Problem with Photo.app library

[Speed38]

I am working with a senior with a newish Mac Book Pro running Ventura.

Last year she migrated to her current MBP from an older one, with the help of folks at the Apple Store, but the migration of her photos went awry with multiple empty albums appearing when she opened Photos on the MBP for the first time. Repeated efforts by Apple to set this right failed.

She had two backups of her iPhoto library on an external HDD but when we connect that HDD to her MBP, launch Photos holding down the Option key and choose to open either of those libraries on the external HDD, we get [The selected library must be migrated before it can be imported].

So...I copied both those iPhoto Libraries to her Home folder then again tried to open them using the above method. Failed with the notice [The library version for "iPhoto Library" is not supported. It can be opened with macOS Monterey or earlier.]

Can anyone offer any suggestions for a next step?

 

[chabig]

Migrate doesn’t mean copy the old library onto the new computer. It means that Photos needs to update the structure of the library from an older version. Just open the old library again and let it migrate to the new library type. When it’s done, verify that you’re happy and then you can safely delete the two libraries you manually copied.

 

[Speed38]

Thanks so much for replying....and may I impose on you further?
What steps should we take to follow your directions to "open the old library again and let it migrate to the new library type."?
Is it possible to simply double click on the old library on the external HDD and have it open?

 

[Speed38]

Here are the extensive notes I made when she handed me her old computer, a MB Pro, 2015, running Catalina:

N.B. My aim here is to be sure that ALL her photos will end up in Photos.app on her new MB Pro.

Also, can anyone understand why two Photo Libraries would each contain 11,121 Photos, 84 Videos, 10 Items while one of them is 51.45 GB and the other is 40.26 GB?

THE DEFAULT/SYSTEM LIBRARY - When I open Photos on that machine the Library it opens contains:
Photos Library 51.41 GB Created 4/15/16; Modified 3/9/20
Contents: 11,121 Photos, 84 Videos, 10 Items

ON THE DESKTOP of her computer reside two more Photo libraries

• 1. iPhoto Library 52.89 GB Created 12/25/2012; Modified 7/7/2018. When you double click on this Library’s icon, you get [Cannot open migrated library. The content of the iPhoto Library has already been migrated to Photos. Open Photos to view your library or use a compatible version of iPhoto to open this iPhoto library].

• 2. iPhoto Library 40.26 GB Created 8/21/21; Modified 8/23/21. When you double click on this Library’s icon, the photos open in Photos.app and Contents are 11,121 Photos, 84 Videos, 10 Items

QUESTION: I interpret this to mean that the number of photos in Photos Library 51.41 GB and in iPhoto Library 40.26 GB are the same [11,121 Photos, 84 Videos, 10 Items], yet the size in GB differs. One is 51.41 GB and the other is 40.26 GB. But why the difference in GB size??


**************************

The EXTERNAL HDD she gave me Contains:

iPhoto Library 1 - 41.84 GB Created 8/21/21; Modified 7/3/2023

iPhoto Library 2 - 40.45 GB Created 8/16/2019; Modified 7/3/2023

iPhoto.Library.migratedphotolibrary 12/25/2007; Modified 6/29/23

*************************

When you launch Photos app with Option key, 4 libraries are offered:

Photos Library (System Photo Library), i.e. Default library / last modified 3/9/20

iPhoto Library 1 / last modified Yesterday 9:41

iPhoto Library 3 / last modified Yesterday 4:26

iPhoto Library 2 / last modified Yesterday 9:17

Choosing iPhoto Library 1: says Updating Library…then [The library could not be opened (4302).

Choosing iPhoto Library 3 opens that Library. Contents are 10,023 Photos, 102 Videos, 9 items and no blank thumbnails

Choosing iPhoto Library 2 says Updating Library…then [The library could not be opened (4302)

So, on the external HDD are two libraries that cannot be opened

********************
Did a Safe Boot and tried to open the recalcitrant libraries again. No change; cannot open them. (4302) error once again.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Let’s start here:

Import photos from another library in Photos on Mac - Apple Support

If you organize your collections of photos into individual libraries, you can import photos from one library into another.

support.apple.com

Find your pictures or albums after you migrate a library to Photos – Apple Support (UK)

If you think you might be missing photos or albums after you migrate an iPhoto or Aperture library to Photos, check these items.

support.apple.com

 

[Speed38]

I am trying out your suggestions. The first does not work with anything before Monterey...and she is running Catalina.

