Photos for Mac: The export operation failed to create a file for the image identified

Hi, everything (OS and iCloud and everything) is most up to date as at the time of writing this.

As the title suggested when trying to export photos to my external drive for backup this message appeared and gave a list of photos/videos (file names only, no preview or anything): The export operation failed to create a file for the image identified

The problem is i dont know which files specifically did not get exported and i cant possibly check every single photo to chase up the ones that have not been backup. Any help regarding how to find these photos and ensure they get exported to be backup would be much appreciated!

MacBook Pro

Posted on Mar 30, 2018 5:40 AM

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léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

Posted on Mar 30, 2018 8:34 AM

this message appeared and gave a list of photos/videos (file names only, no preview or anything):

When you see such an error message, take a screenshot, so you have a list of the filenames.

Then enter one of the filenames into the search field in Photos to search for the filename.

It will show you the photo, that cannot be exported.

Try to export the photo again with "File > Export > Export unmodified original". Does that work or give the same error message? If the error message is "failed to create a file" it could be, that there are duplicate filenames or illegal (invisible) characters in the filename, or the file system of the destination drive is incompatible, for example formatted "case sensitive".

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19 replies

kl01 Author

Level 1

18 points

Apr 1, 2018 8:59 AM in response to léonie

Find Any File doesn't find anything when one of the missing filenames is typed in.

How come it's shown on the Photos app but it's nowhere in the mac hard drive? otherwise why is it there and how is it lost

kl01 Author

Level 1

18 points

Apr 1, 2018 10:15 AM in response to léonie

Unfortunately the same message is shown when try to drag those photos to Desktop...

Your contributions have definitely helped so far, many thanks indeed. It's just that for some reasons these files are lost - which is a shame as I am now left not being able to backup these photos...

kl01 Author

Level 1

18 points

Apr 1, 2018 11:04 AM in response to léonie

No idea at all. I have never used any cleaning applications.

As i said these photos appear to be the ones i got off from my mum's phone (sent via WhatsApp and saved in my Photos on iPhone before they were exported from the iPhone to the Mac) - however not all of them cannot be exported, in fact some photos i got off from her phone CAN BE exported with no problem despite long filename etc. They were all transferred at the same time so im unable to work out why some are missing and some are not.

léonie

Level 10

200,645 points

Mar 31, 2018 8:11 AM in response to LarryHN

Larry, kl01 wrote "I don’t understand what is a “format”, so give him/her time to find out. That is why I tried to explain a bit where the information can be found.

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Photos for Mac: The export operation failed to create a file for the image identified