Exclamation mark instead of photo on Mac

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Exclamation mark instead of photo on Mac

For several weeks I have noticed 'exclamation marks' instead of where photos should be on my Mac photos app.

I used to take pictures with my iphone 7 plus and they'd synch without problem. Once i wanted to edit them on my Mac I could do so by downloading the full resolution. I can't find any option to download the full size image from my icloud account any more.

Also videos cannot be played any more. I get the following error: "Photos cannot play this video. Do you want to try opening it in QuickTime Player?"

Photos Version 1.5 (370.42.0)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009)

OS X El Capitan Version 10.11.6

MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.53 GHz), OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Dec 12, 2017 3:19 AM

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Answer 1

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sterling r

Community Specialist

Dec 12, 2017 3:40 PM in response to man_kaylah

Hello man_kaylah,

Thanks for that info and choosing the Apple Support Communities. If I understand correctly, you are not able to watch videos and some pictures have "exclamation marks" in the Photos app on your Mac. To help resolve this issue, please follow these steps:

Back up your library

Before following any of these steps, it's a good idea to create a backup of your photo library, even if you use iCloud Photo Library. You can use Time Machine, use a third-party backup solution, or copy the library to an external drive. By default, your photo library is stored in the Pictures folder within your home folder.

Make sure that your software is up to date

Photos is part of the Mac operating system (v10.10.3 and later). You can avoid or fix many issues by running the most up-to-date version of macOS. To check for updates, open the App Store, click Updates at the top of the window, and install any available macOS updates. Learn more about updating the software on your Mac.

If you use RAW images in Photos, make sure that you're running the latest Digital RAW Camera Compatibility update. Check for updates in the App Store, and install any available Digital Camera RAW Compatibility update. You can learn more about the digital camera RAW formats supported by iOS 10 and macOS Sierra.

If you're experiencing other issues—like missing or blank photo thumbnails, unexpected behavior, or if Photos won’t open—you can repair your library using the steps below.

The Photos repair tool analyzes the library's database and repairs any inconsistencies it detects. Depending on the size of your library, this might take some time. When the process is complete, Photos opens your library.

Follow these steps to use the Photos repair tool:

Make sure that you've backed up your main Photos library.

Quit Photos if it's open.

Press and hold the Option and Command keys as you open Photos again.

The Repair Library dialog appears. Click Repair, and then enter an administrator password to begin running the Photos repair tool.

If you're using iCloud Photo Library, running the Photos repair tool will cause your library to re-update with iCloud.

Get help with the Photos app on your Mac

Cheers!

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