User profile for user: CALadybug79
CALadybug79 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Restoring a photo library on MacAir

I have a MacAir running maxOS Catalina 10.15.7. It’s our first Mac and has pictures from our iphone4-7. I enjoy looking at the kids baby pictures. Well I opened up Photos from File or Finder and the message read “You are opening the Photo Library for the first time. Are you sure you want to open this library?”

That was a huge mistake as it opened up the current photo library from my iCloud and over wrote all the old photos on the Mac HD (I assume since I can’t find them). I didn’t use Time Machine. Is there a way to get the old photos back?!?! I am sick to my stomach thinking I have lost 6 key years of my children’s life (the cute one 5-11y.o) PLEASE help me.

Posted on Feb 12, 2024 11:34 PM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
200,759 points

Posted on Feb 12, 2024 11:57 PM

Photos does not overwrite existing Photos Libraries, it is just switching between libraries.


Try this:

  • Quit Photos, if it is running.
  • Then hold down the options key ⌥ while you are launching Photos again.
  • Keep holding down ⌥ firmly, until you are seeing the dialog to select a Photos Library.
  • Now look at the list of libraries and try them all in turn. is there more than one library? Does one of them hold the missing pictures?


You wrote "as it opened up the current photo library from my iCloud " .

How have you been using iCloud? Do you have another Mac or another Apple device syncing with iCloud Photos?

Where have you been storing your Photos Libraries? In your Pictures folder or did you move them somewhere else?


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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
200,759 points

Feb 12, 2024 11:57 PM in response to CALadybug79

Photos does not overwrite existing Photos Libraries, it is just switching between libraries.


Try this:

  • Quit Photos, if it is running.
  • Then hold down the options key ⌥ while you are launching Photos again.
  • Keep holding down ⌥ firmly, until you are seeing the dialog to select a Photos Library.
  • Now look at the list of libraries and try them all in turn. is there more than one library? Does one of them hold the missing pictures?


You wrote "as it opened up the current photo library from my iCloud " .

How have you been using iCloud? Do you have another Mac or another Apple device syncing with iCloud Photos?

Where have you been storing your Photos Libraries? In your Pictures folder or did you move them somewhere else?


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Restoring a photo library on MacAir

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