Level 1

41 points

Photos for Mac, stuck on "updating" trying to upload to iCloud Photos Library

Hardware

Late 2013 MacBook Pro Retina
2.6 GHz Intel Core i5
8GB RAM
Intel Iris Graphics

Software

Yosemite 10.10.3
Photos (latest release that is on Mac Appstore as of 2015-04-10)

Problem

Uploading status of Photos to iCloud Photo Library seems to be stuck at "Updating". No change of progress bar despite hooking up my Mac through wired ethernet for 24 hours.

I've tried turning off Photos in iCloud settings and then turning them back on. Restting, shutting down, all that stuff. No photos are populating on my iCloud Photo Library from my Mac as far as I can tell. Not even 1.

My Upgrade Process

Downloaded Photos Update
OPTION + CMD opened Photos app
Selected my iPhoto Library on an external USB 3.0 drive
Photos started converting the library

Photos library finished converting

I then tried to enable iCloud Photos Library, but it advised that only the System Photos Library can be used with iCloud.
I then changed my System Photos Library to the one on my harddrive.
I now am able to successfully enable iCloud Photos Library on the Photos App.

Again the problem I am having is that the uploading status seems to be forever stuck at "Updating" in the Photos App.

Anyone with similar problems? Anyone found a fix / work around?

Supporting Screenshots

iCloud Settings in Photos App

iCloud Settings in System Preferences

System Prefs > iCloud > Options Pane

Posted on Apr 10, 2015 8:36 AM

Top-ranking reply

yepster

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Nov 5, 2017 9:40 PM

I've had this problem at least 4 or 5 times now. My system photos library is on an encrypted external disk. I tried several methods over the years, varying from reboot, to completely disabling icloud photos and keeping a copy on the disk, then enabling it again. (this required me to upgrade to a 1TB icloud subscription, even though I now do not require more than 200GB). All very time consuming, confusion and frustrating. You could argue: why not put the photos on the internal disk, but this disk space is an internal SSD and thus limited in both size and write cycles for lifetime.

Today it was solved much easier, using the killing cloudphotosd described in one of the first replies in this long thread:

stopping the Photos app
and then killing the 'cloudphotosd' process (not kill -9 but kill -TERM was enough)
watch activity monitor, about one minute ~40% cpu and disk activity from the automatically restarted cloudphotosd
open Photos app - still updating...
repeated 1-3 - now cloudphotosd didn't take much cpu and no unusual disk activity
opened Photos app - 'downloading 16 photos' and now '17924 Photos, 1414 Videos - Updated Just Now'

Knowledge gained:

don't need to reboot
don't need to disable icloud photos and reenabling/downloading all photos
the size of the library (17K photos) is not the cause for a multi day long 'Updating' status - in my case above sync/download of new photos took only minutes.

Sorry for duplicates - I didn't read all 16 pages.

View in context

239 replies

May 26, 2017 12:33 AM in response to jordy_s

Thank you ... my MacBook was updating all of yesterday, it had uploaded a photo from 9:33am and nothing since. Still doing it this morning. So I just rebooted, went into Photos and, ta-daa, all photos that I took yesterday are there.

Just goes to show, switching off and switching on again still works!!!!!

SNRam

Level 1

4 points

Aug 16, 2017 1:48 AM in response to nickgnyc

I can't fix this even with re-boot. I have trie preparing the library, killing Photos app, killing photos agent and rebooting. None of it works. Useless software How has

can it be to build simple synchronisation software that actually works?

G.Lenn Author

Level 1

41 points

Apr 10, 2015 8:50 AM in response to G.Lenn

There was a new update available this morning. (General Software Update in the Mac App Store)

Updated downloaded and installed
Rebooted Mac
Opened Photos App
iCloud Photos Library was unchecked
I re-enabled it

Seems to be working!

