Photos stuck at 'Updating Library 100% Complete' after High Sierra upgrade. Photos app stuck at 'Updating Library 100% Complete' for going on 5 hours, after High Sierra upgrade. Option to Quit app is greyed out. Cannot use or access any app user interface or features. Just stuck on the last slide of the 'Have Fun With Photos' tour. Hi, my photos library on my macbook air seems to be stuck. Photos Version 3.0 - macOS high sierra Version 10.13.6 Originally every photo that was on there had a small exclamation mark in the bottom right corner saying I was not connected to the internet and therefor the photo could not be downloaded/edited.
To get to the Photos Repair Library tool on your Mac, follow these steps:
ICloud Photos lets you have your picture of a cake and shoot a video of eating it, too. You can create a library of images and movies that’s far larger than the storage space available on any. Another possible cause of a perceived slowdown after updating to macOS Sierra is the new Photos app, which indexes and scans all photos for identifiable features and faces. This can take quite a while as well, particularly if you have a very large Photos app library. The workaround is fairly simple: Open Photos' Preferences. Click on 'iCloud'. Choose 'Download Originals to this Mac'. Wait a really long time for all Originals to be downloaded. Now, this presupposes you have enough disk space on the drive where you're Photos library is located to store all the photos and videos from your library.
- If Photos is open, close the app. Then, while you click to open Photos, hold down the Command and Option keys at the same time.
- In the window that opens, click Repair to start the repair process. You might be asked to enter your user account password.
The Repair Library tool analyzes the library's database and repairs any inconsistencies it detects. Depending on the size of your library, the repairs might take some time. When the process is done, Photos opens the library.
If you repair a library that's used with iCloud Photos, iCloud checks the library after the repair process completes to ensure everything is synced correctly.
If these steps still don't work, or you can't open the repair tool, contact Apple Support.
Back up your library
Before following any of these steps, it's a good idea to create a backup of your photo library, even if you use iCloud Photos. You can use Time Machine, use a third-party backup solution, or copy the library to an external drive. By default, your photo library is stored in the Pictures folder within your home folder.
Make sure that your software is up to date
Photos is part of the Mac operating system. You can avoid or fix many issues by running the most up-to-date version of macOS. Learn more about updating the software on your Mac.
If you use RAW images in Photos, learn more about the digital camera RAW formats supported by iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
If you have trouble migrating an existing iPhoto or Aperture library to Photos
You might see an alert message when you first open Photos or migrate an existing iPhoto or Aperture library. Learn what to do if Photos can’t copy or create a library.
If the Media Browser isn't showing your photos and videos
Use the Media Browser to make images from your photo library available in other apps, like Pages and iMovie. The Media Browser shows only the contents of the Photos library designated as the System Photo Library. If you have more than one Photos library—and the one you're using isn't set as the System Photo Library—the Media Browser won't show its contents.
Follow these steps to designate the current library as the System Photo Library:
- Choose Photos > Preferences.
- Click the General button at the top of the Preferences window.
- Click Use as System Photo Library.
If you're having other issues with Photos
If you're experiencing other issues—like missing or blank photo thumbnails, unexpected behavior, or if Photos won’t open—try to see if it's an issue with your library by following these steps.
Create a new Photos library and see if your issues persist:
- Quit Photos.
- Press and hold the Option key while you open Photos.
- In the dialog that appears, click Create New.
- Give your new library a name, then click OK. Note whether Photos opens successfully with this new library.
To return to your main Photos library, quit Photos. Then open it again while holding the Option key, select your main library, and click Choose Library.
Alternatively, you can open Photos in another user account on your Mac and note whether Photos opens successfully.
If Photos opens with the new library, or in a different user account, it might mean that there's an issue with your library. Follow the steps to use the Photos library repair tool on your main Photos library.
Learn more
Apple Photos Stuck Updating Library
High Sierra Photos Updating Library Stuck
- Learn how to create and order print products like books or calendars in Photos with Project Extensions.
- Get help with iCloud Photos.