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Where are my photos? What has happened? Here is the message I get:Photos cannot find the System Photo Library named “Photos Library.photoslibrary”

Where are my photos? What has happened? The message I received when I clicked on the photo icon is: Photos cannot find the System Photo Library named “Photos Library.photoslibrary”


Posted on Jan 15, 2021 4:18 AM

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Posted on Jan 15, 2021 8:58 AM

Hi


That suggests you use iCloud for syncing your library. If so, then you should be able to download all your images to a new empty library:


1 - Create a new EMPTY library. (Hold down the option key while starting photos, and click "create new")

2 - Open the new empty library in photos.

3 - In photos preferences set it to the system library (click the button)

4 - In photos preferences iClound - turn icloud on with download originals.


5 - Wait - for photos to download all your images from iCloud into your freshly minted library. It may take some time - possibly days. Leave the mac on with photos open while it is doing it.




14 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 15, 2021 8:58 AM in response to dianesellers

Hi


That suggests you use iCloud for syncing your library. If so, then you should be able to download all your images to a new empty library:


1 - Create a new EMPTY library. (Hold down the option key while starting photos, and click "create new")

2 - Open the new empty library in photos.

3 - In photos preferences set it to the system library (click the button)

4 - In photos preferences iClound - turn icloud on with download originals.


5 - Wait - for photos to download all your images from iCloud into your freshly minted library. It may take some time - possibly days. Leave the mac on with photos open while it is doing it.




Jan 15, 2021 5:08 AM in response to dianesellers

Can you tell what has happened, before Photos could no longer open the library? Did you just install a system upgrade? Which system version is running on your Mac?


And where have you kept your Photos Library? Normally, you will find your Photos Library in the folder "Pictures" in your Home folder. Or did you move the library to an external volume?


How are you launching the Photos.app? If you have been trying to click an icon on the Desktop or in the Dock, try instead to click the Photos icon in the Applications folder. This way you are sure to launch the version that comes with your system and not an older version, that might still be liked to an alias in the Dock or on the Desktop.


Jan 15, 2021 8:32 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for responding.


I never "filed photos" - the computer just took them whenever I took photos from the iPhone - they go somewhere in the cloud then I access them on my Mac by clicking the photo icon on the bottom of the page.


The message that came up stating that the icon could not locate the photos before I did any installs or upgrades.

I just did an upgrade in the hopes that would resolve the issue.


I now run on macOS Big Sur 11.1 - however the same message is appearing that the icon cannot locate photos library.


There are pictures in the folder called pictures but not the library that was hooked to the icon. I launched from the icon and from the applications folder - still no joy.

Jan 15, 2021 9:32 AM in response to TonyCollinet

Thanks Tony, I do pay them monthly for storage. I thought I was being smart and letting the "cloud" store my photos. Guess I better stop thinking! I also used IMovie on my phone to make little vacation movies and stored them on Youtube so I wouldn't lose them. We won't even get into what has happened to them. I do know one thing for certain - I'm too old for this crap.

Jan 16, 2021 11:11 AM in response to TonyCollinet

Good afternoon Tony,

I just wanted to let you know I have retrieved all my photos from the cloud (actually they are still there its just I can now see them). All 3,232 of them! You were most helpful and I appreciate your time and effort. This is the first time I have ever used the "Apple Community" for troubleshooting. The community is very nice with some very smart folks like you. You should get a job at Apple and make them pay you for your wisdom instead of just giving it away in a chat room. Any rate, thank you again for your time. Just a little fyi - I use the iCloud to save stuff and I use a hard backup drive as well. The photos were not available on the hard back up drive - same message popped up. I think I'm going to go buy a photo saving hard drive and download everything there where it's not connected to Apple/Icloud/Big Brother or anyone else. It's funny, I have photos that are over 50 years old in albums in a green tub in my attic -- now THAT'S how to save pictures - haven't lost one of those yet ha!

Have a wonderful day.

Vicki

Jan 16, 2021 11:48 AM in response to dianesellers

Brilliant - thanks for letting me know.


On the subject of backups - this is how paranoid I am...


I run two libraries. I pay for 200GB of iCloud, and have a "main" library holding all my recents, that is synced with iCloud and resides on my system drive. All these photos are available on all my devices. Currently I have a year of photographs there, taking up about 1/4 of my iCloud space.


I also have an archive library which holds everything older. It is on a separate drive (correctly formatted and prepared - see link below). I use powerphotos to periodically copy photos from my main library to my archive library.


I am very very rigorous about backups. Both libraries are backed up to time machine. In addition both libraries are regularly copied to a second external drive. Finally I periodically export all original images (so that I have the actual image files separately from the photos library) and copy those to a network drive backup. I have a copy of these stored away from home also (mitigate risk of fire/theft).


🤣

Where are my photos? What has happened? Here is the message I get:Photos cannot find the System Photo Library named “Photos Library.photoslibrary”

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