Way to Fix iPhoto Error Your Photo Library is Locked

Read time: 4 minutes

iPhoto, an application developed by Apple Inc., serves as a comprehensive solution for organizing and managing your photo collection. This versatile tool offers a range of functionalities, including photo editing, organizing, importing, and sharing. It played a significant role in the world of Mac personal computers from 2002 to 2015, where it was pre-installed on every Mac. However, with the introduction of OS X Yosemite, iPhoto was succeeded by the Photos application, which continues to streamline photo management for Mac users today.

The ‘photo library is locked’ error

Most of us are well-acquainted with the frustrating pop-up error message that reads, “Your photo library is locked,” particularly on Apple devices when attempting to access images across multiple devices using iPhoto. However, at times, a more perplexing message appears, stating, “This photo library is locked, or you do not have permission to make changes to it.” Despite several updates to the iPhoto app, this persistent error continues to plague users to this day.

Whether you’re contending with iPhoto’s issues on your PC, Mac, or mobile device, this blog aims to provide you with effective solutions to address some of the most frequently encountered problems.

• Occasionally, when attempting to access a library that is already open on multiple devices, you may encounter an error. To resolve this issue, it’s advisable to close iPhoto on any other devices while trying to access photos from your current device.
• If your iPhoto Library is located on an external drive that multiple Mac users access, it could lead to permission conflicts on the drive, preventing other users from accessing it.
• If your iPhoto library is running low on available space, this could potentially be the cause behind your iPhoto library becoming locked.

Sometimes An Unknown or Invalid JPEG Marker type is Found due to an Incorrect or misspelled file extension and when the image file format is different from the source file

If you come across a corrupted database or encounter issues with the metadata in your iPhoto library, please follow these steps:

1. Click on iPhoto to launch the app and press the Command + Option keys.
2. The app will request you to start the repair process.
3. Enter your credentials as administrator to begin the repair process. The process will take some time, it totally depends upon the photos.

Note- Quit the iPhoto application if it is running.

4. Click the Command + Option button and open the iPhoto option.
5. Press the keys till the Picture Library Rebuild dialog box appears.
6. Click Repair iPhoto Library Database.
7. Next click Repair.

It is also recommendable to rebuild the photo library database.

If you discover that your iPhoto library is running low on available space, follow these steps:

1. Open the Finder window; click on the target disk in the left pane.
2. Click on File on the top menu.
3. Click Get Info from the drop-down menu.
4. In the General section, you can see the Free space left on your hard drive.

If your available storage space falls below 500 MB, it’s advisable to classify it as insufficient and take action to declutter your system. Begin by identifying and removing unnecessary and duplicate files to reclaim valuable space. Following this cleanup, it’s a good practice to restart your system for optimal performance.

When multiple Mac users access the same iPhoto Library, conflicts in permissions can arise, potentially preventing certain users from accessing it. To resolve this issue, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Finder application.
2. To locate and choose the external hard drive containing the iPhoto library, simply click on it within the left pane.
3. Go to File and click Get Info from the drop-down menu.
4. A dialog will appear, check the box to Ignore ownership on this volume. Then close the dialog box.

While your iPhoto library might appear accessible, you might encounter difficulties opening your photos. This situation could arise from potential corruption within your photo files, necessitating the need for repair. For this, you can try Kernel Photo Repair, a windows-based application to repair corrupt RAW photos and damaged photos. It repairs photos in a few simples’ steps and saves them at the desired location. It repairs all photo file formats.

Summing Up

We trust that you’ll discover this blog to be both informative and beneficial. The solutions we’ve discussed above for resolving iPhoto errors are designed to assist you in recovering your iPhoto library. However, it’s strongly advisable to maintain a backup of your photos from the iPhoto library on an alternate storage device or in the cloud. In the event that your photo files become inaccessible due to corruption, you can rely on this photo repair tool, renowned for its ability to effortlessly mend broken or corrupt JPEG file headers.