Accessing Photos from Timemachine

Question

Level 1

8 points

Accessing Photos from Timemachine

Hello - I currently back up my iMac to an external hard drive using Time Machine (I also back it up to iCloud).

I was testing my back up to the external HD but when I tried to access Photos, I got the message "The library could not be opened. The library “Photos Library” is in a Time Machine backup. Open the original library."

So it's not a problem at present but if anything were to happen to my Mac, how would I access the Photos library from my external HD?

Regards, Gordon.

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 13.7

Posted on Jan 16, 2025 7:43 AM

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Answer 1

muguy

Level 10

83,923 points

Jan 16, 2025 9:04 AM in response to Gordondow

The same way that you restore any individual file from Time Machine. Restore items backed up with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support

por, if restoring to a new Mac Restore your Mac from a backup - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Gordondow Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 17, 2025 6:23 AM in response to Old Toad

Thank you both. So why is it that photos which I originally took with a digital camera then transferred those from the SD card to my iMac, I can open those from the external hard drive, but photos which I now take with my iPhone - and which are automatically loaded to my iMac via iCloud - that those photos can't be viewed directly in the photos library on the external hard drive but have to be restored?

Regards.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

211,219 points

Jan 17, 2025 1:47 PM in response to Gordondow

Are the digital camera and iPhone photos both in a Photos library that is on the Time Machine drive? Or are they in just folders?

What app are you using to view the photos?

What is the make and model of the drive and how is it formatted?

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Answer 4

Gordondow Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 18, 2025 4:01 AM in response to Old Toad

Thank you for your response.

They're all under the folder Pictures. The camera photos are then either under sub-folders or in some case individual photos. The iPhone photos are all lumped together in Photos Library with no sub-folders.

I use Mac's Photos app to look at my photos.

The drive is called My Passport but I've no idea how it's formatted.

Rgeards,

Gordon.

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