🙂

Apr 13, 2015 12:48 AM in response to G.Lenn

I have the exact same problem. Well, almost exact the same. The only difference is that sometimes it is stuck in 'updating', sometimes in 'preparing', sometimes in 'uploading xxxx items', etc. It isn't doing anything. The same happens on my iOS devices. I tried everything I could find on the web, log out, log in, turn off, turn on again, re-boot, install all the newest software, etc. It is the most frustrating experience I ever had with Apple. I can't believe this. I bought sufficient iCloud storage, and am using all sort of Apple devices and services since years. I have absolutely no idea what the problem is, and am very close to simply ignoring this service.

jordy_s

Level 1

9 points

Apr 13, 2015 2:02 AM in response to G.Lenn

Same problem here. The solution G.Lenn posted isn't working for me. I don't have an update ready in the App Store. My Photos version is 1.0 (209.52.0). Can you tell me what's yours?

My iPhone and iPad are syncing fine. It's Photos for Mac witch isn't updating anymore. Result: Library's out of sync.

Photos for Mac, stuck on Updating...

Fully synced library on iPhone ("Zojuist bijgewerkt" is Dutch for "Just updated")

jordy_s

Level 1

9 points

Apr 13, 2015 2:22 AM in response to jordy_s

Okay, this is stupid. A simple reboot seems to have fixed my problem.

Like G.Lenn, I also have my Photos library stored on an external USB 3.0 drive (WD My Passport Ultra 2gb). Maybe the problem occurs when the disk spins down. I have read WD doesn't respect the Energy Saving settings.

But problem solved! Just reboot your Mac and all is fixed 😉

MShoup

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2015 9:31 AM in response to G.Lenn

Mine keeps unchecking the icloud photos library selection in photos app preferences therefore uploading stops.

Apr 13, 2015 9:43 AM in response to MacFriend

I got it to work after multiple login/logouts, reboots etc. One possible problem was that for whatever reason I was logged into iCloud with iCloud.com instead of mac.com, which I prefer. I don't know what the ultimate reason/solution was. But for the first time in years I was reminded of my Windows days. This wasn't a pleasant experience. Anyway, it's working now – but it's slow like ****. I suppose my 2,000 images test library will be uploaded by tomorrow ...

Apr 13, 2015 2:17 PM in response to MacFriend

I have this problem too..... It appears to be loading for an hour or 2. Then it stops and unchecks the iCloud Photo library. I have been trying for 3 days to get it to work. I have rebooted, installed all updates, increased my cloud storage etc to no avail.

In addition photos keep reappearing that I have deleted

Totally at a loss as to what else to try.

Right now unusable.

I have 5000 plus photos so not sure if that causing the issue.

Apr 13, 2015 2:45 PM in response to G.Lenn

Same problem here. Photos stuck on updating. I have tried rebooting and logging out of icloud.com. i don't see an update of Photos available. I have version 1.0

CaneZMD

Level 1

49 points

Apr 13, 2015 3:35 PM in response to G.Lenn

This is most definitely NOT solved. I have 37,000 photos. I'm stuck at 33,000 left to upload.

I have tried pause and restart the upload, open and close the program, and restarting my iMac.

It's useless.

This Photos program and it's cloud is completely broken and mostly useless.

nickgnyc

Level 1

9 points

Apr 13, 2015 4:34 PM in response to G.Lenn

I have the same issue. A reboot solves the problem... but a reboot every time I wish to update my library is not a proper solution...

Apr 14, 2015 4:19 AM in response to G.Lenn

I Solved the problem I was having with Photos for Mac being hung up on "updating". Simoly sign off from iCloud (within system preferences on the Mac) and then sign back in. immediately my photos started the (slow) process of uploading with feedback that something was happening. About 6 hours later all was synced across devices. I even tried testing incremental changes to Mac photos and device photos and all changes were immediately recognized across devices.

Apr 14, 2015 8:27 AM in response to kennethfromshort hills

Glad it worked for you.

I just tried it and it did not work for me, still quits and unchecks the iCloud photo library box after and hour or so.

I have 5002 photos in photos.

The number displayed, as uploading, changes every few minutes from in the hundreds to thousands sometimes exceeding the number I actually have.

The cloud process "cloudd" seems to be sending data but quits and gives up after an hour or so.

Apr 14, 2015 9:39 AM in response to kennethfromshort hills

Ken, how many photos did you have to upload? I have 5,000 and its slowly uploaded about 600 so far in two days.

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Photos for Mac, stuck on "updating" trying to upload to iCloud Photos Library