mac photos: export any single file = unknown error (-1, 004)

When you say, "export any single file," do you mean that you use Photos' menu File>Export>Export nn Photos? Or something else.

How much storage do you have, and how much is used? System Setting>General>Storage?

Do you have "Cleaner" apps or virus catcher apps or VPN?

To narrow things down, try these steps:

• Restart the computer (of course)
• Re-start in Safe Mode. This bypasses certain potentially disruptive processes, and it often helps. Safe Mode is different for different computers, so see this: 

           Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support 

• Use another library if you have one, or make a small test Library with a few pictures in it and see if the same thing happens. You can create a new Library by closing Photos and then option-clicking on the Photos icon.
• Make a new user and see if the same problem recurs with it.  This is a bit harder, because a new user can't access a different user's stuff. You would need to move your Library out of your own user's folder up to the general "Users" folder. 
• Rebuild your Photos Library--close Photos and re-launch by option-command-clicking the app icon. If you use iCloud Photos, it’s possible that this will cause a re-sync that lasts long enough to make you nervous.

The idea is to find out if the problem is with the Library, with your account, or with caches and login items, and stuff like that. One of these steps may fix the problem, but their failure to work also helps figure out what's happening.

Let us know what happens…

cmilesmac wrote:

i created a separate user account and was able to to a file export via photos.

That means there's some 3rd party software on your user account that probable is interfering with the process.

Please download and run Etrecheck.  The free version is sufficient.

Copy and paste the results into your reply. Etrecheck is a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC and recommended by Apple Support  to provide a snapshot of the system and help identify the more obvious culprits that can adversely affect a Mac's performance.

Copy the report

and after clicking on the Reply button use the Additional Text button to paste the report in your reply.

Then we can examine the report and see if we can determine the cause of the problem.

Where are you trying to export them to? On the Desktop or somewhere o the boot drive or a external drive of some sort?

What are the ownership/permissions for the area you're trying to export to?

Are you using iPhoto Library with Optimize Mac Storage enabled?

When you say "file > export" do you choose "Export nn Photos," or do you choose "Export Unmodified Originals?"

Again "How much storage do you have, and how much is used? System Setting>General>Storage?"

And again, "Do you have "Cleaner" apps or virus catcher apps or VPN?"

First, there is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus, VPN or security apps on your Mac.  This documents describe what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community and Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support.  

There are no known viruses, i.e. self propagating, for Macs.  There are, however, adware and malware which require the user to install although unwittingly most of the time thru sneaky links, etc.   

Anti Virus developers try to group all types as viruses into their ad campaigns of fear.  They do a poor job of the detecting and isolating the adware and malware.  Since there are no viruses these apps use up a lot of system resources searching for what is non-existent and adversely affect system and app performance.

There is one app, Malwarebytes, which was developed by a long time contributor to these forums and a highly respected member of the computer security community, that is designed solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  

Unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's, school's or bank's servers, they provide false security from a privacy standpoint.  Read these two articles: Public VPN's are anything but private and Security Risks: The Dangers of Using Free VPNs (eccu.edu).  

Additionally, a new study ("Apple Offers Apps With Ties to Chinese Military”) is specifically about VPN apps in Apple’s App Store.

That being said unless your employer mandates the use of SentinelOne I recommend uninstalling it according to the developer's instructions.

Also Google Chrome is a known system resource hog:

Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) (79) 42.98 % (Google LLC)

and

Top Processes Snapshot by Memory:  

Process (count) RAM usage (Source - Location)

  Google Chrome Helper (Renderer) (79) 12.62 GB (Google LLC)

The Brave Browser is based on Chrome without the Google mining of your user experience and data. It's a better, more private version of Chrome.

Just some food for thought.

Again,

" do you mean that you use Photos' menu File>Export>Export nn Photos?"

"How much storage do you have, and how much is used? System Setting>General>Storage?"