Photos cannot play this video because the resource is unavailable problem

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Level 1

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Photos cannot play this video because the resource is unavailable problem

I just purchased a new iMac and elected to transfer my old iMac iPhoto library to the new iMac Photos library - the transfer was done manually without using time machine. The majority of the photos and videos are opening without issues but a number of videos are no longer working and the message - Photos cannot play this video because the resource is unavailable appears. I have tried library repair without success; I have found a way around by exporting / converting the (non working) videos to .mov and then import them back in Photos. It is a work around but far from and ideal solution as it modifies the original format of the videos and, more important, very time consuming.

Wondering if anybody else has found a solution for this issue. The problem appears to be with older videos.

iMac, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)

Posted on Feb 10, 2018 11:49 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

200,525 points

Feb 11, 2018 5:56 AM in response to jeric4828

Is your Photos Library on an external drive or in your Pictures folder?

Photos on High Sierra has problems with video components, if the file system of the drive with the library has a case-sensitive file system format.

I have found a way around by exporting / converting the (non working) videos to .mov and then import them back in Photos.

Are you doing this export/conversion on your old Mac?

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

200,525 points

Feb 12, 2018 12:19 PM in response to Old Toad

For me about ten percent of the videos from my Aperture and iPhoto Libraries cannot be opened in Photos, but are playing well in QuickTime Player and QuickTime Player 7. I am converting all videos that cannot be imported to Photos in iMovie.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,525 points

Feb 12, 2018 7:06 AM in response to jeric4828

The conversation is done on my new mac.

Tat is good. It means, that the videos have been transferred completely, and the resource fork with the video content has been transferred to the new Mac and not been left behind on the old Mac.

It looks like a bug in Photos that it cannot handle the videos correctly.

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Answer 4

jeric4828 Author

Level 1

21 points

Feb 12, 2018 4:35 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for the reply. The conversation is done on my new mac. The conversation is done via right click on the non working video and choosing Edit with Quick Time Player.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

215,250 points

Feb 12, 2018 12:11 PM in response to léonie

It looks like a bug in Photos that it cannot handle the videos correctly.

It seems to work for me:

Both with Quicktime Player and Quicktime Player 7.

2011 27" iMac w/High Sierra.

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Photos cannot play this video because the resource is unavailable problem

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