AnotherPatrick

Q: New iMac, photo library can't open

Hi,

 

I bought a new iMac (21,5 inch late 2015, 2,8 GHz Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, everything updated) and used the migrate assistent to transfer my old iMac (21,5 inch mid 2010, 3,2 GHz Core i3, 1 TB HDD, everything updated) to my new iMac. I used my time machine backup.

 

Everything seems in order, except for my photo library. It doesn't open and says it needs to repair my library. It stops at 95% and says it can't open my library.

 

The photo library still opens on my old iMac . I'm not sure I dare to repair that library (command + option + open photos) because if that fails, I'm afraid I will lose that library too. My time machine is now connected to my new iMac. and I actually sold my old iMac, so time is running out.

 

I also use iCloud as an extra backup, so I tried to open the Photo app on iCloud.com, but that also failed to open. I can still access my photo's on iCloud with my iPhone and iPad.

 

My old iMac info displays: 485,87 GB for 17.669 items

My new iMac info displays: 467,18 GB for 17.669 items

 

Does anybody know what I can do?

 

Thanks

Patrick

Posted on Jan 1, 2016 1:16 AM

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Q: New iMac, photo library can't open

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  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Jan 1, 2016 6:21 AM in response to AnotherPatrick
    Level 10 (84,585 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Jan 1, 2016 6:21 AM in response to AnotherPatrick

    One way it to create a new library on the new mac, designate it as the system library, log into iCLoud and turn on iCloud Photo Library and let it download everything from ICPL

     

    this will not keep projects or smart albums

     

     

    to keep everything connect the two systems together and drag the Photos library intact from the old system to the pictures folder of the new system ( you can use an external hard drive formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) to do this also) and launch Photos on the new system

     

    LN

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Jan 1, 2016 6:21 AM in response to AnotherPatrick
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Jan 1, 2016 6:21 AM in response to AnotherPatrick
    The photo library still opens on my old iMac . I'm not sure I dare to repair that library (command + option + open photos) because if that fails, I'm afraid I will lose that library too. My time machine is now connected to my new iMac. and I actually sold my old iMac, so time is running out.

    I would try to make a copy of the original Photos Library from your old Mac on an external drive  and then connect this drive to your new Mac and  try to repair this copy.

    The drive must not be a volume used with Time Machine. The file system should be MacOS Extended Journaled and the "Ignore Ownership" flag should be set as described here: iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users

     

    Did your old Mac already sync with iCloud Photo Library?  if yes, do you have "Optimize Mac Storage" enabled on your old Mac? Then the restored Time Machine version of your Photos Library will not contain the original image files and you need to download the originals from iCloud anyway as Larry described.  If your iCloud Photo Library has been syncing with the old Mac, your albums, smart albums, titles, captions, keywords, searchable faces tags will transfer, only the faces thumbnails and projects will be missing.  Use Photos and iCloud Photo Library on multiple Mac computers - Apple Support

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Jan 1, 2016 2:32 AM in response to LarryHN
    Level 10 (106,848 points)
    iLife
    Jan 1, 2016 2:32 AM in response to LarryHN
    this will not keep projects or smart albums

    Larry, just a note: smart albums do sync between Macs from Cloud Photo Library, it only the iOS devices where the smart albums do not show, because Photos iOS does not support smart albums. The more annoying omission is when syncing Macs with ICPL is that the faces thumbnails do not sync.

  • by AnotherPatrick,

    AnotherPatrick AnotherPatrick Jan 1, 2016 6:21 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2016 6:21 AM in response to léonie

    Thank you léonie and Larry, I really appreciate your help.

     

    I started making a copy on an external HDD, but that takes over 6 hours (USB 2.0). But since I don't think I use any smart albums, I just started with a new library and I am now downloading my photo's from iCloud. Just now my pictures start appearing on my new iMac, I couldn't be more happier right now! Thanks!!

     

    Also, for the first time since the iCloud library beta came online, my iCloud library can now be accessed via iCloud.com. It never came past the preparing stage, it has been like that for months.

     

    Last few years the use of applications for photos on my iMac became more confusing for me. I see I still have the iPhoto library on my iMac too. Never realized I could delete that library. Should save a lot of data.

     

    btw I was not using "optimize mac storage"

     

    Thanks again!!