Missing photos since update

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Level 1

9 points

Missing photos since update

I updated to Sierra yesterday. After which, I returned to editing the new photos I just took, which had already been uploaded pre-update. When I opened up Photos to do so, I noticed that at least 80% of my photos had thumbnails with a grey triangle and an exclamation point. Once clicked on, some of the photos would show up. However the thumbnail remained as this triangle when i returned to the folder. I have tried to repair the library (⌘⌥ while opening) but that hasn't worked. I will add that I haven't used iPhoto since the last update so I don't think that has anything to do with this since several of these photos were imported straight from the source to Photos.

Can anyone help? I need to make sure I have access to these photos.

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011)

Posted on Oct 4, 2016 4:19 PM

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Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Oct 4, 2016 5:07 PM in response to jkelly.114

what did you upgrade from? Have you recently done any disk clean up or run any cleanup software like CleanMyMac?

If you rotatate one and then rotate it back does that fix it? Can you export one of these photos (file menu ==> export)?

LN

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Answer 2

jkelly.114 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 4, 2016 5:36 PM in response to LarryHN

First of all, you're amazing. Thank you so much.

Now on to answering your questions and telling you what worked. I upgraded from El Capitan to Sierra. Yes I had recently run a clean up software. I rotated one and low and behold it fixed all of the photos. Could you tell me why this worked? Would it be a better idea not to use the clean up software in the future? Or should I just expect this problem if i do?

Once again, thank you so much for restoring my photos and a little bit more of my sanity. 🙂

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Oct 4, 2016 7:08 PM in response to jkelly.114

Great

Yes clean up software is not needed and often causes major problems - in fact you need to verify that your original photo rel=solution is still OK - you may have destroyed your library by replacing the masters with low resolution versions using clean up software - if you did the only solution is to restore a backup from before the clean up software destroyed your photos

And as to future use - very simple - no clean up software is needed and none is safe - get rid of it

And you can select larger groups of photos (up to around 1000 is they are locally stored) and do the rotate and unrotated them to greatly speed the process

LN

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Answer 4

Oct 6, 2016 2:00 PM in response to LarryHN

Hey!

I have the same exact problem, I tried selecting all the photos, rotating them, and again, and again (so they're back to their original rotation) and the photo thumbnails still show up in a large grey triangle and an exclamation mark in the middle!

What could I possibly do to fix this issue?

I have 45,000 photos/videos.

Thank You

Mike

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Answer 5

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Oct 6, 2016 2:27 PM in response to mikechehab

Exact same problem? Exact same solution - restore your backup from before you ran the cleanup software and get rid of the cleanup software - it is not needed and is dangerous

As posted

the only solution is to restore a backup from before the clean up software destroyed your photos

And as to future use - very simple - no clean up software is needed and none is safe - get rid of it

LN

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Answer 6

Oct 6, 2016 2:32 PM in response to LarryHN

Okay, LN.

I will try that!

Thank you!

Sidenote* before attempting to resort to the solution you offered, I seemed to have found a simple workaround that I think would work, and I am saying I think because It is still processing.

Simply what I did is i clicked on Photos inside the Photos App, and then i zoomed out entirely while inside the photos section, and it sorted all my photos according the Years, and I remained on 2016, having the photos app concentrated on that section, i then slowly started to see the thumbnails reappearing, for that section of my photos, 2016.

I think this is a possible workaround, it will take sometime and I will leave my photos app open overnight, to see if it fixes it by the morning!

What do you think? Thank you LN!

Best regards,

Mike

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Answer 7

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Oct 6, 2016 3:44 PM in response to mikechehab

No idea - if you have the exact same problem then that is not the solution - if you have a different problem it might be - that is why i is best to always start a new thread and include your detailed information so your problem is addressed

LN

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Answer 8

Oct 7, 2016 7:08 AM in response to LarryHN

Hello. I have kind of the same problem. Since upgrading from El Capitan to Sierra about 24 photos are missing from the Photos app on my 2015 Macbook. I have tried to select and rotate them each apart and all together at once, but no solution. What do I do now, can anyone help, please?

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