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

1 - start your own thread - this thread is years old and was solved over two years ago

2 - since your problem is with different software than this thread and according to you is the reverse issue a new thread is critical

3 - read this article for help in writing a good questions that can be answered - Writing an effective Apple Support Communities question

LN

stephenfromsollihullJun 19, 2016 6:03 AM in response to G.Lenn

Jun 19, 2016 6:03 AM Re: Photos for Mac, stuck on "updating" trying to upload to iCloud Photos Libraryin response to G.Lenn

'I solved my issue which sounds similar to yours you people are having but closing Photos.

Then opening activity monitor and searching for photo, force quit all what the search shows up. It will repopulate with them again then open photos. Preferences and tick iCloud library. Then mine started to populate and download correctly.'

I rebooted after force quitting all processes photos related and then opened Photos app, updating was instant.

Hi All,

Can see this is and old feed, but I've just had the same problem.

There were a few issues with my iCloud account, which meant that my iCloud thought that the photos on my mac where not in the cloud, and wanted to sync them again, meaning I did not have enough space.

The way I got round this was to delete my Photo library. Then when trying to download all the photos again, it got stuck on "updating" - This, I think, is due to a corrupt file in the Photos library.

So what I suggest is to:

• Delete photo library (again in my case)
  • make sure your pics are backed up - you could rename "Photos.old"
  • Note - an empty library should be >10mb
• Open Photos and select to "create new library"
• Then close Photos
• Pressing the option key open Photos and select the library you just created
• Enter into settings and select "Use as System Photo Library"
• Let it download - I saw photos instantly after this, depends on internet

Hope this helps. Rebooting between steps can help too.

S

See what I posted earlier!

Hi All,

Can see this is and old feed, but I've just had the same problem.

There were a few issues with my iCloud account, which meant that my iCloud thought that the photos on my mac where not in the cloud, and wanted to sync them again, meaning I did not have enough space.

The way I got round this was to delete my Photo library. Then when trying to download all the photos again, it got stuck on "updating" - This, I think, is due to a corrupt file in the Photos library.

So what I suggest is to:

• Delete photo library (again in my case)
  • make sure your pics are backed up - you could rename "Photos.old"
  • Note - an empty library should be >10mb
• Open Photos and select to "create new library"
• Then close Photos
• Pressing the option key open Photos and select the library you just created
• Enter into settings and select "Use as System Photo Library"
• Let it download - I saw photos instantly after this, depends on internet

Hope this helps. Rebooting between steps can help too.

S

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:

1. stopping the Photos app
2. and then killing the 'cloudphotosd' process (not kill -9 but kill -TERM was enough)
3. watch activity monitor, about one minute ~40% cpu and disk activity from the automatically restarted cloudphotosd
4. open Photos app - still updating...
5. repeated 1-3 - now cloudphotosd didn't take much cpu and no unusual disk activity
6. 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.

Force quit worked for me.

Close Photos.

Open Apps/Util/Activity Monitor

Search for "photo"

Select each one at a time - click the "X" icon at the top (force quit)

Photo processes should restart by themselves. Open photos, your status at the bottom of photos will re-sync eventually. Large albums are very slow to update.

i have this issue in reverse ... USUALLY photos sync from iPad to Cloud to Photos (iMac) BUT since April 11 nothing from the Cloud has downloaded to Photos .. it says (as in G. Lenn's screenshots) updating ... all the actions to complete this are checked but nothing happens.

I have shut down/rebooted several times - nothing changes

what else can i do?

Lucian

Sounds to me you did what I think I have to do. I've got the same problem and photo library won't upload from icloud. I have no idea what it could be, as most photos are in the library, just a few that won't load. I've tried other solutions and they don't work.

So I would just like to eliminate whatever it is the library is trying to upload, which is what I think you did. Problem is I have no idea what you did. Any chance you can walk me through it?

thanks

Gerry

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!!!!!

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?

Hey Apple,

this is a pain. I have tried on/off cloud login. Then rebuild database. And finally all started to do the upload, but after a while (days, weeks) it is finished no longer load. At the moment it is 12455 items waiting to be uploaded from my imac. The funny is all these images were once in the cloud, just sync crashed. I have a copy on my mbp, and mini where these things working. The problem is imac is may main imaging computer. How can I force Photos.app to give me correct error message for investigation?
The unclear messages already lead to upgraded my cloud for 2TB, my image library is less then 200GB. Paying more due to photos app was stupid enough not able to "upload" (better saying re-upload, and co,pare the cloud item, when not "enough" space on may desktop imac, when I have freed up 200GB then started to "upload". Now this trick no longer working... No more images, and having 250GB free space, and still "Uploading 12455 item...", but actually do nothing.)

Well written piece of software.

you can do it better - I believe.

I am having this problem recently on Mac OS 10.12.6. It is stuck synching 166 photos for the last week!! How do I fix this issue? I've rebooted my Mac several times and still appears stuck. Photos from my iPhone 8 OS 11.0.3 are NOT automatically downloading to my Mac. This is EXTREMELY frustrating.

Goodday All!

iMac late 2009, Mac OS 10.13.1. Unable to upload photos from iCloud account for months. Tried everything discussed in this forum. Sometimes I got photos to start uploading but then it failed again. My iPhone and iPad sync perfectly with iCloud, just my iMac won't complete the job.

Anyone has a bright new idea?

By the way @Apple: This issue could use some attention from your side....

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.