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Since updating to Ventura 13.1 external G Drive photos library will not open constantly restoring

I am using M1 Chip desktop, updated to Ventura 13.1. Photos Library in the external hard drive

4TB will not open. I am constantly updating and restoring the library. The Drive is formatted Journaled, and I have changed the permissions. I have added admin as a user with read & Write along with apply to enclosed items. Presently, after doing the above the drive will not even move to restore library, and upon trying to reverse yesterdays permission change, I have been waiting over an hour. Any suggestions welcomed. Thanks

iMac (24-inch, M1, 2021, 2 ports)

Posted on Jan 14, 2023 8:50 AM

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15 replies

Jan 14, 2023 9:17 AM in response to yogikate

Check the "Ownership" on the external drive. The bottom looks like this:

At the bottom it must say, "Ignore ownership of this Volume"


Repairing is a problem. Have you tried these things?

  • Make a new user and see if the same problem recurs with it
  • Use another library if you have one, or make a small test Library with a few pictures in it and see if the same thing happens.
  • Start in Safe Mode (different for different computers) This bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes.

           Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support 


The idea is to find out if the problem is with the Library, with your account, or with caches and login items, and stuff like that. One of these steps may fix the problem, but their failure to work is also diagnostic.


Jan 14, 2023 12:08 PM in response to Richard.Taylor

This is what I import to, "G Drive". I only plug it in when importing images from camera, or need previously downloaded images for work. No the photos app does not come up when popping the SD card in. Yes that stopped happening. The only way I can open photos is to double click on the Icon. For this conversation I have ejected the drive and clicked on the Icon.... to receive this message. If I choose "open another" it requests I select a library. Upon doing so, I'm told to "try again". Not to go down a rabbit hole..my greatest problem is the inability since updating to Ventura to open photos that have been loaded from an SD card on to the G Drive. All other files and images open. First message is "updating" then I roll to "restoring library". I can only assume there is a glitch with updating to Ventura & G Drive that has created this moment. I do use time machine...I once a month go in run then turn off.

Jan 14, 2023 9:09 AM in response to yogikate

You say your Photos Library is on an external drive--how is that drive formatted? To get full functionality (and to avoid damaging the Photos Library) an external drive must be formatted in either APFS format or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. When you select your external drive and type command-I for information, you can see the Format:

(Don't use case-sensitive unless you have to!)


Additionally, the drive can not have had Time Machine on it since it was formatted.

Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support


Formatting seems the most likely problem. Let us know...

Jan 15, 2023 8:42 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

Kate,


I do agree that we have to agree on terminology. For instance, I didn't realize G-drive was a sort of brand name-- I was confusing things like the C-drive in Windows. So I've been working on it:

"Photos" is an app-- it's relatively small, like 0.01GB in size. It has no pictures (notice how I say pictures or images, not photos-- the app name causes confusion!) The "Photos" app is in the Applications folder, and its icon is also in the Dock.


To "Open Photos" is the same thing as to "Run the Photos application." You can run Photos by clicking on its icon (in the Dock or in the Applications folder), by double clicking on the Photos Library icon, or by double clicking on any file that you've designated to be opened by Photos.


Also, Photos can be told to open when a camera or an SD card is connected. Or it may be that an app called Image Capture (which lets you put pictures places other than Photos Library) opens when an SD card is inserted. Or some other app opens. That's why I'm asking for details. When you say "import on to the external drive" I'm not sure which app is doing the importing.


The "Photos Library," 1 to 100 GB in size (or more), is where "Photos" stores all the pictures and information about them. The "Photos Library" (default name is "Photos Library.photoslibrary," but I have one named Ireland.photoslibrary, for instance) is originally created in the Pictures folder of the user account. But the Photos Library can be anywhere you want on the internal Mac drive, and it can be on an external drive as long as that drive is connected by a cable (not a network) and is "Formatted for Mac" so it can support the features Photos is looking for. And the volume must never have had Time Machine on it since it was formatted.


