https://github.com/rhettbull/repairphotosbookmarks

Repair broken bookmarks to referenced files in Apple Photos to fix "Missing file" errors when moving a Photos library to a different disk or machine.
https://github.com/rhettbull/repairphotosbookmarks

apple mac macos photos python

Last synced: 10 days ago
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Repair broken bookmarks to referenced files in Apple Photos to fix "Missing file" errors when moving a Photos library to a different disk or machine.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/rhettbull/repairphotosbookmarks
• Owner: RhetTbull
• License: mit
• Created: 2021-11-24T17:27:48.000Z (about 3 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2023-09-17T15:25:01.000Z (over 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-11-14T14:45:52.428Z (2 months ago)
• Topics: apple, mac, macos, photos, python
• Language: Python
• Homepage:
• Size: 251 KB
• Stars: 14
• Watchers: 5
• Forks: 2
• Open Issues: 6
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# Repair Apple Photos Bookmarks

Work in progress to repair file location bookmarks in Apple Photos. 

## Background

Starting in macOS 10.15/Catalina, photos imported into the Apple Photos app and not copied into the library (e.g. referenced photos) are tied to a specific volume on a specific computer. If you move the photos to a different volume or computer, even with the same name, Photos will be unable to open the original files and will produce a "Missing file" dialog.  This is caused because of macOS Sandbox security features and the fact that Photos now stores locations to photos using security-scoped file system bookmarks instead by path. This script will repair your photos library by updating the bookmarks.

This is a work in progress and it's a bit of hack.  It requires a few manual steps to get it working (the script will prompt you).

## How to use

First, move your Photos library to the new volume or the new computer.  Note: the absolute path to the photos must remain the same.  For example, if your photos were located on an external drive named "Fotos" and in a folder named "MyFotos" the path would `/Volumes/Fotos/MyFotos`, the new volume must also be named "Fotos" and the folder must be named "MyFotos". 

- pip install -r requirements.txt

- python3 repair_photos_bookmarks.py PATH_TO_PHOTOS_LIBRARY

- Follow the prompts

## Contributors

Thanks to [@dgleich](https://github.com/dgleich) for the idea behind this project and for contributing significant research, testing, and code!  This was a joint effort.

## TODO

- [ ] Add option to change the absolute path to the photos

- [ ] Incorporate as an option to [osxphotos](https://github.com/RhetTbull/osxphotos)

## Additional Information

For more information, see this [discussion](https://github.com/RhetTbull/osxphotos/discussions/319)