Mac Photos Library Repair Stuck

  • 1. Mac Files Tips
  • 2. Mac Software
  • 3. Mac Storage Tips
  • 4. Mac Troubleshooting
  • 5. Mac OS

“Library is not working in photos in macOS Catalina. Recently I updated to macOS Catalina but after the update, photos are not working. I am getting library could not be opened error. How can I recover from it?” – From Apple Discussion.

The library not working is one of the most famous macOS issues. So, the users have faced it numerous times and it mostly occurs after an update. Although it is a well-known error, when this error occurs, there are also several associated issues like;

Photos not importing? Figure out the culprit with Image Capture Sometimes, a bad image or a large import can be at fault, but you can break it down.

Jul 18, 2019  Photo Library First Aid is the build-in feature of iPhoto. It is the most direct way to resolve issues such as the library appearing to be unreadable, missing photos after macOS Catalina update, etc. Now, let's start to recover photos disappeared from Mac using Library First. Mar 03, 2020  iCloud Photos works with the Photos app to keep your photos and videos securely stored in iCloud, and up to date on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, and iCloud.com. How it works iCloud Photos automatically keeps every photo and video you take in iCloud, so you can access your library from any device, anytime you want.

  • the library could not be opened
  • Photos app crashes on launch in Catalina
  • photos are missing after Cataina
  • updating library is not working in photos

So, this needs to get fixed immediately in order to enjoy the much-awaited advanced features of macOS Catalina. Just read the article below and you will get your answers.

  • Part 1: Fix Library is Not Working in Photos in macOS Catalina

Part 1: Fix Library is Not Working in Photos in macOS Catalina

There are multiple ways to fix photos library could not be opened. These procedures are effective. So, follow the details provided below, carefully.

Solution 1: Use Mac Built-in Photos Library Repair Tool

If Mac photos the library could not be opened or it is showing unexpected errors, then Photos Library Repair Tool is one of the best ways to fix it. Delete photo stream library file mac. This is a built-in repair tool, comes with macOS and it is pretty easy to use.

Step 1: Press and hold the “Option” and “Command” keys while photos are opened on your Mac.

Step 2: Then, a dialog box will appear, click on “Repair” to proceed.

You will be asked to provide a password for your user account. The tool will analyze the library database at the beginning. Depending on the size of the library, the repair could take a while.

Solution 2: Update Photos App If It is Not Up to Date

It is possible that Photos app on your Mac has not been updated in a while. As you have just updated to Catalina, the latest version of macOS. It is possible that macOS Catalina is interfering with the older version of Photos app.

So, if you just update the Photos app to its latest version, the issue may get fixed.

Solution 3: Force Quit Photos then Re-launch to Fix Library is Not Working in Photos in macOS Catalina

It is also possible that you are facing a temporary glitch with the app. So, force-quit the Photos app and launch it again.

Possibly the library issue may get fixed.

Solution 4: Disable Autoplay Videos Setting in Photos

This is a very simple fix. Here’s how to do it;

Step 1: Click Launchpad from your mac desktop and open Photos app.

Step 2: Go to Photos > Preferences and you will find the option Autoplay Videos and Live Photos.

Now, simply uncheck the feature.

Solution 5: Reinstall macOS Catalina to Fix Library is Not Working in Photos in macOS Catalina

Photos Repair Library

You should also try re-installing macOS Catalina if the error still hasn’t disappeared. But the proper way to re-install macOS Catalina is to use Mac’s Recovery Mode. Here’s how to repair photo library Mac:

Step 1: So, restart your Mac. While the device is starting, you need to hold “Command and R” keys together in order to enter Recovery Mode.

Step 2: As the follow-up window appears, click on “Reinstall macOS”. Then, click on “Continue”.

Step 3: Then, you have to agree to “Terms & Conditions”.

Step 4: Finally, select the drive where you want to install macOS Catalina and click “Install”.

Part 2: What If Your Photos are Lost after Fixing Library is Not Working in Photos in macOS Catalina

Mac Photos Library Location

There is a possibility that photos from your photo library may get erased even after fixing the library. If that happens, you need to make a photo recovery Mac.

Although, the discussed solutions for the library fix are very effective but so many changes were made on the Mac system that lost photos are a possibility. Now, in order to recover lost photo on Mac, an effective data recovery program is required and it needs to be used immediately. As the longer you wait, the chances of photo recovery gets slimmer.

