Photo library file won't load

I have a huge photo library (300gb) file sitting on an external drive - recovered from a time capsule.

I try creating a new library in Photo but it simply states that the file can't be loaded.

The file is from oct 2016, so 2 years old. It's on an external drive that should be formatted correctly.

Tried googling for help but there doesn't seem to be a way to solve the problems I have.

Is the file too big, too old? Can I open it, convert it and then import??

My new library is on iCloud and would like the old one to be merged into the iCloud library as well.

I am amazed that apple doesn't have fix for this!

Please help:-)

Jakob

MacBook Pro, iOS 12.1

Posted on Nov 19, 2018 3:59 AM

Top-ranking reply

léonie

Level 10

200,861 points

Posted on Nov 19, 2018 4:18 AM

I try creating a new library in Photo but it simply states that the file can't be loaded.

Are you trying to import the old library into Photos? You can only open libraries, but not merge libraries by importing one library into another.

Do you get the error message, when you double-click the old library to open it in Photos? Has the drive, where the library currently is, been used by Time Machine? Then you cannot open the library on this drive. In that case move the library to a different drive. Otherwise you may need to repair the library, if it cannot be opened. See:

https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.2/index.html#/pht6be18f93 https://help.apple.com/photos/mac/1.2/index.html#/pht6be18f93

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Photo library file won't load

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