Aperture photos lost links to "original files"

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Level 1

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Aperture photos lost links to "original files"

Hello:

Almost all my pictures are now reporting that they have lost the link to their "original files". This is the icon that shows up in the bottom right hand corner of the photos:

User uploaded file

The result is that I can do nothing with the photos. No email, no export, no modifications, etc. This is a typical message:

User uploaded file

I have tried everything that I can find in the manual or in these discussion boards, including File\Relocate Originals, removing the Library Preference file, and all three steps in the first aid functions.

I noticed the problem after Apple replaced the hard drive under their replacement plan and I had to restore my hard drive from Time Machine

I have tried to pull an older version of the library file from time machine, but it has the same problem.

I have looked for ways to contact apple support, but it seems that route is no longer available for Aperture.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be very appreciative.

I am running aperture v 3.4.3 and osx v 10.8.2 on a late 2009 imac with 8gb ram

Aperture 3, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Dec 6, 2012 2:07 PM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

194,761 points

Dec 6, 2012 2:22 PM in response to dr-md

I have tried everything that I can find in the manual or in these discussion boards, including File\Relocate Originals, removing the Library Preference file, and all three steps in the first aid functions.

You will need to reconnect (locate) your referenced files, not to relocate them. Was that a typo, or did you try to relocate?

Are you using the same user account name as before, and is your harddrive called the same as before?

If that is not the case, then Aperture may not be able to find the originals, because the path to the files has changed.

Is your Aperture library managed or referenced? Where is the library located, and where are your referenced original image files, if the library is referenced?

Regards

Léonie

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Answer 2

dr-md Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 6, 2012 2:51 PM in response to léonie

Thanks for responding. It was not a typo re relocate. I tried everything!

I am using the same user account, but its an interesting question about the name of my hard drive. I assume that doing a full restore from time machine would restore the hard drive name as it was?

My library is in the standard user\pictures location. I have repointed aperture to the library as one of my steps at correction, so it is looking in the right place.

I do not know the difference between referenced and managed. I have always just imported direct to aperture and the library has grown.

regards,

dan

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,761 points

Dec 6, 2012 3:14 PM in response to dr-md

dan,

I do not know the difference between referenced and managed. I have always just imported direct to aperture and the library has grown.

If the library has grown, then your library is probably a managed library.

The differece is the following:

Managed library: Aperture stores the original image files inside the Aperture library package and manages them. This import mode is selected by setting the "Store files" selector in the Import Panel to "In the Aperture Library".
Referenced Library: You import with the "Store files" selector set to "in their current location" or "choose". Then the originals are not imported but referenced outside. then you are responsible for managing the originals and taking care of not moving them or losing them. If referenced images are not in the location, where Aperture expects to find them, you will see exactly what you are seing now, and then this has to be repaired by using "locate referenced files" and pointing Aperture to the location of the images.

So, now the big question is, how did you import. Have you set the the "Store files" option to "Aperture library" when importing or "in their current location"?.

If you imported "managed", then your original image files should be in the "Masters " folder inside the Aperture Library package. Ctrl-click the package, select "show package contents" and open the folder "Masters". Are all your original images there?

Regards

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Answer 4

Dec 6, 2012 6:14 PM in response to dr-md

Do you have another external drive big enough to hold your library (only temporally).

If you do have such a drive try to restore from TM to that drive and see if the symptoms change. I believe the problem is related to the fact that the internal drive was swapped out.

If the restore to the external goes OK you could then copy the library to the internal drive if that is what you want to do.

regards

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Answer 5

dr-md Author

Level 1

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Dec 7, 2012 7:05 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

leonieDF--Thanks. I think you are right that I have a managed library. There is nothing in my "Masters" folder. I went through preferences, but could not see the "store files" selector.

Frank--I should have done this earlier, but when I went back through Time Machine, its pretty obvious that the problem is a result of the hard drive swap. Aperture Library file size went from 145gb to 10gb! I am trying to restore now. I will probably lose the photos I have uploaded since, unless anyone has any ideas how to convert what I assume are just previews to editable photo files.

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

194,761 points

Dec 7, 2012 8:24 AM in response to dr-md

Aperture Library file size went from 145gb to 10gb!

That may have been caused by your trying to solve the problem by using the "Relocate Originals" command:

I have tried everything that I can find in the manual or in these discussion boards, including File\Relocate Originals

Relocate will remove the original image files to a folder outside the Aperture library. When using thsi command, you will have been asked for a folder where to move the files to. Do you remember the folder you selected? You may find your most recent images there.

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Answer 7

dr-md Author

Level 1

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Dec 8, 2012 6:14 AM in response to léonie

Thanks guys. I got it all sorted now but wanted to let you know how it played out since you were so helpful:

#1--Thank goodness for Time Machine. It allowed me to go back and find a healthy version of my aperture library.

#2--The library shrank from 145gb to 10gb during the time that my hard disk was being replaced. End of October it was 145gb, the beginning of November it was 10gb. For the next month, all I did was upload new shots, but did not notice that the library was messed up.

#3--This week, after I restored the October library (145gb) to my hard disk, I still had the issue that my new photos were stuck in the corrupted library. Leonie kept harping on my use of "Relocate Originals" and I remembered that when I was trying everything in desperation, I had moved some pics out of the corrupted library (10gb) and into a separate folder. Yesterday I went into the corrupted library, and went thru the new photos that I had imported since the beginning of November. I was able to relocate them out of the old library and import them into the healthy library. Only the pics that had been uploaded since the hard drive replacement could be relocated. The rest had the same issue of missing originals.

The combination of the restored version plus relocating the newer pics solved my problem. My library contains ten years of pictures. The thought of losing all that was making me a bit nuts.

Thank you both very much for your help and patience.

Regards,

Dan

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