"iCloud" does lots of stuff. Here in the Mac Photos forum we usually mean "using iCloud.com to synchronize the Photos Library across macs, iPhones, and iPads." But iCloud also has email and other stuff, including a virtual disk drive where you can keep files and folders. So if someone says "I put that picture on iCloud," we may assume they mean iCloud Photos when they meant "iCloud Drive." These things do get so confused in conversation!


So when you say " These images appear also in iCloud," do you mean in the synced Photos section of iCloud.com-- the cloud app that looks pretty much like Mac Photos? or something else?


Sorry about the length and possible silliness of this-- I just thought we might be meaning different things from the same words.

Jan 14, 2023 9:27 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

obviously my information panel....I made admin user yesterday. I did check..with the three dots "apply to enclosed items". That choice did not help, that had been suggested in an earlier thread. There are thousands of images on the drive....only those in photos library, which is iCloud are not opening. I understand your thoughts with starting in safe mode....but this drive is ejected upon shutting down computer. Safe mode only loads files and apps that need to run...this would not apply, as not connected.

Jan 14, 2023 9:49 AM in response to yogikate

The drive if formatted correctly. Try the following: as a test launch Photos with the Option key held down and create a new, test library.  Import some photos and test to see if the same problem persists. Does it? This tells us if the problem is limited to your current library or is more wide spread.


If the new library preforms as expected close it and open your original library.




Jan 14, 2023 9:58 AM in response to Old Toad

Okay! So help me out with terminology. I do not open "Photos" through the Icon on the desktop. When I load photos from the camera, I plug the external drive in, insert the SD card in Anker Hub, and import on to the external drive. These images appear also in iCloud. I never open "Photos" through the icon as I immediately receive a response there is a conflict between the External Drive and "Photos". I began using this external drive several years ago, as through time, I've always had a challenge with "Photos". I had expected it would resolve with new computer M1Chip (1year old). So to your point...am I opening the External Drive Photos Library holding OPT, or the desktop icon "Photos"...which really doesn't have much in it. thanks


Jan 14, 2023 10:09 AM in response to yogikate

What I said in my previous post was that you should create a test library on the external drive, import a couple of photos into it and close an open it a couple of time to make sure it works. Then double click on your original library to open it and see if it will open.


If that fails, double click on your original library while holding down the Option+Command key to start the repair of the library.

Jan 15, 2023 8:14 AM in response to yogikate

yogikate wrote: "I do use time machine"

Time machine is a funky thing-- it requires the entire volume, even if there's space, there. So if you somehow get your Photos Library onto a Time Machine drive, it may work sometimes, but it is sure to fail. In fact, the Photos Library can't be on a volume that has ever had Time Machine on it, unless it has been re-formatted since.


Is this the problem? If so, you need to drag that Photos Library to your internal drive or to another hard drive formatted for Mac.


Or, you can use Disk Utility to divide your external drive into two volumes and drag the Photos Library from the TM volume to the new volume on the same drive.

Jan 15, 2023 9:35 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

Richard....you and I are on the same page...what a patient human you are! Thank you. So you have given me reason for pause. I have a M1 computer...my old Mac travelled to my husband. I have never used Time Machine on this computer, as it can be evil. Your message "must never have had Time Machine" has stopped us...when I was using the older machine, I did use Time Machine...often with challenging results. But I/we cannot be sure this external hard drive was not used during the back up on the other/older machine. As this has become so challenging...I'm thinking best solution might be to just purchase another drive, and transfer the images/information. I am most appreciative of your lengthy message and research, you spent a lot of time on this. Thank you,

Kate

Jan 15, 2023 10:08 AM in response to yogikate

You can't have too many hard drives! Well, I have so many I can't keep up with them. I have a program that has the directories of all the drives, so I can search for what I want without having them actually connected.


Prices have gone up, of course. SSDs with 1000MB/s speed are like $75/TB. Mechanical drives are maybe half that. If you're running a Photos Library on the drive, don't try using a Flash drive-- you need speed and reliability.

Since updating to Ventura 13.1 external G Drive photos library will not open constantly restoring

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