Wait..I think I know what you mean. I do believe you have solved this....

I just copied the Default Photos library from the old MBP to an external HDD.
If I also copy the other Photos Libraries that are capable of being opened to the external HDD, attach the HDD to her computer, then follow the instructions you sent, library by library, we end up with all the photos she ever put into any of her Photos libraries.
Please tell me I have that right???

 

[Speed38]

Got no answer to my last post.

The gal I am helping decided to d/loaded PowerPhotos and that was able to migrate her old iPhoto library into the library she is currently using.
Now the problem is that she has 9,000 odd photos on her MB Pro, but 40,000 photos in her iCloud account and on her iPhone and iPad.
I tried searching for how to fix this but the Apple support page was useless:

If your iCloud Photos aren't syncing to your device - Apple Support

If your photos or videos won't sync to iCloud Photos on your device, learn how to check the status of your photo library and what to do if you see a status message.

support.apple.com

 

[Speed38]

For anyone else who might stumble onto this thread...I found some good suggestions elsewhere. Here they are:

Here are a few ideas to test. Much of what I'm going to suggest may well have been done, but check to make sure.

There is a lot to go through and I'm sorry for that; but I assure you it's all relevant.

On your MacBook, check out these settings:

Firstly, Open Photos app > now use the Keyboard shortcut - Command plus comma - to enter Photos Preferences > Click on "iCloud" and make sure "iCloud Photos" is ticked.

Mac > System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Photos On (May need to tap on Show All to find it).

Whilst there, please tell me if "Optimise Mac Storage" is turned On or Off. Ideally, it should be Off, but if it's On - LEAVE it alone for now.

Next, same place, but just below: you will see "Account Storage". Alongside is "Manage". Click on that and tell me what you see there.

In particular, it will tell you how much Storage Space is available to you.

And underneath, you will find how much Storage Space is being taken up by Photos and Backups. (This is important particularly if "Optimise Mac Storage" is On).

____________________________________________________________________________________

On iPhone & iPad > Settings > Photos >" iCloud Photos" is Ticked.

On iPhone & iPad > Settings > Tap on Owner's Name (Apple ID iCloud+ Media & purchases) > iCloud > Show All > Photos On. And below this > iCloud Backup On.

Again on iPhone & iPad > Settings > Mobile Data > Turn Off (for the moment) to restrict syncing to WiFi and then Tap on Mobile Data Options > Data Mode - Make sure Low Data Mode NOT ticked.

You may well have done this, but it pays to be sure.

The purpose of the above is to force Syncing by WiFi only. This is vastly quicker than Mobile Data and cheaper as it's not using that service. This is a temporary measure until we get the Syncing over and done with. Then Mobile Data can be turned On again.

Next, still on iPhone & iPad, just check your iCloud Storage limit in case that's the cause of the slow down. I know we did that for the Mac (Account Storage > Manage), but it's important to do this for iPhone & iPad because there seems to be a discrepancy about storage on each device.

To do this: On iPhone, iPad - Settings > Apple ID > iCloud. At the top alongside iCloud/iCloud+ you should see xGB of yGB used where x is the current amount stored within iCloud Storage and y is the amount of iCloud Storage you have or have paid for.

Syncing needs WiFi (in fact we have insisted that WiFi only will be used for syncing as we have shut down Mobile Data for the time being).

As Jake said, Syncing is low priority and there's a lot of photos (and possibly videos) to be synced via the iCloud to/from Mac, iPhone, iPad.

I've set you a lot of work to do, but I'm not sitting next to you and we need a good starting point.

I do hope this helps

 

[Speed38]

Reporting back to close this thread.
She installed the paid app PowerPhotos from Fat Cat software and used it to sort out/merge/etc. her multiple photos libraries. Since she had a MB Pro, an iPad, and an iPhone, and over 40k photos, it took about three days for everything to finally get in sync but, in the end, it did.
BTW - I went back through this thread and double-checked that I did a "like" for all those who contributed...and again, my thanks for doing so.