Google Takeout guide
Treat numbered Takeout ZIPs as one library.
Processing each ZIP separately loses cross-archive matches and makes duplicate album copies harder to recognize.
Validate before a long run
Open every archive entry and verify its CRC before repair. A truncated part should stop the job before hours of output have been produced. Record compressed size, expanded size, media count, and sidecar count during the same pass.
Build one index
Index normalized filenames and JSON titles across all archives. Exact local matches should win, while cross-folder matches require stronger evidence so a similarly named photo is not assigned another file’s date or GPS.
Avoid a permanent expanded cache
Exif inspection still needs temporary files, but only a bounded batch must exist at once. Final output can stream directly from each ZIP entry into the destination before metadata is written and verified.