Photos stuck uploading to icloud - For a month

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Level 1

11 points

Photos stuck uploading to icloud - For a month

Hi,

I have a mac running El Capitan 10.11.6 (15G31). I have 10697 photos and 178 videos. I have been trying to get them to upload into iCloud for over a month. It is stuck saying Uploading 2555 items.

I have rebooted multiple times.

I have turned off iCloud and then re-turned it on, which then re-uploaded all including a few extra (it was stuck on 2600+ before this).

I have over 180gb free in the cloud.

I have setup the smart album called Unable to Upload. This did find a couple of things which I've deleted.

I've emptied my recently deleted folder.

I've left my computer on, after turning off the screen saver and sleep, and left Photo open and maximised in front all night as one thread suggested. This made no difference.

I selected one picture from bursts and deleted the rest - I think I saw that as a suggestion somewhere.

I went through all my video's and made sure they would play - I deleted a bunch of them but just because they weren't very good (how many video's of the ground does one person need ? jk)

I am out of ideas. I have plenty of room on my mac. I have plenty of room on the external drive where I keep my photo's library. I have plenty of bandwidth.

And yet - for over a month I am stuck. Photo's from my phone sync's with the cloud but does not sync with my mac. I don't know what else to try. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Do I cancel iCloud and go with a different cloud service ? If so what do people recommend ?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4)

Posted on Aug 25, 2016 3:40 AM

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Answer 1

May 22, 2017 7:28 AM in response to terrip.t1

It is year 2017 and I now habe this sane problem.

1) first it said I had referenced files - I referenced all the files i found in the smart folder. Then it still complains about two referenced files. There are no un referenced files showing in the smart folder though.

2) it said all my files maybe won't fit, forcing me to upgrade to 1tb which I just did.

3) it just sits there doing nothing

4) overnight it said photos had to close library not available or corrupt. I ran a repair and after the repair and left running overnight again no progress and no luck at all.

I can't wait for download originals to complete since Apple is locking me on to their cloud. I'm using a mac and it doesn't even work properly with icloud. Otherwise I would sync from Windows which doesn't even work either. There is only a download and upload folder on my PC. Overall this is a very bad system..

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,525 points

May 22, 2017 7:46 AM in response to ronfromtoronto

4) overnight it said photos had to close library not available or corrupt. I ran a repair and after the repair and left running overnight again no progress and no luck at all.

Stop repairing the library. overtime you run a repair, the upload will start all over from the beginning. Do not toggle iCloud Photo Library on and off. That will also start the upload of the complete library all over again.

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Aug 25, 2016 10:26 AM in response to terrip.t1

Is the progress turely zero or just very slow?

Make a new smart album )file menu ==> new smart album) for "Photo is unable to upload to iCloud Photo Library" and see what the results are

LN

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Answer 4

terrip.t1 Author

Level 1

11 points

Aug 25, 2016 4:54 PM in response to LarryHN

Hi Larry,

It is completely stopped. No movement at all for over 3 weeks and it's been open and on that whole time.

I did create that album and it found a couple of things and I deleted them and then emptied my recently deleted album/folder.

Thanks

Terri

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Aug 25, 2016 6:22 PM in response to terrip.t1

Did that help?

LN

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Answer 6

terrip.t1 Author

Level 1

11 points

Aug 26, 2016 12:58 AM in response to LarryHN

Not at all I'm afraid. Th only thing that helped slightly was turning off iCloud and turning it back on - but even then it only decreased the number by a few pictures, meanwhile it had to re-upload everything it had already done.

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Answer 7

Sep 23, 2016 5:58 AM in response to terrip.t1

I have same issue

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Answer 8

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 23, 2016 6:34 AM in response to edfromwildwood

Same issue? Same questions and suggestions!

LN

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Answer 9

Sep 23, 2016 6:44 AM in response to terrip.t1

Fixed,.....In program Photos.....then preferences.......icloud......i clicked paused for 1 day......

then I closed program

Then went to system preferences, icloud, and click off Icloud for 2 seconds, then rechecked.....boom.....it checked iphoto library and gave me error about 4 reference files......but went back to photos and everything was reloading.....

fixed ......for now. I don't know how to find those 4 reference photos......

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Answer 10

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 23, 2016 7:05 AM in response to edfromwildwood

file menu ==> new smart album -- Photo is referenced

LN

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Answer 11

terrip.t1 Author

Level 1

11 points

Sep 25, 2016 8:00 PM in response to LarryHN

I've been deleting the photo's out of my library that aren't in iCloud and have it down to the final 18. I might try the Photo is referenced idea when I get home. Thanks so much for the suggestion.

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Answer 12

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Sep 25, 2016 8:02 PM in response to terrip.t1

You are welcome

LN

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Answer 13

Jul 25, 2017 3:45 PM in response to terrip.t1

Did you ever figure out how to fix this?

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