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How to open Photos Library without downloading from iCloud

I am trying to open a local Photo Library on my Mac and this message "This library contains items that need to download from iCloud Photo Library" pops up.

Options are: Click on delete incomplete items or Quit

If I really don't want to download from iCloud Photo Library, how do I open the local one?

macOS Sierra (10.12.6)

Posted on Nov 26, 2018 6:43 AM

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Posted on Nov 26, 2018 11:44 PM

But you seem have to copied a library to this Mac, that needs iCloud Photo Library, as shown by the prompt, where Photos is asking you how to handle the incomplete items. The library does not contain some of the original files, only the links to iCloud and optimized smaller versions.

A copy of an optimized iCloud Library can only be used with iCloud.

If you want to use this local library you have first to let it delete all optimized photos from this library or enable iCloud at least once to let it download a full version. Then you can use it as a stand alone library on that Mac.

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Question marked as Best reply

Nov 26, 2018 11:44 PM in response to yu76

But you seem have to copied a library to this Mac, that needs iCloud Photo Library, as shown by the prompt, where Photos is asking you how to handle the incomplete items. The library does not contain some of the original files, only the links to iCloud and optimized smaller versions.

A copy of an optimized iCloud Library can only be used with iCloud.

If you want to use this local library you have first to let it delete all optimized photos from this library or enable iCloud at least once to let it download a full version. Then you can use it as a stand alone library on that Mac.

Nov 26, 2018 11:56 AM in response to yu76

The local library you are trying to open has been syncing with iCloud Photos Library, The message you are seeing is indicating, that you previously used the option "Optimize Mac Storage" with your Photos Library. That means, that some of the photos intuit Photos Library are incomplete. The local library contains only optimized thumbnails for some of the photos. The full versions are only in iCloud. You cannot use the optimized versions, unless you enable iCloud Photo Library for this library. If you do not want that, Photos will remove all incomplete Photos from the library and keep only the photos in the library, that have not been optimized.If you do not allow that, you will not be able to open the library.

How to open Photos Library without downloading from iCloud

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