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Photos library - rebuild?

So, with all the issues with Catalina I’ve deleted my albums and am planning on starting my Photos library from scratch. Here’s my only question: do I import the photos I exported from photos into a folder prior to doing a clean Catalina install? Or just drag over the backup of my old library, and double click it? Or would there be no difference?


The reason I ask is, the photos I exported from photos into a folder total more than what was in my library before export. None of the numbers line up, so want to do whatever is “safest”. Thanks in advance, as always, for any insight!

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on Dec 13, 2019 7:50 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 14, 2019 1:29 AM

Have you been using iCloud Photos? And perhaps "Optimize Mac Storage"?

And how did you export the photos from Photos? Did you export the unmodified originals or the edited versions?


Generally, you will lose either quality or your work, when you rebuild the library from the exported photos. YOu will lose the albums, folders, projects.

  • If you saved only the originals you will lose all adjustments you applied and the metadata you added, unless you exported originals with sidecar files to save the metadata.
  • If you exported the edited versions, you can no longer revert to the originals. The quality will be less.


The best option is to copy the Photos library back. It will have saved the originals and the edited version paired, and you will get all albums , projects, folders back.


If you have been using iCloud Photos, and have been using optimize storage, the saved library may not be complete. The optimized, incomplete versions of the photos and videos will be removed from the library and you should enable iCloud photos again, so the missing originals can be restored from iCloud.

If your Photos Library is currently in iCloud Photos, I would simply start over with a new, empty Photos Library. Make this empty library your System Photos Library and enable iCloud. This will recreate a fresh copy of your Photos Library. Only the projects will be missing.


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 14, 2019 1:29 AM in response to photoguy7

Have you been using iCloud Photos? And perhaps "Optimize Mac Storage"?

And how did you export the photos from Photos? Did you export the unmodified originals or the edited versions?


Generally, you will lose either quality or your work, when you rebuild the library from the exported photos. YOu will lose the albums, folders, projects.

  • If you saved only the originals you will lose all adjustments you applied and the metadata you added, unless you exported originals with sidecar files to save the metadata.
  • If you exported the edited versions, you can no longer revert to the originals. The quality will be less.


The best option is to copy the Photos library back. It will have saved the originals and the edited version paired, and you will get all albums , projects, folders back.


If you have been using iCloud Photos, and have been using optimize storage, the saved library may not be complete. The optimized, incomplete versions of the photos and videos will be removed from the library and you should enable iCloud photos again, so the missing originals can be restored from iCloud.

If your Photos Library is currently in iCloud Photos, I would simply start over with a new, empty Photos Library. Make this empty library your System Photos Library and enable iCloud. This will recreate a fresh copy of your Photos Library. Only the projects will be missing.


Dec 14, 2019 6:16 AM in response to léonie

This is exactly what I was curious about, thank you! One of the biggest reasons that I was looking to rebuild vs just re open was That I’m now experiencing this https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250896580


which I assumed was some kind of file corruption, but now appears to be a graphics issue. I was concerned all the back and forth with iCloud, then shutting it off and reverting back to manually managing my own photos could have caused these artifacts or weird issues.


sadly, I’ve never experienced this many issues in 25 years or so on a mac, as I have with Catalina/iOS 13

Photos library - rebuild?

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