User profile for user: kagsy65
kagsy65 Author
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Imac Photos app not syncing

I am running Sonoma 14.3.1 on iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019. All my settings are set for the Mac to sync to iCloud Photos, and until last week all my iphone photos appeared in the Photos App quite happily. The Mac has been switched off for a week and now there are no photos after 28th Janaury 2024 in the Mac Photos App - about 3,000 missing photos. I have checked the iPhone, and iCloud - the photos are all there and synced. The Photos app has been saying it is 'syncing with Icloud' for 3 days now. I could download manually from icloud but does anyone have any ideas what could have happened - presumably an update??

Posted on Oct 1, 2024 12:58 AM

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User profile for user: Richard.Taylor
Richard.Taylor
User level: Level 7
21,514 points

Posted on Oct 1, 2024 7:31 AM

Have you re-booted?


If that doesn't work, try re-starting in Safe Mode. his bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes. Safe Mode is different for different computers, so see this: 

           Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support 


After you try Safe Mode, be sure to start back again normally, and try there, again.


Is your Library on an external drive?  To avoid damaging the Photos Library an external 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 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


Check your storage. The Mac should have at least 10% of its hard drive free. And check the iCloud storage. Crowded is bad all around.


Let us know…

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Richard.Taylor
Richard.Taylor
User level: Level 7
21,514 points

Oct 1, 2024 7:31 AM in response to kagsy65

Have you re-booted?


If that doesn't work, try re-starting in Safe Mode. his bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes. Safe Mode is different for different computers, so see this: 

           Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support 


After you try Safe Mode, be sure to start back again normally, and try there, again.


Is your Library on an external drive?  To avoid damaging the Photos Library an external 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 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


Check your storage. The Mac should have at least 10% of its hard drive free. And check the iCloud storage. Crowded is bad all around.


Let us know…

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Imac Photos app not syncing

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