Photos App Trying to Import Ghost Files

Question

Level 1

4 points

Photos App Trying to Import Ghost Files

I've had import issues before where the Photos app fails to import because it can't read the picture/video file for whatever reason. I finally figured out how to find and delete those files so I'd quit getting the errors. But after a recent upgrade (current version High Sierra 10.13.4) Photos stopped opening automatically when I would plug in my iphone. So today, I opened Photos and imported all the pictures I've taken over the last month. But for some reason, it's showing about 20 instances of 3 photos. I scrolled through the thousands of photos on my phone, and deleted all that I found of those photos, yet the Photos import screen still shows 10-15 instances (each) of those photos, as well as single instances of several other photos that don't actually exist - at least not anywhere that I can find them.

I downloaded the iexplore app, and checked in all the media/DCIM folders, and I can't find any of the file names that failed to import. There's 60 items total, and NONE of them exist on the iphone.

Does anybody have any idea on how I can find these files and delete them for good?

Posted on Apr 22, 2018 11:19 PM

Reply

Answer 1

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 23, 2018 8:08 AM in response to silvylak

Probably two seperate issues - you provide no details so we can only make guesses

What version of the OS and IOS do you have and what are your setting and status on each device

1 - you probably have iCloud Photo Library enabled on your Phone and if you do you can not manually import from it - you either have to use ICPL on both the IOS device and the Mac and not enable it on the IOS device

2 - you probably have ISO 11 on your phone and are not up to dat4 with High Sierra on the Mac so are probably using the new HEIC/HEVF on the phone and not on the Mac - you either need to change the Photos setting for transfer to a Mac or PD to automatic or upgrade the Mac to High Sierra

LN

Reply

Answer 2

silvylak Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 26, 2018 8:38 AM in response to LarryHN

I ended up jacking with this for over two hours that night, then finally gave up. Turns out that the next day, when I plugged my phone in, the ghost images were gone and my photos imported correctly without any errors.

I still don’t know why this happened. iCloud photo backup is not on. We don’t have Home WiFi and iCloud won’t do backups on cellular data (as of a year ago, anyway). Not having Home internet also makes idly challenging to keep my devices up to date. I have unlimited hotspot with my cell phone, but some of the Mac OS updates won’t even go through that, and I have to send my MacBook to work with my husband so he can connect to their WiFi.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to respond. :)

Reply

Answer 3

LarryHN

Level 10

106,110 points

Apr 26, 2018 9:22 AM in response to silvylak

Ok - you are welcome

Good Luck

LN

Reply

Photos App Trying to Import Ghost Files

Similar questions