iCloud photos gone from albums and all photos?

Question

iCloud photos gone from albums and all photos?

Today I looked into my iCloud Photos albums to try and find a photo - only to discover there were only a few photos left in each album, and they had also disappeared from the 'All Photos' section. I haven't changed any settings recently, as far as I am aware, they've just gone. I've attached a Screenshot to show the issue. It is around 500 photos lost, maybe a few more or a few less, but I don't have any other copies of them due to my Mac not wanting to upload anything - since fixed without doing anything.

Previously that album had more than 100 photos in it, all gone but four? If anyone knows how to fix or restore then please help as these photos were very important to me, particularly from this album.

Jack

Mac mini (Late 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Feb 8, 2016 2:15 PM

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Answer 1

Feb 8, 2016 2:23 PM in response to Bristol Buses

Welcome to the Apple Community.

Please start by telling us your “iCloud Photo Library” and “My Photo Stream” settings on all of your devices. (Settings > Photos & Camera on your iOS device and Photos > Preferences > iCloud on your Mac)

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Answer 2

Feb 8, 2016 3:29 PM in response to Winston Churchill

For Mac:

And iPhone (iOS 9.2)

iCloud Photo Library (on)

Download and Keep Originals

Upload to My Photostream (on)

iCloud Photo Sharing (on)

All the rest are to do with camera

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Answer 3

Feb 8, 2016 3:33 PM in response to Bristol Buses

Do you see the photos at iCloud.com > photos.

Have you looked in the deleted photos album.

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Answer 4

Feb 8, 2016 3:44 PM in response to Winston Churchill

I have done both, but they are in neither.

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Answer 5

Feb 8, 2016 3:46 PM in response to Bristol Buses

Also, it says it has the originals stored on this Mac, do you know where they would be? They could be there I guess.

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Answer 6

Feb 8, 2016 3:55 PM in response to Bristol Buses

What that means is the photos on your mac are full resolution versions not thumbnails.

I don't suppose you have anymore libraries on your mac do you.

Does anyone else have access to your Apple ID.

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Answer 7

Feb 8, 2016 4:03 PM in response to Winston Churchill

I dont think I have any more libraries, it's a fairly new Mac so I haven't got much on it yet. It's only two months old (ish). Nobody else has access afaik.

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Answer 8

Feb 8, 2016 4:05 PM in response to Bristol Buses

When did you last see them.

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Answer 9

Feb 8, 2016 4:07 PM in response to Winston Churchill

I think it would be a couple of weeks, two at most I'd think.

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Answer 10

Feb 8, 2016 4:10 PM in response to Bristol Buses

That's strange because even if they had been deleted they should stay in your deleted album for 30 and possibly 40 days.

I'm not sure what else to suggest.

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Answer 11

Feb 8, 2016 4:12 PM in response to Winston Churchill

It does seem very strange, especially as I haven't even touched it, and as you say they should stay there for a while. It's also strange how it's not all, but most of them.

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Answer 12

Feb 8, 2016 4:17 PM in response to Bristol Buses

OK. Don't do anything but look at this stage, navigate to your library and ctrl-click it and select 'show package contents' and then open the masters folder. Photos should be organised by year, do you see your photos there.

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Answer 13

léonie

Level 10

194,653 points

Feb 8, 2016 4:19 PM in response to Bristol Buses

I dont think I have any more libraries, it's a fairly new Mac

I'd check that idea of Winston Churchill. Just to be sure.

Have you searched your Mac for additional Photos Libraries? If Photos cannot open a library or find it, it may create a new library, and download what is in your Photo Stream.

To check this, open a Finder Window and type into the search field "photoslibrary"
Klick "Kind: Photos Library".
Klick: This Mac

Repeat this with any external drives connected, that you recently had connected to your Mac, while working with Photos. Sometimes it happens, that Photos opens an older library on an attached backup drive instead of the regular library.

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Answer 14

Feb 8, 2016 4:27 PM in response to léonie

I don't have any other Photos Libraries after trying that, and I tried the Masters folder idea too. HOwever, I have found 90 of the photos in an iCloud shared stream, bbut I'm still missing quite a few.

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Answer 15

Feb 8, 2016 4:29 PM in response to Bristol Buses

Do you have any other shared albums. Photos that are in shared albums only won't show up in Photos or All Photos.

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