HT201289: Aperture 3: Troubleshooting basics

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lsebek

Q: How do I set up a startup disk in Aperture & move my entire library there?

I have recently bought a new (larger) backup disk and want to move my entire Aperture library there (and use it as my startup disk for Aperture as well).  What are the (detailed) steps I need to take in order to do this?

 

Thank you in advance

17" MacBook Pro i7, Mac OS X (10.6.4), iPhone 4

Posted on Aug 20, 2012 8:37 AM

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Q: How do I set up a startup disk in Aperture & move my entire library there?

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  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Aug 20, 2012 11:24 AM in response to lsebek
    Level 10 (105,791 points)
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    Aug 20, 2012 11:24 AM in response to lsebek

    What is your Aperture version? And is the MacOS X version in your signature (10.6.4) still correct?

     

    I am not sure, what you mean by "startup disk for Aperture"? A startup disk is usually a disk to boot the operating system from. Do you want to move the Aperture application to the external hard drive? The newer Aperture versions need to be installed on the system volume in the Applications folder.

     

    How to move your Aperture library to an external volume, will depend on the type of your library - referenced or managed. If you imported all original master image files into the library, you can simply copy your Aperture library using the Finder - drag and drop the Aperture library package to the new volume. But if the library is referenced, and the original images are outside the library, you will have to relocate the original image files using Aperture's command: "File > Relocate originals"

     

    Most important: make sure that your external drive is formatted "Mac OS X Extended", before you copy your Aperture library there. By default the volume probably will be formatted MS DOS (FAT). You can reformat the drive using Disk Utility. And back up the original library, before you transfer it.

     

    Once the Library is copied to the external volume, double click it to launch Aperture using the new library.

     

    Only when you are satisfied that both your backup and the transferred library are in working conditions deete the original library.

     

    Regards

    Léonie

  • by lsebek,

    lsebek lsebek Aug 20, 2012 12:15 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (8 points)
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    Aug 20, 2012 12:15 PM in response to léonie

    Léonie:

     

    Thanks for your reply.  My version of Aperture is 3.3.2 and my OSX is now version 10.8.

     

    While I was going through the Aperture help on the topic of relocating the Library, I saw a reference to relocating the "startup disk", which I assumed to mean the application itself.

     

    When I set up my new drive, I ensured that it was formatted as "Mac OS X Extended" adn I think that I have successfully copied the files across. 

     

    Now I am wondering if I have successfully copied the files across to my new Time Machine drive, can I delete them from my laptop drive or will Time Machine delete them from it's backup drive next time it runs?  Based on your foinal sentence in your response, I am assuming that it would be safe to do so.

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Aug 20, 2012 12:29 PM in response to lsebek
    Level 10 (105,791 points)
    iCloud
    Aug 20, 2012 12:29 PM in response to lsebek

    Now I am wondering if I have successfully copied the files across to my new Time Machine drive, can I delete them from my laptop drive or will Time Machine delete them from it's backup drive next time it runs?  Based on your foinal sentence in your response, I am assuming that it would be safe to do so.

    Have you tested, if the Aperture library is working on your new drive? Compared the sizes? Then you can delete original, once you are sure. But I would wait and really, really test thoroughly. Your pictures are probably too precious, to risk anything.

     

    I see one problem with your setup. From your initial post I did not see that you are using the same drive with TimeMachine. Time Machine will not delete anything, that it did not write, but you are risking Aperture and TimeMachine fighting for space. Time Machine will fill the drive, till it is full. And this way you will quickly run out of space for Aperture. At least, partition the drive, so that Time Machine cannot eat all space. Use one partition for Aperture, one for TimeMachine.

     

    The second problem: with this setup you will not be able to have a backup of your Aperture library, if it is on the Time Machine volume. I strongly recommend to invest into a second, maybe smaller volume for your Aperture Library, so you can backup the library on a different volume. Drives can fail and will fail - mine do regularly every third year or so, and then your pictures will be gone, unless you have a backup.

     

    Or did I understand you wrong?

     

    Regards

    Léonie

  • by lsebek,

    lsebek lsebek Aug 20, 2012 10:59 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 20, 2012 10:59 PM in response to léonie

    Léonie;  Now that I have copied my Aperture Library from my laptop drive to my new Time Machine drive, I have discovered that virtually all of the photos on my laptop have disappeared.  Fortunately, I have most of them in Facebook albumns but there are still quite a few that I never put in a Facebook albumn.  I will have to talk to Applecare tomorrow to find out how to go about partitioning a drive so I can keep my Aperture and Time Machine backups seperate. 

     

    Thank you for your comments on drive failures, I will keep my old Time Machine drive for backing up my Aperture photos from time to time.

     

    Thanks,

    Leon

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Aug 20, 2012 11:17 PM in response to lsebek
    Level 10 (105,791 points)
    iCloud
    Aug 20, 2012 11:17 PM in response to lsebek

    Leon,

    now you have me worried:

      Now that I have copied my Aperture Library from my laptop drive to my new Time Machine drive, I have discovered that virtually all of the photos on my laptop have disappeared.

    Which library are you viewing - the copy on your Time Machine Drive, or the original library? Does not the copy on your external drive now contain all your images and show them, when you are double clicking this library?

    What exactly do you see when you do that?

     

    Fortunately, I have most of them in Facebook albumns but there are still quite a few that I never put in a Facebook albumn.

    The Facebook pictures will not have the full quality of your original images. So we better find them, if they are still available.

     

    Ask AppleCare about reconnecting missing master image files as well, when you visit them tomorrow. And make sure to tell them, that the drive already contains your Aperture library, when you ask them about partitioning. The need to do it without erasing the drive!

     

    Good luck!

    Léonie