"Aperture cannot access this library"

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Level 1

8 points

"Aperture cannot access this library"

*"Aperture cannot access this library" followed by "To use this library, make sure its file permissions are set correctly."*

I recently swapped my Windows PC for an Apple iMac. I thought Apple the bees knees (initially) now this problem has loomed it head and is pretty scary.

I have 22,000 family photos from year 2000-2010 in my library and now I cannot open it. Several weeks of processing these photos seems to be lost and maybe the photos too.

Can anyone help me get them back. Although familiar with a computer I am by no means an IT expert and I am not really familiar with Apple at all having been with Windows since it was release back in the stone age and only a few weeks with Apple.

I tried the trial Aperture, liked it and bought the real thing. I loaded it up used the code number etc and off it goes working like a dream. I start up my computer today and try to open Aperture 3 and it give me the error message. "Aperture cannot access this library" followed by "To use this library, make sure its file permissions are set correctly."

Do any of you kind Apple Experts know how this can be corrected please, please please?

<Edited by Host>

27inch i5 quad core 12gb ram 2.66ghz, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Sep 27, 2010 10:56 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 27, 2010 11:13 AM in response to Qatar Expat

Re-launch Aperture with the command and option keys held down. Choose the "repair permissions" option and see if that fixes the issue.

Note, it's always a good idea to back up your library.

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Answer 2

Qatar Expat Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 27, 2010 11:27 AM in response to William Lloyd

Hello William, thanks for the tip, I tried that earlier after reading it in another location, it had no effect unfortunately.

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Answer 3

Sep 27, 2010 11:50 AM in response to Qatar Expat

Confirm that you are opening the correct Library when you launch Aperture.

Do you have any unusual hardware or networking attached to this Mac?

Do the usual voodoo/system repair: reboot, run "Repair Permissions" from Disk Utility, reboot, create a new Ap3 Library, open and close it a few times, test it out to confirm that Aperture is working, try to open your Library again after making a back-up copy.

Sorry you are having problems. It seems likely that your Library is recoverable, fwiw.

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Answer 4

Qatar Expat Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 28, 2010 7:50 AM in response to Kirby Krieger

Hello Kirby thank you for replying, it does make one feel a little more secure in that there are great folks out there willing to lend a hand, it really is appreciated.

I have nothing unusual attached the mac, and when I try to open Aperture the error message comes up before I can choose a library to open. Secondly when I check in the library folder the actual library file is sort of grayed out and cannot be selected, I have no idea why this is?

OK I am still having probs but I found my photos. I try to run Aperture but it still gives the same message"Aperture cannot access this library"... etc and will not load up properly.

So I went back and I loaded iphoto, then went to the menu/file and saw "Show Aperture Library", I gave it a click and there are all my photos. So I selected them and copied them over to iphoto.

The other problem now is with Aperture as I still cannot open it so it loads properly.

I will run voodoo etc as you suggest and see what transpires and post the results.

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Answer 5

Qatar Expat Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 28, 2010 12:09 PM in response to Qatar Expat

Embarrassed cough...... ahem, well it looks like the problem was really all around permissions. I looked at the library files using the "Info" tab and found that the files were locked out. After unlocking them both I ran Aperture and lo and behold it started up and run just fine so my panic is over, I have all my photos back (currently being backed up).

Its a bit odd though that you have to unlock them to read them. I am probably doing something wrong and will have to have a read of the manual and catch up a bit, being a iMac novice has its down side...

Thanks to the guys who offered advice and your time it was a learning curve for me.

I guess this thread can be closed now.

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