Macbook Photos Randomly Disappeared

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Level 1

4 points

Macbook Photos Randomly Disappeared

Hi everyone

I have a 2016 Macbook Pro. I've always had photos from previous macbooks stored in my photos. When I got this mac in 2016, I backed up everything per usual including photos and videos from 2010. I've always been able to view these photos and videos in the photos app. A few days ago, I was looking for a photo and I noticed all my photos and videos (anything before 2019) was gone.

I was only seeing the photos and videos that were on my phone. I'm so confused and frustrated, because those were cherished memories.

I never deleted them, there may have been a not enough storage issue but I have purchased the extra storage space. Where would it have gone and how can I get them back?

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.3

Posted on Sep 19, 2022 9:22 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

anie225 Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 19, 2022 9:23 PM in response to TonyCollinet

Yes in 2016 I backed up. If I understand the term correctly. I had a different laptop (Macbook Air) and usually when you place the new one next to the old one (I'm sorry I don't remember details, it was so long ago), but all my files photos and just everything went from the air to the new one. I had access to this pictures last month.....I don't know if logging into my Icloud changed things, because now photos from my phone keep appearing in my photos app on my macbook when that wouldn't happen before.

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Answer 2

Sep 19, 2022 9:47 AM in response to anie225

Hi

Most likely you have more than one libray on your mac, and the older photos are in a different library from the one you are now viewing.

Hold down the option key while starting photos. More than one library listed? Open each in turn to see if they hold your missing photos:

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Answer 3

Sep 19, 2022 10:26 AM in response to anie225

You say you backed up the older photos when you got the new mac.

How did you do this? Is it possible you backed them up, but never transferred them to the new Mac? Do you still have the backup you made then?

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

196,929 points

Sep 19, 2022 10:07 PM in response to anie225

When you enable iCloud Photos on more than one device, for example on a Mac and your iPhone the Photos libraries on all devices are kept identical. New photos from your iPhone will appear on your Mac, and any photo you delete from your iPhone will be deleted from your Mac, to keep the sets of photos on all devices identical. You should only use iCloud Photos, if that is what you want - exactly the same photos on all your devices.

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