How to Repair a Corrupted Photos Library on Mac When the Built-in Tool Fails

If you’re a Mac user, you’ve probably encountered the frustration of a corrupted Photos library. While Apple provides a built-in repair tool, sometimes it may not be enough to fix the issue. In this article, we’ll explore alternative methods to repair your Photos library when the repair tool fails.

Copy Image Files to a New Location

If the repair tool doesn’t resolve the problem, you can try a manual approach. Start by backing up your system, including the Photos library. Then, locate the Photos Library within your Users folder and select “Show Package Contents.” Navigate to the “Masters” folder, which houses your original image files. Copy the contents to a new location, ensuring you duplicate the folders instead of moving them outright.

If you encounter a copy failure, it indicates a corrupt image file, which could be the root cause of the issue. In such cases, copy a few files at a time to pinpoint the corrupt one(s). Create a new folder with the same name in the new location to transfer the files, excluding any corrupt ones. Repeat this process until all folders from Masters are successfully copied.

Create a New Photos Library and Import Copied Files

If the repair tool remains ineffective, creating a new Photos library and importing the copied image file contents is an alternative. Hold the Option key when launching Photos and select “Create New.” Once in the new Photos library, use the “Import” feature to bring in the contents of the image file folders you copied earlier.

Keep in mind that damaged image files might be irretrievable, but third-party tools could aid in potential recovery. If the Photos library corruption persists, seeking assistance from third-party repair and recovery tools becomes essential.