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User profile for user: Maddo69
Maddo69 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

All my Photos have disappeared

Just before the Catalina upgrade my iPhoto library just vanished. I think I had just updated a couple of Apps on my Mac, and when I went to look for some photos it just had a few photos taken over the last week. I managed to find an iPhoto Library, but when I looked at that it only had photos and video from before 2016 (I think), but it was letting me view them. Since updating to Catalina, when I try to view them Photos asks me if I want to switch Libraries. Not sure if I do this I'll lose my current (all be it small) library, and whether I will be able to recover the thousands of photos from 2016 to 2019?

Help! What can I try?

I literally have hundreds of videos and thousands of photos that I can't find.

Not used Time Machine to back up, and feeling really gutted!


Posted on Dec 12, 2019 1:13 AM

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,279 points

Posted on Dec 12, 2019 4:24 AM

When you switch between libraries, Photos will open the libraries in turn. It will not delete the currently open library. But I would write down the path to your current library, so you will remember the name and where it is located. You can see the path to your currently open library at the top of the Photos > Preferences > General: Library Location.


if you do not have a backup, make a backup now, to preserve what you now have got and prevent further data loss. (Back up your Mac with Time Machine – Apple Support)

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User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
197,279 points

Dec 12, 2019 4:24 AM in response to Maddo69

When you switch between libraries, Photos will open the libraries in turn. It will not delete the currently open library. But I would write down the path to your current library, so you will remember the name and where it is located. You can see the path to your currently open library at the top of the Photos > Preferences > General: Library Location.


if you do not have a backup, make a backup now, to preserve what you now have got and prevent further data loss. (Back up your Mac with Time Machine – Apple Support)

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All my Photos have disappeared

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