An error pops up when you are trying to access images from multiple devices using an iPhoto. An error stating “this photo library is locked or you do not have permission to make changes to it”. Although the iPhotos app has seen quite a few updates, this old problem/error still haunts us to date. Starting your Mac in Recovery mode and running your disk repair utility, to resolve the error might not always work, here are some more things you can try.

Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library
Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Mac Os
Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Machine
Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Macbook Pro
Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Macbook

What are the reasons behind the error “this photo library is locked”?

Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library

In a particular instance copy of iphoto library folder to external drive leaves you with an error as- “The finder cannot complete the operation because some data in “xxx.jpg” could not be read or written (error code -36)” The error may crop up as a result of corruption of one or more jpg file stored in the library folder. When I attempt to open iPhoto I get the message: iPhoto is unable to open this library. The library is incompatible with iPhoto. I was connecting and iPad to download photos that I had previously downloaded to iPhoto on my Macbook Pro. I have had iPhoto and the photos located therein for over 3 years and all of the sudden I'm getting this message. If the iPhoto library is on a CD or DVD or other read only media like a USB stick then the iPhoto library cannot be accessed from that disk. To get rid of the problem you need to copy the library on the hard drive where you would be able to modify it and then add the copy to the iPhoto library manager with the Add Library button.

When you are trying to access iPhoto from multiple devices: So, if you are accessing a library that is already open on multiple devices, you might receive an error. Close the iPhoto on the other devices, when you are trying to access iPhotos from your current device.
Conflict of ownership on removable drives: If your iPhoto Library is stored on an external drive that is used by many Mac users, there might be a permission dispute on that drive that disables other users or devices from accessing it. Specify read and write permissions to access external drives on Mac to correct this factor.
iPhoto library is running out of free space: If the drive on which iPhoto library is saved is running out of free space, then this could be the reason why your iPhoto library might have gotten locked.

These are the above reasons why one would encounter the message “this photo library is locked” let us know below how to fix it.

How to fix error “you do not have permissions to make changes” on iPhoto

Start troubleshooting to solve the error, using below steps

Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Mac Os

Click on iPhoto to launch the app and press command + option keys. (quit the photos app before you do so)
The app will request you to start repair process
Enter your credentials as administrator to initiate the repair
The process takes some time, depending upon the photos you have saved on the system.
Troubleshooting might have solved the issue to some extent, but if the repair process has stopped in the middle then the images are not accessible even after repairing the photo library, it can be hard to determine the reason. In such cases, it is recommended to repair iPhoto library and then rebuild the photo library database.

Quick Note: You can also use the 'Rebuild iPhoto library database' feature as shown below to rebuild the library if the above method fails to fix the repair library issue:

Click the Command + Option button and open the iPhoto option
Press the keys before the Picture Library Rebuild dialog box appears
For the database repair tool, click Repair iPhoto Library Database > click Repair.

The iPhoto launches successfully once the rebuild is complete, and you can see all your images once again. If the above steps have not solved your problem, Try the Mac console app.

Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Machine

Fix iPhoto using Mac Console app:

When you open a console session, go ahead and try to open the iPhoto app again
Check the console messages for any iPhoto app-related errors or issues. Look to see if there are additional hints you can find that can help you find the problem source.
By holding the Shift Key while restarting or booting up, try booting in Safe Mode.
Make sure that the main library of images helps you to read and write. Go to the photo library and click or right-click on the photo library and select Get Info to open the Info Window. Scroll down to Sharing & Permissions and verify under your username that it is classified as Read & Write. If not, modify the Read & Write permissions to those.

Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Macbook Pro

Unless you're sure you have a permission-related problem, Repair Disk Permissions works as a troubleshooting method. before you initiate the repair process, just in case anything happens during the process, make sure you have a backup of your images. Use Remo Photo Recovery tool torecover lost files from the iPhoto library. Try the tool for free and then activate it to save the recovered files to the desired location. Download now.

For Mac users, occasional hiccups with the iPhoto Library app are not uncommon. Missing or corrupt files, errors, failed imports, the crash of the Photos app, device hanging problem while opening the iPhotos app, etc., are common issues. Such issues mean that the Images app is corrupt and it is recommended to be repaired.

Unable To Write To Library Iphoto Library Error Macbook

If you feel this above article has helped you in resolving the error “this photo library is locked”. If you find this information helpful please share it with your friends and colleague, comment below if you have any queries.