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on MacBook air, mac os 11.3, i am unable to load pics to Photos 6.0. Photos came from an older mac with Photos 3.0

How do I open pics from Photos 3.0 using Photos 6.0?

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on May 24, 2021 6:28 PM

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Posted on May 26, 2021 1:26 PM

As yer man says.


If you have copied the photos app to the USB drive, you have not copied the photos, just the program. (This is like copying the pages application without copying the pages document files).


You need to copy the library (which contains the actual photos) - usually called "photos library.photoslibrary" in the pictures folder. But don't try to copy it on a thumbdrive. Either copy it via a time machine backup, or use an external drive formatted APFS or MacOS extended. Thumbdrives are not suitable for storing photo libraries.


When you have copied the old library into your new pictures folder, you can open it by starting the photos app on your new mac while holding the option key. You can then select the old library to be opened, and the format of the library will be upgraded for Photos 6.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 26, 2021 1:26 PM in response to Fredymac

As yer man says.


If you have copied the photos app to the USB drive, you have not copied the photos, just the program. (This is like copying the pages application without copying the pages document files).


You need to copy the library (which contains the actual photos) - usually called "photos library.photoslibrary" in the pictures folder. But don't try to copy it on a thumbdrive. Either copy it via a time machine backup, or use an external drive formatted APFS or MacOS extended. Thumbdrives are not suitable for storing photo libraries.


When you have copied the old library into your new pictures folder, you can open it by starting the photos app on your new mac while holding the option key. You can then select the old library to be opened, and the format of the library will be upgraded for Photos 6.

May 26, 2021 11:36 AM in response to Yer_Man

Hello, I have a USB Drive with pictures from an older macbook air that had Photos v3. This macbook was retired and replaced with a macbook air 2020. This newer macbook air has Photos v6. When I try to open the photos from the old macbook on the new macbook, I get the message, "You can't use this version of the application "Photos" with this version of macOS." Below this message in small print, it says, "You have "Photos" 3.0. Thanks.

May 26, 2021 11:41 AM in response to Fredymac

What exactly did you copy to the drive?


A Photos installation has two parts: the application, which lives in the Applications folder, and the Photos Library, which (by default) lives in the Pictures Folder.


It sounds from this message:


"You can't use this version of the application "Photos" with this version of macOS." Below this message in small print, it says, "You have "Photos" 3.0.


that you're trying to open the application and not the Library.


on MacBook air, mac os 11.3, i am unable to load pics to Photos 6.0. Photos came from an older mac with Photos 3.0

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