syncing with iCloud Drive. It cannot be anywhere on iCloud Drive or in a DropBox folder, or even in Users/Shared.

This is the error response I get from repair library - “Photos Library” is in iCloud Drive, and needs to be moved to a folder on your Mac to open.

Launch Photos with the Option key held down and in the Choose Library window select your library and the location will be shown just below the selection window.

Do you have any external drives connected to your iMac?

Please read the following user tip and restate your question/problem in detail: 

     Writing an Effective Apple Support Communities Question - Apple Community

What model and year is your Mac?

What system version are your running?

Where is the library located? If on an external drive how is the drive formatted and connected to your Mac?

Have you installed and run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your Mac?

The Photos Library is usually kept in the user's Pictures folder.

iCloud Drive is usually in the Finder's sidebar,

Click and drag the Photos Library from iCloud Drive to the Pictures folder.

That should work. Let us know...

same I have 1T PLUS worth of photos well organized in the photos app. When I try to open the library after the most recent update it says "Repair Library Permissions." ...."The photo library is locked or you do not have permissions to make changes to it. Photos can try to repair the permissions." I am then given the option to quit or repair. If I click "repair" then it allegedly repairs, gets to 100%, and stays there forever. I went into get info, changing permissions, all permissions are granted.

This is a disaster if I can't get these photos. I have a backup but if this update prevents me from viewing them it's pointless.

Is there a fix...........I shut all down for 1 hr ......started up again......all was loading......got photos back...yey..then erased 1 item and lost it again......What is happening....help.......Robert

Often, if you don't see the solution in a thread, it may be best to open a new one, since your problem may not be the same as the original poster's.

If you choose to continue this, here or in a new thread, be sure to offer information that would help. Here are some things that would be useful:

• What OS are you using? The original poster was using Sonoma.
• Are you using iCloud Photos to synchronize your devices?
• Do you synchronize an iPhone with iCloud Photos? what is its iOS?
• If you use iCloud Photos, do you have “Optimize Storage” checked in Photos’ Settings
• What models are your devices?
• Where does your Photos Library reside-- in the Pictures folder of your internal drive, or on an external drive? or on a network? on iCloud drive?

There's a lot of experience here--some may be able to help

Well, mine is an iMac 2019, 27" Retina with Sonoma 14.2.1. I have not run any cleaning etc. I'm not sure where the library is and maybe that is the problem. When I go to the Finder menu - "Home" then "Pictures", there is nothing there. This only started recently. All the pictures are on the iCloud but not accessible with the computer.

same here, library on an external harddisk for many years and many OS versions ... after the recent update to Sonoma I need to 'Repair Library Permissions ... this goes to 100% after which the library still won't open

same here, library on an external harddisk for many years and many OS versions ... after the recent update to Sonoma I need to 'Repair Library Permissions ... this goes to 100% after which the library still won't open ...

MacBook Pro 16" 2019

Sonoma (after the update, library is 'corrupt')

library on external HD, top level folder : read/write permissions ok

no special cleaning tools or whatsoever installed

Happened to me in May 2024. Apple Care was not helpful. I have all photos backed up on iCloud. But on my iMac, I had created an Album structure to work with the photos. Still can't launch Photos app. It tries to repair the permission, but no go. Can't see the solution in these exchanges...

I have this exact problem that started in the last week after upgrading to Sonoma 14.5. Still can't access phots on Mac. Other apple devices are working just the Mac is having the issue.

Repair Library does not work, goes to 100% then nothing. MacBook Pro running the M1 Max chip.

iCloud has the photos

Richard, thank you for the response. How do I move them back? Is there a specific folder that needs to be created or a new library from the 'Chose Library" screen? This is the response I get from the repair attempt "“Photos Library” is in iCloud Drive, and needs to be moved to a folder on your Mac to open" Any help would be appreciated