Photo Folders Missing

[tezmil1]

Hi, Just hope someone can help, I have just added a folder to my photos as I always do when I have taken pictures after a trip. I usually name each folder accordingly ie "Holiday 2022" etc, however when I have just added my last one I noticed some of the previously added folders and all the pictures within are missing and I dont know where they have gone which now makes me not want to use photos on my mac.
I am using a mac mini with m1 chip on Monterey 12.6, Has this happened to anyone else please? thanks, Terry.

 

[HDFan]

Are they missing in iCloud photos as well?

 

[tezmil1]

Ah, They are in photos library on icloud drive, thanks for that but why have they been moved from photos app? thanks, Terry

 

[Mike Boreham]

Ah, They are in photos library on icloud drive, thanks for that but why have they been moved from photos app? thanks, Terry

I think @HDFan meant are they in Photos on iCloud.com?

What are you seeing on iCloud Drive?

 

[HDFan]

I think @HDFan meant are they in Photos on iCloud.com?

Yes, thanks for the correction.

 

[tezmil1]

Hi, thanks for replying, If I go into finder then click on pictures they are there in photos library. I dont know why they were removed from photos app but I cannot seem to find a way to get them back there, thanks, Terry.

 

[Mike Boreham]

OK so sounds like this is a referenced not a managed library? therefore iCloud Photos is off and there won't be anything on iCloud.com.

I don't have any experience of referenced libraries but thoughts are:
- have you move or renamed the location where the missing photos are?
- what happens if you reimport the missing ones?
- have you tried repairing the library. (Launch Photos app holding cmd+opt keys)?

 

[HDFan]

If I go into finder then click on pictures they are there in photos library.

OK so sounds like this is a referenced not a managed library?

or are you looking at the photos by opening up the library package contents?

 

[Mike Boreham]

or are you looking at the photos by opening up the library package contents?

I decided that was very unlikely because they are not in labelled folders inside the Library package and take some finding.
OTOH he did say in the Photos Library!
I think he meant in the Pictures folder?

 

[Bazza1]

I have a variation on this problem, I think.

I too keep my pictures in separate folders - in my case, in a larger Pictures folder under my user name (and not in Photos / iCloud Photos) on my Mac.

If you open my iPhone for syncing (Finder > my Phone), and click thru the Photos tab, you'll see I have set up 'Sync photos to your device from: Pictures (the route and name to the main folder), and chosen 'Select folders' - with some sub-folders chosen.

Syncing seems to go off okay, but in reviewing the folders on the iPhone, some of the chosen folders simply aren't there. I have trying unchecking the missing folders in 'Select folders' and re-syncing, then re-enabling them and syncing. Nope. I have fully uninstalled all photos from my iPhone and sync option and then re-syncing. Nope.

This shouldn't be an iCloud Photos issue because I'm asking the sync to choose a local folder on my computer. Perplexed as to why its certain folders - no rhyme or reason, as far as I can tell.