Outcome
Restore Amazon Photos sync safely and add a maintainable fallback sync path.
Audience and Scope
Audience: Home automation builder with intermediate Home Assistant and Docker experience
Estimated Time: 1-4 hours
Difficulty: intermediate
Before You Start
- Windows profile with local admin rights.
- Amazon Photos desktop app installed.
- Backup copy of current app settings file.
Hardware and Software
Hardware
- Amazon Photos desktop client.
- Text editor.
- Optional Syncthing fallback path.
Software
- Amazon Photos desktop client.
- Text editor.
- Optional Syncthing fallback path.
Step-by-Step
Step 1: Locate settings file
Objective: Open %AppData%Amazon Cloud Drive and find the account settings JSON.
Actions:
- Implement locate settings file according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
Step 2: Back up settings
Objective: Copy the JSON file before any edits.
Actions:
- Implement back up settings according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
Step 3: Update app mode
Objective: Set AppMode to the sync-capable value and define SyncPath .
Actions:
- Implement update app mode according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
Step 4: Restart Amazon Photos
Objective: Fully exit and relaunch the app, then sign in if prompted.
Actions:
- Implement restart amazon photos according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
Step 5: Validate file movement
Objective: Create a test file in source and confirm sync to target path.
Actions:
- Implement validate file movement according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
Step 6: Add fallback sync plan
Objective: Document a Syncthing-based backup path if Amazon sync breaks again.
Actions:
- Implement add fallback sync plan according to your environment.
Verification:
- Confirm expected state in Home Assistant and logs.
- Run a manual test to verify expected behavior.
Common failure and fix: If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
Validation Checklist
- Settings file loads without app errors.
- Test file sync succeeds both directions as expected.
- Fallback method documented.
Operations and Maintenance
- Document update cadence for packages and containers.
- Schedule backup verification.
- Record service health baselines and alert thresholds.
Troubleshooting and Rollback
- If app fails to launch: restore backed-up JSON file.
- If sync path ignored: re-check escaping and valid folder permissions.
- If recurring failures: switch to fallback sync workflow.