High Sierra Photos app stuck updating

Question

Level 1

22 points

High Sierra Photos app stuck updating

I have just upgraded macOS to High Sierra from Sierra. In Sierra, all my photo in iPhone sync perfectly with my MacBook via iCloud Photo Library. But some photos not showing in full resolution due to file format compatibility. That's the reason I upgraded to High Sierra. I thought it would solve the file format issue, but now I get another problem. Mac Photos couldn't downloading my photos from iCloud. It says "updating" for three days without downloading any photos. My photos app in iPhone (iOS 11) works fine with iCloud Library. I have checked iCloud from browser and found that all photos taken with iPhone had been uploaded.

I don't understand why mac photos app stuck on updating without even downloading any photos from the cloud. I have done a lot of things such as:

restart my macbook
disabled and enabled iCloud photos library in system preferences.
disabled and enabled iCloud photos library in photo preferences
Repair my photo library with option+command keys.
Create new library and use that as system photo library
Disable and delete my photo from iCloud photo library, then undo it.
reinstall the macOS High Sierra

After all the things I have done, it's still stuck updating. I check my console and found something like cloudphotosd configuration error = 1. I don't understand that.

My iPhone Photos app updating really fast and everything I did to my photos in iPhone is already implemented to my photos in iCloud photos. Only my mac couldn't update anything. Please help me solve this problem.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13), Mac Photos App

Posted on Oct 22, 2017 7:24 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Indradiana Author

Level 1

22 points

Nov 13, 2017 2:53 PM in response to Shalaco

Now my iCloud photo library in High Sierra has perfectly synced. Try do these steps :

Update to High Sierra 10.13.1
Make sure you have wifi with fast uploading speed and stable
don't use personal hotspot as wifi because it wouldn't work.
Make sure your battery is charged (more than 70%)
keep the photos app open
If it's still stuck in 30 minutes later then try relaunch the photos app
If all those steps above don't work then try a new wifi connection

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Answer 2

banan911

Level 1

4 points

Oct 27, 2017 4:15 AM in response to Indradiana

Maybe you should try what is mentioned in this thread: iCloud Photo Library does not work with High Sierra.

It worked for me to connect through ethernet instead of wifi. I didn't change anything else. It's really weird.

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Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Oct 22, 2017 7:59 PM in response to Indradiana

Patience is the key

Messing arround rather than giving the process time to complete only causes major elays in completing the process

For example each of these actions causes everything to restart from the beginning

disabled and enabled iCloud photos library in system preferences.

disabled and enabled iCloud photos library in photo preferences

Repair my photo library with option+command keys.

and this starts a totally new download of all photos from iCloud

Create new library and use that as system photo library

Keep the Mac powered and awake and let it have time to complete - it can be slow - how many photos and videos do you have in your library? - What is the exact status?

What exactly did you see here?

I check my console and found something like cloudphotosd configuration error = 1. I don't understand that.

LN

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Answer 4

Bulkhead

Level 1

27 points

Oct 23, 2017 4:42 AM in response to LarryHN

I agree Larry, patience is key when uploading a large library or even updating many new photos. I have 15,000 photos in my library. When I updated to MacOS 10.13 and Photos was required to reupload all of my pics, I disabled power management and let Photos run in the background until,it was finished updating. After the upload completed, I reenabled power management.

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Answer 5

Indradiana Author

Level 1

22 points

Oct 23, 2017 4:40 AM in response to LarryHN

Thanks LarryHN, you're absolutely right! ✅

I did what you said and my photos app has downloaded some photos. But now it's stuck on updating again 😟 I keep the mac awake and let the photos app updating. Hope it can complete downloading all the photos. I have 1000 photos only. To be honest, it's really slow 😐

Thanks a lot for your advice! I'll inform you if the photos app has done downloading

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Answer 6

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Oct 23, 2017 8:09 AM in response to Indradiana

It is slow and the progress indication is highly inaccurate

To see if you have any problem photos stopping the process make two new smart albums (file menu ==> new smart album)

1 - Photo - is - referenced

2 - Photo - is - unable to upload to iCloud Photo Library

these should both be empty

LN

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Answer 7

Indradiana Author

Level 1

22 points

Oct 24, 2017 1:52 AM in response to LarryHN

Thank you so much for all of your answers. Now my mac photos app has downloaded all 1000 photos from iCloud completely. But I get another problem. I took three pictures today from the iPhone and has been uploaded to iCloud automatically. The mac photos app is not updating anymore. It's been 7 hours since I took the picture and I constantly connected the mac with the same WiFi for downloading photos. It says "Last updated at 9.04". I have tried closing then reopened. It said "updating" for a second then said "Last updated at 9.04". To be honest, I never get this issue when I use Sierra. In Sierra, after downloading all the photos for the first time, it's always sync with my iPhone in seconds. And I'm using the same WiFi. What do you think?

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Answer 8

banan911

Level 1

4 points

Oct 26, 2017 3:14 PM in response to Indradiana

I have the exact same issue. It actually worked fine for the first 14 days of the High Sierra install, and then suddenly everything stopped. I fail to understand what's going on. Not even a clean install of High Sierra helps??

I just tried to install Sierra on an external drive, and here the photos just flies in very fast.

Fingers crossed that 10.13.1 will help us, when it comes next week

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Answer 9

Indradiana Author

Level 1

22 points

Oct 26, 2017 7:27 PM in response to banan911

I did a clean install of High Sierra, and still it doesn't help anything. After I downloading all the photos, now I can't update the photos that I took with iPhone. The iOS 11 on my iPhone really fast uploading every single new photo to iCloud with the same wifi I connect to my macbook. In macOS Sierra, i have no problem syncing the photos with my iPhone (also with the same wifi). Except the file format compatibility issue. I hope it the 10.13.1 fixes this

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Answer 10

Dec 7, 2017 10:01 AM in response to Indradiana

I went through all sorts of machinations after installing High Sierra and nothing worked. I created a separate library and did not make it a system library and Photos could at least work with what I had in it. Once I made it the system library, I couldn't open it. So there it sat for a month. Yesterday I installed the latest OS 10.13.2 update and now Photos works the way it should! BUT, now I have problems with iTunes. Music and movies have what sounds like a "scratch" that is short but irritating. You get used to enjoying the movie and music, then suddenly the scratch sounds. It is not loud but disrupts enjoyment. Now on to another quest to figure out what is wring this time.

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