Photos System Library Issue for 2 Users

Question

Photos System Library Issue for 2 Users

Self and wife are separate Users on our Mac. We have each got a photo library shared in iCloud. In Photos settings mine shows as my System library. If we switch to my wife's user and try and open Photos the app doesn't open saying that the library is in use by another application. I have taken all steps to check that no other applications, in either user, are open but the message continues. Trying to open her Photos via the Option key doesn't get round this problem it clearly shows her Library as her System Photo library.

iMac (M1, 2021)

Posted on Jan 5, 2024 11:29 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

203,527 points

Jan 7, 2024 12:50 AM in response to M0ndayTuesday

You wrote: "We have each got a photo library shared in iCloud".

Does that mean, both of you have enabled the option Photos > Settings > Shared Library?

Are you both using different AppleIDs for iCloud?

Which System version is running on your Mac?

One problem with a System Photos Library is, that is can be in use by the background processes, launched by Photos, as long as we are signed into our user account, even after we quit Photos. Do not just switch users, log out of both accounts, then sign back into her user account and try again to open her Photos Library.

If this still does not help, restart the Mac before trying to access her Photos Library.

Mark has already asked for the location of your Photos Libraries and if they are on the local or an external volume. Please tell us also the folder, where you are keeping them.

The best location would be the Pictures folder in your home folders. Do not use the folder /Users/Shared", and if you are using iCloud Drive, do not put the Photos Libraries on any folder synced with iCloud Drive, for example the Desktop or the Documents folder, if they are syncing with iCloud Drive.

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

203,527 points

Jan 8, 2024 12:26 PM in response to M0ndayTuesday

For the time being, log off before switching to your wife's user account, as it is working this way.

And you may want to send a bug report to Apple using the feedback form, so Apple will be aware of this problem and fix it.

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Answer 3

Jan 7, 2024 4:46 AM in response to léonie

Thank you for your questions and suggestions. The following describes my set up

M1 iMac 4 port 2021 model with 1Tb of internal memory

System Sonoma 14.1.2

2 separate users with their own AppleID

2 separate photo Libraries both on external SSD as 1Tb of internal not big enough!

Photos iCloud set to store originals on the iMac

Shared Library created by me, Mrs using as invited 'member'.

Problem is overcome by logging out and then Mrs logging back in.

So far cannot find a situation where both users can be open and have Photos open without encountering this problem.

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

203,527 points

Jan 7, 2024 7:29 AM in response to M0ndayTuesday

On macOS Sonoma I can have Photos open from two different user accounts on the same Mac, as long as they are not using the same library. But I disabled iCloud Photos in the second user account.

As you both are using the same Shared iCloud Photos Library, your Photos Libraries are no longer independent, a they try to access the same shared library. This may be causing the problems.

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