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Some pictures recently imported into Mac Photos on Sonoma have NULL as the value for ZMASTERFINGERPRINT in the SQL database. Is there a way to force a valid ZMASTERFINGERPRINT to be created for those pictures?
Thanks.
Mac mini, OS X 10.11
Other than having "null" in that database field is the library not acting as it should or giving your problems?
And why is it important to have a value in that field? Are you able to see and use those photos that do have have a value?
Check again in a few months. No one outside of Apple knows what this field means, You might get a clue by looking at ones that aren't null.
I suspect that it might be some long time background operation that will fill in a value when it is done.
Otherwise, as said, don't worry about it.
You're going where no user has gone before (sorry about the pun). Inside the liberty is not intended for user access. Since the dB is not for general user use I would not worry about that field.
I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that solves my problem.
I'm not operating from a server. What I'm doing is importing pictures into an existing Photos library and Photos is not generating the ZMASTERFINGERPRINT value in its SQL database for some/all of the new photos, whereas almost all of the previous photos have this value.
I look at what's in the database and export some of the photo data to a spreadsheet which is how I noticed the issue. I do not enter any info into the database. I
I import pictures using File>Import.
It is my belief that ZMASTERFINGERPRINT is a unique identifier calculated from the contents of the picture and that if the same picture file is imported twice each copy would have the same fingerprint. If that assumption is correct it will help me cull duplicate pictures from my collection - if all pictures have a fingerprint. If that isn't true then it probably doesn't matter.
If the fingerprint works as I believe then it may explain why Photos doesn't always recognize exact duplicates. This may occur in the event two copies of the same photo have been imported, as may happen for several reasons including accidentally loading a set of photos that already existed in the library or merging two libraries.
I would like to reiterate that I'm not doing anything to the database other than running an SQL query to generate a spreadsheet of info about the pictures that I use as an external catalog to my collection.
For anyone following this thread:
I've run a simple test, as follows
Imported a small sample (78) of original photos into a new empty Photos library created in the current Sonoma version of Mac Photos - all of the imported photos & videos imported with ZMASTERFINGERPRINT = NULL
Copied same sample to older computer running Mojave and hence an older version of Photos. Imported the sample into an new empty Photos library - all photos & videos imported with valid ZMASTERFINGERPRINT values
Copied the Mojave Photos library to the Sonoma machine and opened it in Photos - all photos/videos retained their ZMASTERFINGERPRINT values
Repaired the library from step 3 (originated in Mojave copied & opened in Sonoma) - all photos/videos had their ZMASTERFINGERPRINT reset to NULL
My conclusion is that there is a problem with the Sonoma version of Photos regarding ZMASTERFINGERPRINT and possibly other elements of the database.
How do I report this to Apple?
But this might be a feature, not a bug.
They might not be using that field anymore, but they keep it around because of backwards compatibility.
As I said, this might be the result of a low priority background process like scanning faces. Give it some time.
The general rule is that you can't operate a Photos Library from a server. See this:
Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support
Ah-- you're messing around in the Photos database! I don't. But for anybody who does, how are you importing the pictures? Do you use File>Import, or some other method?
Let us know if you find anything.
Photos has recently upped its duplicates game. I assume you think that this value is a hash of some sort.
Missing ZMASTERFINGERPRINT in Photos database
