u/Distinct-Patient2724

My friend gave me her super old mac laptop to help get the images and videos backed up (around 3600 images and 900 videos). Im primarily windows user, new to all this, not super tech savvy so I was in touch with someone I thought knew more that I knew to get some help (yes im an idiot, i feel like throwing up and crying already). Their external hard drive had issues- they somehow got some files on there despite it being formatted for windows, I had to switch things around between macos and exFAT to keep the old files while also getting some of the new ones off the laptop. The export button wasnt working at all, so was transferring files via terminal, all was fine, their Photos library app was showing everything.

I got a lot of images from it, but I realised it wasnt all of them, and none of the videos. I was told it was likely just the ones locally stored that I had saved on there, and the ones from the icloud hadn't. But I didnt think I could access this account online (found out hours later she just gave me the wrong password- ill come back to this).

Person said I could trick the system a bit and have the laptop download it onto the external hard drive instead if i create a photos library there and make that the system one. Had a terrible feeling about it, but I did it. Everything has gone to shit since, and the guy has fled.

None of the files would upload to this. Waited for 2 hours. I tried to restore the local version, that too won't upload anything. I finally got access to the website icloud account, and there are only 1500 photos and 271 videos. I checked, they arent the same photos as the ones I have saved on the hard drive (small blessing- 5000+ i have no clue where they came from). But its not the other half of the photos or videos. I dont know where those have gone.

Cherry on top - the laptop is passed down via 4 people, and the original admin password has been lost (I couldnt reset it due to the whole Apple id password issue friend was having all day). Time machine was set to... off.

Im losing my mind. I HOPE they photos and videos are still on their phone, but I have no clue, and I cant check it with them at the moment cause theyre asleep. And im terrified to tell them ive lost everything. I know I messed up monumentally - please just help. What else can I do? I've been trying to fix this for like 10 hours non stop

My friend gave me her super old mac laptop to help get the images and videos backed up (around 3600 images and 900 videos). Im primarily windows user, new to all this, not super tech savvy so I was in touch with someone I thought knew more that I knew to get some help (yes im an idiot, i feel like throwing up and crying already). Their external hard drive had issues- they somehow got some files on there despite it being formatted for windows, I had to switch things around between macos and exFAT to keep the old files while also getting some of the new ones off the laptop. The export button wasnt working at all, so was transferring files via terminal, all was fine, their Photos library app was showing everything.

I got a lot of images from it, but I realised it wasnt all of them, and none of the videos. I was told it was likely just the ones locally stored that I had saved on there, and the ones from the icloud hadn't. But I didnt think I could access this account online (found out hours later she just gave me the wrong password- ill come back to this).

Person said I could trick the system a bit and have the laptop download it onto the external hard drive instead if i create a photos library there and make that the system one. Had a terrible feeling about it, but I did it. Everything has gone to shit since, and the guy has fled.

None of the files would upload to this. Waited for 2 hours. I tried to restore the local version, that too won't upload anything. I finally got access to the website icloud account, and there are only 1500 photos and 271 videos. I checked, they arent the same photos as the ones I have saved on the hard drive (small blessing- 5000+ i have no clue where they came from). But its not the other half of the photos or videos. I dont know where those have gone.

Cherry on top - the laptop is passed down via 4 people, and the original admin password has been lost (I couldnt reset it due to the whole Apple id password issue friend was having all day). Time machine was set to... off.

Im losing my mind. I HOPE they photos and videos are still on their phone, but I have no clue, and I cant check it with them at the moment cause theyre asleep. And im terrified to tell them ive lost everything. I know I messed up monumentally - please just help. What else can I do? I've been trying to fix this for like 10 hours non stop