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I recently restored a Photo Library to access some pictures. While the library did restore the photos into my Photo library property, I cannot access them and get the message noted above. I have tried the OPT-CMD shortcut to repair the library file, but it does not change my ability to work with the pictures I restored.
What else can I do to resolve this?
To check, if the photos have been referenced files you can do two things:
If your backup has been a Time Machine backup, you need to restore the Photos Library by entering Time Machine and use the restore option. You cannot simply drag the library from the Time Machine backup, otherwise the internal links may be broken.
Have you been running any cleaning applications to remove duplicates? Some of these apps can cause exactly this kind of error.
To check, if the photos have been referenced files you can do two things:
If your backup has been a Time Machine backup, you need to restore the Photos Library by entering Time Machine and use the restore option. You cannot simply drag the library from the Time Machine backup, otherwise the internal links may be broken.
Have you been running any cleaning applications to remove duplicates? Some of these apps can cause exactly this kind of error.
Restored from where?
Assuming from a backup - when you backed up the libarary, were you using icloud with "optimise mac storage"? If so the original files would only have been stored in icloud, so when the library was backed up they would not have been included in the backup.
Are the files still in iCloud? (You can check at www.icloud.com)
Or were you running a referenced library (original files not copied into the library). You can check by setting up a smart album with the conidition "photo - is - referenced". If they are referenced files, then you will need to find the original photos from where they were on your hard drive.
This was a restore from Time Machine. As it turns out, I had to restore from a later backup (April instead of March)...for some reason, the April restore worked just fine and I was able to retrieve the pictures I needed. Thanks for your input, and I do have a question about something you mentioned..."optimize Mac Storage"...is this something found in Time Machine? I was unaware of this setting...
Optimise mac storage is a feature of iCloud.
If you sync your mac library with iCloud, you can opt to have the full size originals removed from your mac and stored only in the cloud. Reduced size previews and thumnnails are left on your mac to allow you to continue to use Photos app as before. The originals are then only downloaded if needed for editing, exporting or printing.
It can reduce the size of your local library by up to 80%, but does mean you don't have the masters available locally for backup to time machine.
I was curious as to why the backup restoration from March replaced the pix in Photos, but were "unavailable", but the April backup restored them just fine. It was then I recalled that prior to the April backup, I had renamed each of the files in a sequential fashion. I assume this is what made the March photos unavailable.
Léonie, thanks for your response and I did work this out by returning to Time Machine and a later backup. FYI all the Metadata items had been checked and I do not run cleaning apps on my Mac.
Great that the more recent backup has been more complete. Time Machine is a life saver.
Photos with unavailable original files cannot be opened
