Photos app keeps forcing computer restart

[swandy]

I just picked up a new M1 iMac yesterday. Set it up from a Time machine backup of my 2019 iMac. Only issue I am having seems to deal with the Photos app and the photo library on an external drive. Several times when starting the photos app, I will see a quickly flash of a purplish color on the screen and then the iMac will restart. This only happens when I am starting or running the Photos app - every other app runs perfectly.
I think it might be the drive that the Photos library is on because - even on my other iMac - I will occasionally have an issue when trying to eject the external drive. (Message says it can’t be ejected because a program is using it - but every app is closed.)
It was suggested to return the new iMac or set it up as new but everything runs fine when I don’t use the Photos app. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks.

 

[jdb8167]

I just picked up a new M1 iMac yesterday. Set it up from a Time machine backup of my 2019 iMac. Only issue I am having seems to deal with the Photos app and the photo library on an external drive. Several times when starting the photos app, I will see a quickly flash of a purplish color on the screen and then the iMac will restart. This only happens when I am starting or running the Photos app - every other app runs perfectly.
I think it might be the drive that the Photos library is on because - even on my other iMac - I will occasionally have an issue when trying to eject the external drive. (Message says it can’t be ejected because a program is using it - but every app is closed.)
It was suggested to return the new iMac or set it up as new but everything runs fine when I don’t use the Photos app. Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks.

Do you use iCloud photo sync? If you do, maybe the easiest thing is to set up photos as new on the new Mac and then let iCloud sync your photos to the new Mac. This would eliminate a potential problem with the library. If you don’t have enough iCloud Drive space you could upgrade for a month to 200 GB ($2.99) or 2 TB ($9.99) then downgrade after the sync completes.

 

[swandy]

Do you use iCloud photo sync? If you do, maybe the easiest thing is to set up photos as new on the new Mac and then let iCloud sync your photos to the new Mac. This would eliminate a potential problem with the library. If you don’t have enough iCloud Drive space you could upgrade for a month to 200 GB ($2.99) or 2 TB ($9.99) then downgrade after the sync completes.

That was my idea, but since the same Photo library on the same external HD never caused my 2019 iMac to restart (both had the same version of Big Sur), the Apple support person suggested the possibility of some hardware issue in the new iMac and just to bring it back and find another new one.
Luckily the Apple store near me (where I picked up the Silver one) got a Blue one (my preferred color) in today and they are holding it till tomorrow for me to come in and exchange.