Anyone use iCloud for photos?

Foebane72

Prominent Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2006
Messages
3,450
Reaction score
269
Points
760
Age
51
Location
Cardiff
I know someone who has recently signed up to use iCloud for his photo collection and just two days ago had a problem where he couldn't access files on his iPhone by just plugging it into his Windows laptop. I found out that it seems that iTunes is needed to access such devices, and it seems to have solved his problem and he uploaded hundreds of pictures, slowly through Wi-Fi, to the iCloud website.

But yesterday he was in a rush to download all his Favourite photos from iCloud Photos from the website, and he found that when he selected some files, not all of them would download, but sometimes they would, if it was a selection of two or three. I figured it would not be a problem for Windows PCs as I've never had that problem, but then again, his laptop is riddled with malware and he frequently gets annoying pop-ups, so could that be it?
 
his laptop is riddled with malware and he frequently gets annoying pop-ups

So the phone is the least of their worries, get this sorted first.... :D

Backup user data, wipe the drive and re-install the OS from known good/clean media.
 
Tell him to use Google Photos instead. It is much better (and free for up to 16mp photos).
 
So the phone is the least of their worries, get this sorted first.... :D

Backup user data, wipe the drive and re-install the OS from known good/clean media.

I have suggested that he does, but he'd have to buy a new copy of Windows 7 as he doesn't have one already. However, Win7 should be going cheap by now?
 
Tell him to use Google Photos instead. It is much better (and free for up to 16mp photos).

I think he went for iCloud as he has an iPhone, so he's a relative computer newbie who's going with what he knows. I've explained a lot of the stuff as it is, but it's a steep learning curve for someone like him with his background.
 
Maybe your friend just needs to change the metadata in his photos?

:p
 
Possibly Win7, but without a hard copy to back up from? It's not very clear.
 
People are asking what version of windows your someone is running and why is he unable to do a clean install.

I tried to interpret what you may have meant, which may be wrong. You need to clarify :smashin:
 
Do laptops nowadays come with windows disks ?

I thought you had to make a backup after receiving laptop, I know someone that purchased one from Currys recently and it didnt come with any discs.

Another reason I refuse to own a laptop.
 
Desktops and laptops rarely come with Windows discs these days... But you'll get recovery media to restore it to factory defaults or a tool to make such media yourself.

If it has 7/8 and supports 10 you could upgrade for free using the ISO available from Microsoft. First time use has to be an upgrade to the existing os but after that it can be used for clean installs.
 
I had a look at his System info, I'm certain it was Win7 Premium. Sorry, thought I'd mentioned that already. Also, I don't think his laptop would support Win10, it seems a bit slow, although that could be the malware.

A tool to make such media? I would think the malware would hijack such a tool to put itself in the system files for the installer ISO that is created?

In any case, I tried to help him a month or so previously by installing the only tool I thought could be certain to wipe out the malware, SpyBot Search and Destroy, but it couldn't find anything and it doesn't seem to have changed.

A clean install is the only way, but I'll have to look into the options as you've all suggested, and convince the guy to proceed.
 
A tool to make such media? I would think the malware would hijack such a tool to put itself in the system files for the installer ISO that is created?

Possible, but unlikely... there will be checksums to verify the media and hacking every manufacturers tools would be a mammoth task. If you go the 10 route you can create that media on a known good PC anyway.
 
Well, it's all really up to him in the end, if he wants the problem fixed badly enough.
 
...Foebane72 could be a good mate & burn the ISO on his clean PC :)
 
But you said he's a relative computer newbie, so he probably doesn't know that's what he needs to ask you...sort of like when you ask questions on these forums, not knowing exactly what you need, but people still offering their solutions to you even though you're not directly asking THEM personally for help...:lesson:
 
There should be recovery partition the laptop to reset it to factory settings so the pc will be just like when he first got it. you can access the option by pressing f8 just after the bios screen (the method varies by manufacturer).
 
IF he asked for it.
Will you do it IF we ask you nicely? After all people have made the effort to tell you what you need to do to help him and that will be wasted if you withhold the help until your someone asks you for your help, which actually isn't yours, it's ours. :)

Please help him/her. :love:
 
t will be wasted if you withhold the help until they ask you for your help, which actually isn't yours, it's ours. :)

Please help him/her. :love:

Or better yet @Foebane72 you can show your friend the forum and he/she can ask for help directly and gain the knowledge from us lot :)

I Feel I have learnt quite a bit through the help and advice of other members!
 
Last edited:
Thanks very much, all of you, but if he says "no, it'll be fine", what can I do? It's his laptop, after all.
 
Does he want access to his photos or not? I'm sure he will come around :)
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom