photos does not open

What happened, before this problem first occurred? Did you import new photos? Did you move the Photos library? Upgrade software? Install new software?

Post the first 50 lines of the crashlog, so we can see the error message.

Try repairing the database - backup your Photos library and hold down the option and command keys while launching Photos - repair the database

LN

I am unable to get Photos to fully open. I get the Photo info across the top of my screen (Photo, File, Edit, etc...) but nothing else and most options in each pulldown is not available. I get nothing.

I first noticed this about 10 days ago and thought a restart might fix it so I shut down my iMac. Some family health issues took my attention away and I forgot about it until I went to open Photos today.

iMac 10.11.1 Photos 1.2

Please, any suggestions?

Thanks

Try to find out if the problem is system wide or only happens in your user account.

Can you launch Photos, if you sign in from a different user account, for example the Guest User? (see this help page: Isolating an issue by using another user account)

• If Photos is not even working from a different user account, Photos may be incompletely installed. It can only be reinstated by reinstalling the system. Try to reinstall the system with a stable network connection by booting into recovery, see this link: OS X: About OS X Recovery
• If Photos is working well from a different user account, clear the preferences files in your Home Folder.

Delete these items from your user library in your Home folder:

Delete the complete folders - if they are there -
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.photolibraryd/
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Photos/.

Log off and on again. The files will be recreated when you try to launch Photos again. But don't try this without making a current backup of you system!Your user library may still be hidden.To reveal the hidden User Library:

• Bring the Finder forward by clicking on the Desktop or the Finder icon in the Dock.
• Select your user/home folder (with the house icon in the Finder sidebar)
• With that Finder window as the front window, press the key combination ⌘J to bring up the View options.
• In the View options panel enable ’Show Library Folder’. That will make your user library folder visible in your Home folder.
• Open your Home folder, then the Library folder, then Containers.
• Move the complete folder ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Photos/ to your desktop. Move the entire folder, not just the contents.
• Remove ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Photos.plist as well, if it exists.

Restart the mac, after you removed the items, then try again to open your Photos library and see, if Photos now will launch correctly.

This did it. I could open Photos as a different user so I followed your directions and deleted the files as you outlined. BINGO. It looks fine right now.

Thanks much.

Horace

You're welcome, Horace 🙂