You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Unkown Error when importing iPhone Photos to Photos Libary (Stored on Samsung T5 Drive)

I have always stored my photos library on my Samsung T5 drive, and imported my iphone photos via the Photos app with no issues.


But recently 411 photos won't import, sometimes i get an Unknown Error message.


I have airdropped the photos to my desktop from my iPhone and then imported to the Samsung Photos Library > this did not work i got Unknown Error


I have held Command down when opening Photos, made a new library, stored on my iMac, and this worked photos imported correctly.


How do i get my Photos Library stored on my Samsung T5 drive back working?


See attached screenshot for more information on the drive. I appreciate anyone's help this has been driving me crazy!


iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 12.2

Posted on Mar 16, 2022 4:56 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 16, 2022 6:48 AM

Hi


Your drive is formatted ExFAT - this is not compatible with a photos library, and can result in gradual build up of errors in the database causing just such issues as this.


You are going to have to move the library to a volume with a compatible format.


1 - Backup your existing library. You are going to be copying the whole thing at least twice, and then possibly having a repair run. As a large data structure this will take some time, with a risk of data loss while it is ongoing.


2 - You will need to temporarily copy your library somewhere else WITH A COMPATIBLE FORMAT. This could be your system drive if you have enough space. Or a second external drive (USB or Thunderbolt), which is formatted APFS or MacOS extended (journaled). This might mean you need to buy (or borrow) an additional external drive. If so, you could use the new drive to run the library in the future, saving yourself one pass of copying the library.


3 - Reformat the external drive using disk utility. Again APFS (suggested for SSD) or MacOS Extended (journaled) (preferred for spinning drives). Do not use Case Sensitive. Be especially carful to choose the correct drive to format. Formatting completely and un-recoverably erases the contents, so you don't want to format the wrong one. Ideally unplug all other external drives, and make sure the drive you are formatting is in the external section of disk utility.


4 - Copy the library from the temporary storage to the newly formatted external drive. (You can skip this if you are going to leave it on the new external drive)


5 - Open the library on it's new home by holding the option key while starting photos. Go to photos preferences, and click the "use as system photo library" button.


Read also:

Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac – Apple Support (UK)


Similar questions

4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 16, 2022 6:48 AM in response to Roseg53

Hi


Your drive is formatted ExFAT - this is not compatible with a photos library, and can result in gradual build up of errors in the database causing just such issues as this.


You are going to have to move the library to a volume with a compatible format.


1 - Backup your existing library. You are going to be copying the whole thing at least twice, and then possibly having a repair run. As a large data structure this will take some time, with a risk of data loss while it is ongoing.


2 - You will need to temporarily copy your library somewhere else WITH A COMPATIBLE FORMAT. This could be your system drive if you have enough space. Or a second external drive (USB or Thunderbolt), which is formatted APFS or MacOS extended (journaled). This might mean you need to buy (or borrow) an additional external drive. If so, you could use the new drive to run the library in the future, saving yourself one pass of copying the library.


3 - Reformat the external drive using disk utility. Again APFS (suggested for SSD) or MacOS Extended (journaled) (preferred for spinning drives). Do not use Case Sensitive. Be especially carful to choose the correct drive to format. Formatting completely and un-recoverably erases the contents, so you don't want to format the wrong one. Ideally unplug all other external drives, and make sure the drive you are formatting is in the external section of disk utility.


4 - Copy the library from the temporary storage to the newly formatted external drive. (You can skip this if you are going to leave it on the new external drive)


5 - Open the library on it's new home by holding the option key while starting photos. Go to photos preferences, and click the "use as system photo library" button.


Read also:

Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac – Apple Support (UK)


Mar 22, 2022 5:15 AM in response to TonyCollinet

Hey Tony,


Bad news unfortunately it's happened to me again! I go to import photos into my Library (stored on a Samsung T5 - APFS now though) and the photos don't import, i will attached a clip of what happens, once the wheel stops spinning nothing happens, photos are still there as if they haven't been imported, and no error message comes up.

https://youtu.be/AGz8f1Urs-s



Unkown Error when importing iPhone Photos to Photos Libary (Stored on Samsung T5 Drive)

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.