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Help!! I recently updated my MacBook Air. Since then, I have not been able to find my photos. The whole file just looks empty. I am really not very tech savvy so if you have some advice for me, can you please tell me in very simple terms? Thanks in advance for your wisdom.
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.6
OK - so you updated your air. Do you mean you updated MacOS? Or bought a new machine?
If you updated, did you just use the normal update process, or did you wipe and re-install?
What version did you update *from*? Were you previously using Photos app, or iPhoto?
Was your library previously on your internal drive, or on an external drive? Were you syncing with iCloud? Did you have a backup?
Try this (connect any external drives first if the library may be there):
use the spotlight search to see if there are any other libraries (search in finder). Put photoslibrary in the searchbox.
Make sure "this mac" is selected.
If you click on the found libraries in turn, the location will be shown at the bottom of the finder window. Open each one to see if they contain your images. (Use the option key to start photos then select the library)
OK - so you updated your air. Do you mean you updated MacOS? Or bought a new machine?
If you updated, did you just use the normal update process, or did you wipe and re-install?
What version did you update *from*? Were you previously using Photos app, or iPhoto?
Was your library previously on your internal drive, or on an external drive? Were you syncing with iCloud? Did you have a backup?
Try this (connect any external drives first if the library may be there):
use the spotlight search to see if there are any other libraries (search in finder). Put photoslibrary in the searchbox.
Make sure "this mac" is selected.
If you click on the found libraries in turn, the location will be shown at the bottom of the finder window. Open each one to see if they contain your images. (Use the option key to start photos then select the library)
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.
Close the photos app, then 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:
Thank you sooooooo much TonyCollinet. I did the steps outlined in the bottom of your post and got my photos back onto my laptop. I did have them backed up on an external hard-drive but wondered how they could just go missing! Thanks for taking the time to help out. Much appreciated.
Thanks TonyCollinet. Followed your instructions but only one library came up which took me to the same place where all my photos are missing. Thanks for your time though.
Good news - thanks for letting me know.
my photos are gone
