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Aperture 3.3.2 hangs on launch (library issue)

The hits just keep on comin'! Last week my Aperture library was corrupted and I had to restore some files from a backup and delete some preference files to get it to work again. Now I'm having a new problem....


Aperture 3.3.2 launches and I get the "Opening Aperture library" window, but it never progresses to the usable application. Only a Force Quit allows me to try again. Launching Aperture while pressing the Option key allows me to select a different library (I set up a "dummy" library just for this purpose) and once the application is open, I choose File>Switch to Library>Other/New... and pick the main library, which then opens without further complaint. I can initially choose a dummy file on the same external hard drive as my main library, or I can choose a dummy from the Mac's hard drive—either one allows me to successfuly launch the application and proceed to opening the main library.


If I then quit the application and immediately attempt to re-launch it, the same thing happens again. I need to use the alternate library to launch, then switch from the active application.


I can switch to the alternate before quitting the app and it remembers the alternate library as the new default. It will then launch fine to the new default (alternate) library. At that point I can quickly switch to the main library.


So, I know the problem must be in the main library, but I can't figure out why it will launch successfully only after opening a different library.


I repaired permissions and rebuilt and repaired the database, but none of these seemed to fix the problem I'm having.


Any ideas?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2), 27" iMac Core i7 Quad 12GB

Posted on Jul 27, 2012 5:00 PM

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70 replies

Aug 10, 2012 9:07 AM in response to @rnopier

@rnopier wrote:


Take care, small libraries are better than a big one.

I do not use iPhoto so I cannot comment on that.


However, multiple Libraries are a very bad idea because they defeat a major purpose of having an images database, the ability to search and keyword among all images.


Aperture can handle hundreds of thousands of image files in a single Library as long as folks back up before import into Aperture and reference originals on external drives. Using the managed-originals approach with originals in the Library is seldom appropriate.


-Allen

Aug 10, 2012 10:34 AM in response to SierraDragon

I aggree with you dear SierraDragon but now I have a problem with my 360 000 photos library and Aperture try to repair it for two days becausen here in Egypt we have power cut and ...

Small libraries, one in each subject feel better because on my laptop I have a copy of the most important projects and it's safer not the best I aggree but safe. Sure all the files are on external HD.

Aug 11, 2012 2:30 AM in response to @rnopier

I don't know why but after all the desasters described above and more than 26 hours of "Rebuild library" without power cut !

The window of the "corrupt" library appear !

And the multicolor wheel more than half hour.

I decide to restart, Aperture and iMac.

When I want restart Aperture with "option key" this librairy appear in the menu without any count of pictures or projects !

I start with the empty one and request to switch one the big one, nothing happen !

I force to quit and restart and ... it's the big one who open immediatly !!! I don't know why but it's !

My library is now 204 projects and 335 506 photos, that feel less than before but I'm not worried of that because all the pictures are on external hd.

Hope that continue ...

Aug 22, 2012 11:42 PM in response to Phillip Breske

All:


Was having the exact same problems and ran through the same work arounds as posted here. Jumped over to

Alex's post: Aperture 3.3.2 unresponsive if library contains old iPhoto albums - solution (it's on page 2 of this thread) and the process outlined worked for me.


If you select, from the Library tab of the inspector pane (the gear menu at the top of the pane), "Keep Projects and Albums Arraged by:->Date" and nothing happens, the library has the bug.


For me, picking "Keep sorted by date" triggered the bug and locked the library into the hang loop described here. Once I killed the offending albums, I could sort and resort the library any way I wanted and it worked. Could quit Aperture and it would reopen the library just fine.

Sep 1, 2012 2:38 PM in response to Phillip Breske

Well I have been able to use thw work around which I found before this discussion thread. One thing I ntoiced in the last week it that I has a few "RECOVERED" folders. Nothing in them and nothing to do with them. I really like the older interface as well. Did anyone download the midtone pathc to get back some of the slider adjustment bars? I had put that in before the upgrade but wanted in interest of full disclosure ask. Has everyone a library size above lets say 20,000 photos? My library right now is sitting at 26K.

Sep 2, 2012 3:04 PM in response to Phillip Breske

I was experiencing this exact same issue after a reinstall of Lion 10.7.4. Thought I'd try the reinstall Aperture 3.3.2 route to see if that solved my problem, and took a quick look at the reviews on it... Thanks Ian Abbott for this tip which solved the issue!


Mobile Me is now defunct. You need to go to your System Preferences, select MobileMe and sign out of your account. Aperture now opens straight away.


Problem solved. You'd think in a new release of software Apple would be aware of this issue...


Hope this helps everyone.

Sep 2, 2012 5:00 PM in response to LDB71

Hi all,


I just wanted to add that I was having the same problem, could not launch Aperture, would hang on launch. Tried just about all of the suggestions.


The one that seemed to work for me was going to the System Preferences and logging out of MobileMe.


I am a new user of Aperture and did not have an existing library. Im making the shift from iPhoto.


The system dumps caused when I had to force quit Aperture each time it hung seemed to indicate a loop, like it was waiting for something that never happened. The first part of the dump seemed to indicate that it was attempting some sort of logon.


When I read about the need to sign out of MobileMe I thought that maybe this was what it was trying to do.


I started using iCloud some time ago and never thought I had to explicitly log out from MobileMe but when I did and re launched Aperture it started immediately! No more spinning beach ball 🙂


The Mac I am running Aperture on is still running Lion (10.7.4) and so I guess MobileMe is still a hang over. My Macbook Pro runs Mountain Lion and so MobileMe is no longer a feature and it runs Aperture without a problem.


Maybe this will help others too that have tried other suggestions.

Aperture 3.3.2 hangs on launch (library issue)

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