Photo App

[Tomos]

Good day to all.
Few weeks ago I had some help with my photos app on MacBook. Thanks to this forum got it sorted.
the only thing is since that episode I’ve been left with three libraries. It’s working fine when I eventually found the correct library. Is it possible to rename the one that is the correct one and use that as the default library?
Many thanks once again.

 

[IWT]

Is it possible to rename the one that is the correct one and use that as the default library?

Yes you can.

To rename, you Open Finder and under locations in the Sidebar > Macintosh HD > Users > Yourname > Pictures. There you should see all your photo libraries. It will look something like this:


You will have to decide which is your"main" one. In my case, it's the Photos Library.photoslibrary. I suggest that the one ending Library.photoslibrary is your main one.

In any event, if you want to alter the name, perhaps by appending a "1", the addition should occur before the .photoslibrary. That is important. So, if I wanted to make a change, it would be Photos1.photoslibrary

Whether you want to make changes in that area or not; the way to have one of your Libraries open first, hold down the Option Key and Click on the Photos app. This will bring up the list of available Libraries. The one you choose will be then become the one that opens as the default each time you open the Photos app by Clicking on it (no Option key).

In short, the last opened Library becomes the default whichever one you choose.

If you're not keen on renaming the Libraries, as above, you can simply open each Library using the Option + Click method till you find the one you want as default. Thereafter, that Library will become the default until you choose another.

HTH

Ian

 

[Tomos]

Thanks Ian for that it only shows one library.
But when I hold the Option key and open Photos it shows more than one. Vey strange.That gives me the option to choose the library I require as default.
Thanks.

 

[Tomos]

This is what I got on the Option Key and open photos
Thanks.

 

[Tomos]

Thanks
Looking back I think I have made a right shambles of my photo app.
I have a backup of my photos.
Grin and bare the situation I think

 

[IWT]

David; it works. Leave it at that

My guess is that when the others were created, they somehow got placed elsewhere on the Mac.

By using Option and finding what each one contains, you can select the "best" or most appropriate for you and that one will become the de facto default - or as you said, if it offers you the choice to make the default, take it.

Water under the bridge. Enjoy!

Ian

 

[Tomos]

Thanks once again. Take Care Stay Safe.

 

[MacInWin]

Bear in mind that if you use Option to open Photos, it shows all photo libraries it can see. That includes any on a backup drive, so if you have a TM backup or a clone backup, every database on those drives will appear in the window.

 

[IWT]

Good point, Jake.

On my iMac, it does all you said, but one of them has "System Photo Library" in brackets alongside the name. Which helps, but that may not be universal and less likely in David's case as the libraries got all mixed up.

Ian

 

[MarkAllread]

If you go to preferences in Photos and select "General", you can select the currently open library as the "System Photo Library". It is important to do this with your main library because if I'm not mistaken, the "System" library is the one that interacts with iCloud. If your selected library is not the System library, it will not synch to icloud etc.

 

[Tomos]

Thankyou very much for all the help.