Icloud photos not uploading

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14 points

Icloud photos not uploading

Hello all

I was hoping someone could help. I have called Apple support, gone to the genius bar, but to no avail.

I have a library of ~10,000 photos, I recently purchased 200gb of storage to upload my photos.

When using photos and I start to upload, it all looks like it's going well and says 11,000 item to upload - so far so good.

Then after a while, it says that about 9,000 photos are unable to be uploaded. I am using el Capitan, and most of the photos (particularly the recent ones) have been taken with iphone so I'm assuming it can't be a compatibility problem.

Does anyone have any ideas - you're my last hope.

Thanks

Paul

MacBook Pro

Posted on Nov 30, 2015 12:07 PM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Nov 30, 2015 12:29 PM in response to paul123_p

Then after a while, it says that about 9,000 photos are unable to be uploaded. I am using el Capitan, and most of the photos (particularly the recent ones) have been taken with iphone so I'm assuming it can't be a compatibility problem.

Does anyone have any ideas - you're my last hope.

What advice did Apple Support already give you?

Then after a while, it says that about 9,000 photos are unable to be uploaded.

Where are you seeing this message? In the Photos > Preferences > iCloud panel? Or in the Browser in Photos?

Try to identify the photos that cannot upload to iCloud Photo Library.

You can do that by creating a smart album with the rule "Photo is unable to upload".

File > New Smart Album:

If this album is not empty, open the info panel for one of the photos. And try to export it, so you can open it in another application to see, if the file is corrupted.

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Answer 2

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Nov 30, 2015 1:29 PM in response to léonie

Thanks for your prompt response, much appreciated.

Apple support pretty much just re-imported my iphoto library a few times using a few different methods, the problem is that when on the phone/in the Apple store when importing it all starts when with the right item count but after a few hours is when it drops.

The message is at the bottom of the browser in photos. In preferences, the number just reduces as the files that can be uploaded are being uploaded (if that makes sense).

I have created a smart album with the 9,000 odd files. Which application would you recommend transferring to the check for corruption (sorry for the newbie question)?

Thanks

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Nov 30, 2015 1:50 PM in response to paul123_p

I have created a smart album with the 9,000 odd files.

The same number as in the "Cannot upload message".

Open the Info panel one of the photos in this album by selecting the photo in the album and pressing the key combination ⌘I. The Info panel should show the file name and other information. What kind of media are the items that cannot oupload? Are that photos or videos? If photos, what kind of file type? Are the photos JPEGs or a special format, that might not be supported in Photos, like PCT or BMP?

Use "File > Export" t export the file to the Desktop and then try to open it in Preview.

Also, enable all options in the "View > Metadata" menu. This way you will see badge overlays on the thumbnails. Are there any arrows on the thumbnails of the problematic items?

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Answer 4

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 1, 2015 12:27 AM in response to léonie

I've been at work all day and now that I'm home I can continue troubleshooting.

Here are two examples of the formats being used in my unable to upload album - one old photo from an old canon and one other from an iphone.

This next step has produced this error message, I can not seem to export any of my images in this folder. This may perhaps be part of the issue?

I have also added metadata but there do not seem to be any arrows indicating any other errors.

Thanks

Paul

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Dec 1, 2015 1:00 AM in response to paul123_p

Photos cannot access the original image files in the Photos library.

It might be a permissions problem or the original image files are missing, or the library is on volume that cannot be read. Where is your Photos Library stored? In the Pictures folder or on an external drive? If on an external drive, what is the file system and how is the drive connected? Are you using File Vault?

Try to search for IMG_3340 with FindAnyFile. It will show you the files inside the PhotosLibrary as well.

Download Find Any File here: The trial is free:

http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.html http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.php

If you find IMG_3340 in the Masters folder, try to copy it and to open it with Preview.

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Answer 6

paul123_p Author

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14 points

Dec 1, 2015 1:27 AM in response to léonie

So this is where the photo libraries are stored - 3 photo libraries and the iphoto library. No external drives selected. Photos library 2 is the system library used as it is the only library which splits out my events as albums as they were in iphoto. The other libraries don't seem to import the events properly.

Here is what findanyfile found:

I have also managed to open the file successfully in Preview.

Thanks

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Dec 1, 2015 2:14 AM in response to paul123_p

And is "Photos Library Copy", where FindAnyFile found the original file the library that is currently open in Photos and uploading as iCloud Photo Library?

I have also managed to open the file successfully in Preview.

So the image files are readable.

First repair the permissions on your home folder:

See Linc Davis's post how to reset the home folder permissions and access control lists. In your case "Step 2" should suffice.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6587728?answerId=26800021022#26800021022

Test if now the photos can be found inside the ibrary by Photos.

If not, try to repair the Photos library:

See this Help page: Repair your library - Photos Help

Repairing will rebuild the library. Don't try it without making a backup copy on an external drive.

And it will start to upload the complete library again. There is no help for that.

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Answer 8

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 2, 2015 1:58 AM in response to léonie

So I'm not 100% sure I understand your first question. The system library is as below, not sure if this answers your question.

AM running the first command you recommended in the link but it seems to be taking quite a while, not sure if it's finishing. I will have to try the final option of repairing the library later when I have time as I assume it's quite time consuming.

Thanks for your help, will check back in when I get the chance.

Cheers

Paul

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Answer 9

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Dec 2, 2015 3:17 AM in response to paul123_p

Yes, that answers my question. You are currently browsing the Photos Library in your Pictures folder "Photos Library 2", but FindAnyFile found the missing original file in another Photos Library, the much larger library "Photos Library copy".

Double click the other library in your Pictures folder - "Photos Library copy" to open it in Photos and see, if the problematic photos are readable in that larger library, where FindAnyFile found the original.

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Answer 10

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 3, 2015 1:38 AM in response to léonie

OK. So the big "Photos Library Copy" seems to be where the files are actually stored as I can export the files from this library without a problem. However none of the events I have created in iPhoto since April appear in this larger library - they are only in the smaller "Photos library 2".

So all of the photos are there amongst my different libraries, but the events only seem to be in the smaller library. My problem with making the larger library the sysem library is that none of my photos from the last 6 months will be sorted into events as they are in iPhoto.

Is there a solution to my dilemma? You have been a great help so far.

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Answer 11

léonie

Level 10

194,723 points

Dec 3, 2015 1:42 AM in response to paul123_p

I Create smart albums based on adate range to substitute the events.

that works quite well.

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Answer 12

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 4, 2015 12:37 PM in response to léonie

OK, alas it seems as if I won't be able to get all my iPhoto events across in the same manner and combine them with my big photo library.

I will make the big photo library the system library and using your suggestion begin rebuilding my events with smart albums.

Thanks for your time over the past week, it's much appreciated.

Paul

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Answer 13

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 5, 2015 12:48 PM in response to paul123_p

I have had a Eureka moment which may or may not work.

If I cut my photos from the bigger library and paste them into the system library in one batch will this fix everything (ie using the "show master" option in finder)? WiIl iphoto notice if there are duplicates?

Thanks

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Answer 14

paul123_p Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 5, 2015 12:49 PM in response to léonie

I have had a Eureka moment which may or may not work.

If I cut my photos from the bigger library and paste them into the system library in one batch will this fix everything (ie using the "show master" option in finder)? WiIl iphoto notice if there are duplicates?

Thanks

Reply