If you have a large collection of photos and videos, your upload might take more time than usual.
When you turn on iCloud Photos, the time it takes for your photos and videos to upload to iCloud depends on the size of your collection and your Internet speed. Why does iCloud photo library take so long to upload? You might be asked to enter your user account password. In the window that opens, click Repair to start the repair process. Then, while you click to open Photos, hold down the Command and Option keys at the same time.
How to use the Photos Repair Library on your Mac If Photos is open, close the app. Turn on iCloud Photos in the Photos app’s preferences. When turned on, this uploads your mobile photos to iCloud and synchronizes them with the photos on other Apple mobile devices. If it’s not already on, turn on iCloud Photos by swiping the button to the right, turning it green. 1, and the latest version of Aperture is 3.6.). To check for updates in iPhoto, open the iPhoto menu and choose “Check for Updates” in Aperture, head to the Aperture menu instead.
Update iPhoto or Aperture to the latest version, and then open your library.
You can delete or archive an iPhoto Library that was upgraded to use in Photos without worrying about whether any files will be deleted that are needed for Photos-any files references in both places are retained within the Photos Library when you delete the iPhoto Library. You can opt to archive to an external drive or fully delete your previous main library, as its contents are no longer necessary.
Your starting Photos library-even if an upgrade from iPhotos-is now your main library. When it’s complete, you will have a complete merged set in iCloud, on your other linked devices, and on your Mac. Photos will now proceed to perform a two-way sync. You can opt to either use optimized or full-resolution images. In the iCloud preferences, check the iCloud Photos box. Photos will warn you about how this will affect iCloud Photos. In Photos > Preferences > General click Use as System Photo Library.
Warning! As always, I urge you to make sure you have a complete backup of all media before making changes in case something unpredictable happens. If you designate a new library as the System Photo Library and then turn on iCloud Photos, the photos and videos in the new library will merge with those already in your iCloud Photos. That may be above your budget, but it’s the best tool for working with Photos libraries, and contains the merge feature not found in Apple’s app.
The easiest way to merge your old and new files and remove overlapping duplicates is with third-party software: PowerPhotos from Fat Cat Software ($29.95). Only new thumbnails and other support files created by Photos consume additional space. Launch Photos while holding down the Option key.Ĭlick the Open Other button and select your iPhotos Library file.īecause Photos uses a special kind of link when upgrading an iPhotos Library instead of copying the files in the library, you don’t need much additional storage to complete this process. If one library dates back to iPhoto, you need to start by upgrading it to Photos: Now with at least two libraries, you need to figure out how to merge them. For an older machine, it may be the very “latest” version.Ĭontrol-click the library file to choose Restore “Photos Library,” and then-critically!-select a destination other than where the current iPhoto or Photos Library lives. Navigate back in time to the last state of your iPhoto Library or Photos Library that you want to restore from. Navigate to your home directory’s Pictures folder. If Time Machine appears in your menu bar, select its icon and click on Enter Time Machine. Launch Time Machine, which is in your Applications folder.