Mac Photos Has Attempted To Repair The Library

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Pam Bush upgraded her Mac to the latest version of OS X, but her Photos library is full of black thumbnails, rather than tiny images. The Mac consultant who handled her upgrade told her it was a bug, and she needed to “rotate every image manually.” “Not going to happen in my lifetime,” Pam writes.

If your Apple Mail doesn't seem to be searchable and/or has become so slow it seems to hang your Mac - or even displays incorrect email content, then it's time you attacked the problem: it's time. Quit out of Photos app if you have it open on the Mac Re-launch Photos app and immediately hold down Command+Option keys When the Repair Library message appears in the app “You are about to repair the library “Library Name” – choose “Repair” to start the library repair process.

The consultant is technically correct: iPhoto and Photos rebuilds previews if you rotate an image, which can be done in Photos in the All Photos view by selecting Edit > Select All and then Image > Rotate Clockwise or Rotate Counterclockwise, and then the opposite after the rotation is complete.

However, for a large photo library, this is a lot of wasted time and effort, and might mask other problems in the file structure. Instead, you can rebuild thumbnails or repair the library, depending on the software you use.

Mac Photos Has Attempted To Repair The Library

For iPhotos and Photos alike, quit the app, then hold down Command and Option while launching, and keep them held down until you see a dialog.

Mac Photos Has Attempted To Repair The Library

Mac Photos Has Attempted To Repair The Library System

In iPhoto, you’re prompted with the Photo Library First Aid dialog, and can choose among a number of options, including Rebuild Thumbnails. Select it, and click Repair. (Earlier versions of iPhoto had the Rebuild Photo Library dialog with two thumbnails options, and others that could be checked off at the same time.)

Photos removed any options: when it’s launched with Command and Option held down, you can opt to Rebuild or Quit. Rebuilding performs all maintenance operations and shows you the progress as it goes.

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Mac Photos Has Attempted To Repair The Library Code

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How To Repair Mac Photos Library

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Glenn Fleishman is the author of dozens of books. His most recent include Take Control of Your M-Series Mac, Take Control of Securing Your Mac, Take Control of Zoom, and Six Centuries of Type and Printing. In his spare time, he makes Tiny Type Museums. He’s a senior contributor to Macworld, where he writes Mac 911.