So, stop using the Mac and use Tenorshare UltData-Mac Data Recovery. UltData is a great software developed by Tenorshare, provides effective data recovery with precision and software is quite secure as well. Here are a few important features of the software:

  • UltData is capable of recovery of any sort of lost files on Mac.
  • May it be a deleted file of lost due to format, UltData will make the recovery anyway.
  • Files can be restored from internal hard drive, as well as external drives.
  • The data recovery rate is 100%.
  • The program is also safe to use and very secure.

Now, the recovery of those lost photos will be very easy with UltData. Just follow the steps below:

Step 1: Download and install Tenorshare UltData for Mac on your computer and launch it.

Step 2: Choose the location of the lost photos and click “Scan” to proceed.

Step 3: It will take a while to complete the scan but upon its completion, the scan results will get displayed on the screen. You can click on them to preview the details.

Step 4: The lost files will be among the results. Just choose them and click “Recover” to restore them successfully.

You also have to choose a path where the restored photos will be located. Don’t choose the same location from they were originally, erased. Doing it will cause permanent data loss.

Part 3: Some New Features of Photos in macOS Catalina You Need to Know

The macOS Catalina is the newest addition to the macOS line up. It is brand new, better, faster and equipped with some amazing new features. Let’s have a look.

Photos View

All your photos and videos will be displayed on a grid. This is the new Photos View. You will be able to zoom in and get a larger view and additional details. The photos on the grid will be visible in a square format.

Live Photos and Videos

Live videos and photos are also included in the photo library. You just have to click “Auto-Play” when they are visible on the screen. It uses a dynamic display system.

Memory Movies

You will be able to view memory movies that you created on your iOS device. So, finally, memory movies came to Mac.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is included. It helps to realize the photos app, who is in the photo and what is going on. This helps users in many ways.

Conclusion

Hence, you will be able to repair photo library Mac and it will be easier if you just follow the detailed solution mentioned in the article, above. But as mentioned before, it is possible that you may lose some of your stored images from the library while fixing it. If it happens, you need to stop using the Mac immediately and use Tenorshare UltData for the fast and successful recovery of those photos.

Your Photos library holds all your photos, albums, slideshows, and print projects. If your library is large, and you want to free up storage space on your Mac, turn on iCloud Photo Library and use Optimize Mac Storage, or move your library to an external drive.

Before you start, be sure to back up your library.

Prepare your drive

You can store your library on an external storage device, such as a USB or Thunderbolt drive formatted as APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled).1 Find out how to check the format of your external storage device.

To prevent data loss, Apple doesn't recommend storing photo libraries on external storage devices like SD cards and USB flash drives, or drives that are shared on a network.

Move your Photos library to an external storage device

  1. Quit Photos.
  2. In the Finder, go to the external drive where you want to store your library.
  3. In another Finder window, find your library. The default location is Users > [username] > Pictures, and it's named Photos Library.
  4. Drag your library to its new location on the external drive. If you see an error, select your external drive's icon in the Finder, then choose File > Get Info. If the information under Sharing & Permissions isn't visible, click , then make sure the 'Ignore ownership on this volume' checkbox is selected. If it's not selected, click to unlock it, enter an administrator name and password, then select the checkbox.2

  5. After the move is finished, double-click Photos Library in its new location to open it.
  6. If you use iCloud Photo Library, designate this library as the System Photo Library.

Delete original library to save space

After you open your library from its new location and make sure that it works as expected, you can delete the library from its original location.

In a Finder window, go back to your Pictures folder (or whichever folder you copied your library from) and move Photos Library to the trash. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash to delete the library and reclaim disk space.

Open another Photos library

If you have multiple libraries, here's how to open a different one:

  1. Quit Photos.
  2. Press and hold the Option key while you open Photos.
  3. Select the library that you want to open, then click Choose Library.

Photos uses this library until you open a different one.

Learn more

If you have a permissions issue with your library, you might be able to resolve the issue by using the Photos library repair tool.

1. You can't move your library to a disk that's used for Time Machine backups.

2. If the volume isn't formatted APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled), or has been used for Time Machine backups but hasn't been erased, this checkbox will either not be present, or won't be selectable after unlocking. Erase and reformat the drive for this option to be available.