Photo Library and contents will not delete

photo library and contents will not delete. when I try to it acts like it will and shows dialogue saying "preparing to delete and never goes passed 0 %.

I stopped using it a long time ago and its not linked to any cloud or device cause its a pain. I rather just use my external directly and that has been much better than trying to manage all the extra files Photo Library creates. Now I can't delete anything and it's hogging needed space.

Any help?

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

May I ask how you are trying to do this, please? That may be the problem.

If you absolutely must delete the Photos Library, the thing to do is locate the actual Library and delete that.

The Library is located at Macintosh HD > Users > Your Name > Pictures > Photos Library.photoslibrary

It's a brave thing to do and I would suggest that you copy that Library to an External Hard Drive (EHD) or back it up via Time Machine just in case you ever change your mind.

**When you say**

I rather just use my external directly and that has been much better than trying to manage all the extra files Photo Library creates.

Click to expand...

How are you managing your photographs? And how is Photos creating all "these extra files" if you are not using it?

Finally, you do know that you can move your Photos Library to an EHD and manage it from there?

I'd appreciate your reply to these questions and comments before you do anything drastic that you might regret.

Ian

Is your "external" connected when you attempt to delete the files?

In Photos > PreferencesGeneral, do you have "Copy items to the Photos library" enabled? If not, that may be where the issue is?

Why would you think Photos creates 'extra files'? Images in albums or folders are not duplicates. Photos saves disk space by creating links to the original and preview versions.

Info here to delete iPhotos library should work for removal of its successor. http://osxdaily.com/2016/05/20/delete-iphoto-library-mac/

I was going to Pictures folder and trying to drag it to trash or right click and say delete but it never goes away. If I try to open it, it says It can't be opened and Photos has attempted to repair but cannot.

I have copied all the pictures from its Master folder, which is all the source photos it jacks with. Also have time machine back ups.

I haven't been using it but I think I accidentally imported some stuff in there a while back, so that's why A) it has some photos that I've copied out and B) I want to get rid of it cause I like just copying all my photos to my own folder and managing them there. Photos is convoluted and hard for me to manage. I just don't like it, as opposed to managing my own folder. Plus I have found files it creates such as cropped images of people's faces. Do not want. And C) It's taking up 5.96 Gigs on my tiny hard drive.

Looking forward to any help. Did try what you said from Pictures folder without external plugged in and no go.

Thanks!

Here's what it shows and never progresses from when I delete it:

when I try to open it says this:

when it hit open other is does this:

I haven't tried creating a new one but maybe I need to do that? I don't see how it would help me delete it though and I don't want to make more stuff that's stuck on my hard drive.

IWT said:

A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

May I ask how you are trying to do this, please? That may be the problem.

If you absolutely must delete the Photos Library, the thing to do is locate the actual Library and delete that.

The Library is located at Macintosh HD > Users > Your Name > Pictures > Photos Library.photoslibrary

It's a brave thing to do and I would suggest that you copy that Library to an External Hard Drive (EHD) or back it up via Time Machine just in case you ever change your mind.

**When you say**

How are you managing your photographs? And how is Photos creating all "these extra files" if you are not using it?

Finally, you do know that you can move your Photos Library to an EHD and manage it from there?

I'd appreciate your reply to these questions and comments before you do anything drastic that you might regret.

Ian

Click to expand...

I also don't know why it's not opening, if I can't delete the program or any of its contents, why would it all of a sudden not open now?
Another reason I hate this Program. Too janky.

badshoehabit said:

Why would you think Photos creates 'extra files'? Images in albums or folders are not duplicates. Photos saves disk space by creating links to the original and preview versions.

Info here to delete iPhotos library should work for removal of its successor. http://osxdaily.com/2016/05/20/delete-iphoto-library-mac/

Click to expand...

Because I can find files it creates, like cropped jpgs of people's faces, which I never asked it to do. It also has weird files in other places. See attached screenshots of just a couple quick examples.

It's time to run Disk Utility > First Aid, on the disk drive having this issue. Boot into Recovery, if the drive in question is your OS drive.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

vinbasshred said:

I also don't know why it's not opening, if I can't delete the program or any of its contents, why would it all of a sudden not open now?
Another reason I hate this Program. Too janky.

Click to expand...

What are the permissions on the folders and/or files???





- Patrick
======

...like cropped jpgs of people's faces

Click to expand...

I'm guessing this is how Photos collates the 'People' section of the library - recognising faces and filing them under names from titles in your metadata. But it doesn't use up disk space because they are links, not duplicates.

Do as ferrar suggest then have another go deleting the library. I'm a fan of Photos but it's no good if you've lost faith.

As you were able to locate the Photos Library (as in your screenshot, which is the same path I outlined to you), can you not Click on "Photos Library.photoslibrary" and either Command + Backspace to delete or drag it to Trash (Admin PW needed)?

Ian

Is Photos closed?

How large (GB) is the Photos database?

I definitely agree with Ferrar, boot from the recovery partition and run first aid.
Was the Photos Library originally an iPhoto Library?
When Photos was introduced most people exported iPhoto content and converted thier library to Photos. In most cases users then deleted iPhotos and it's library. Did you do this?


Sent from my iPhone

Why not just select all (CMD + A) photos within the Photos app itself, delete them, then permanently delete them by going to Recently Deleted (View > Library > Recently Deleted ... or just press control + 6) and clicking Delete All...

Just be sure that you're sure that you're sure (yes, I repeated that on purpose!) that you have duplicates of all these photos outside the Photos library!!!