Mac Photos app will no longer find search items

Are you using iCloud Photos to synchronize your Photos Library?

Try these things:

• Restart the computer (of course)
• Start in Safe Mode (different for different computers) This bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes.         Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support 
• Try 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.
• Make a new user and see if the same problem recurs with it. This tells you if the account has a problem
• Try to rebuild your Photos Library by closing Photos and re-launching by option-command-clicking the app icon.

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

Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

Have you installed and run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your Mac?

Where is the main library located? If not on the boot drive Photos can have problems with searches in the text search window. If that's the case try rebuilding the Spotlight index for that drive according to this Apple document: How to rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support  

Glad to hear you found a fix, although a bit convoluted.

DHK21 wrote: ... To summarize:

Search for anything and nothing is returned, even something just added.

This occurs in safe mode, as well as access by another user on another computer.

Other test libraries work just fine.

I tried rebuilding Spotlight db and no change.

It really appears as if the Photos db is completely gone.

Your answer to my earlier questions was "I've tried all those tests above" which isn't at all specific, and it forced me to repeat about users and libraries. You did not answer my question about your using iCloud Photos to synchronize your Photos Library-- do you? Did you repair the Library?

If "the Photos db is completely gone" then you see no pictures, since the database is essential to every operation. That would be easier to figure out. Everything working but one is way harder.

Here's the Nuclear Option: Make a new Library and copy everything to it.

I'd use the trusted 3rd Party app, PowerPhotos ($30) to copy all the pictures and albums into a brand new Library. (I already own PowerPhotos and I use it for lots of things so, for me, it wouldn't cost anything.) I just tried copying about 1000 pictures, and it took less than a minute and preserved the album structure.

You could, instead, use the Import command in Photos, but that imports the pictures without their album structure.

Another method would be to pay for a month of iCloud (maybe $3), and let Photos copy all your pictures to it. Then make a new empty Library, designate it as the System Library connected to iCloud, and let Photos copy all the pictures from iCloud to the new Library. If there are corrupt files, they won't make it through iCloud. Then you cancel iCloud if you want.

What do you think?

DHK21 wrote: I've tried all those tests above. All the photos seem to be there but any kind of search still brings back no hits... : )

Even in other Libraries? Even with other users?

Key