prutowski
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Q: Running Aperture using External HD

I have this MacBook Pro (mid 2010) that came with 500GB.  As you know, 500 GB is already full with basics like Aperture, MS Office, CS5 and a few other things on it.  Its lean but I still struggle with storage when I finish photography sessions with clients and hired jobs.  I keep getting "Not enough storage" on my internal drive, I want to import directly to an external drive to get around this issue.   Is there a way to run Aperture using a library on an external drive?  I was not able to create a new library on my external drive at all.  Struggling here. 

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Aperture 3.4.3

Posted on Dec 11, 2012 1:25 PM

by léonie,Solvedanswer
léonie léonie
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A:

What does the disk "My Book" show, when you select it in the Finder and use "File > Get Info  ⌘I"? The error message strongly suggests, that the file system has the wrong formatting.

Posted on Dec 11, 2012 2:16 PM

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prutowski

Q: Running Aperture using External HD

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  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 11, 2012 1:44 PM in response to prutowski
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    Dec 11, 2012 1:44 PM in response to prutowski
      I was not able to create a new library on my external drive at all.  Struggling here.

     

    Is your external drive a new drive? Then it may still be formatted MS DOS-FAT. An Aperture library needs to be on a drive formatted MAC OS X Extended (Journaled). If your drive has the wrong formatting, reformat it with Disk Utility before you try to create the library on that drive,

    see: Use locally mounted Mac OS X Extended volumes for your Aperture library

     

    You should be able to create a library on an external drive or to copy your library there, if the formatting is correct. Aperture has been designed to work with large libraries on external drives. Simply use the command "File > Switch to Library > Other/New" and select a folder on your external drive.

     

    If it is not the formatting, what is the error message you are getting, or in what way does it not work?

     

    Regards

    Léonie

  • by heff_sf,

    heff_sf heff_sf Dec 11, 2012 1:56 PM in response to prutowski
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Dec 11, 2012 1:56 PM in response to prutowski

    Yes, this is easily accomplished. Simply create a new library on an external drive, and Aperture will import images to that library (if you are importing the images into the library as managed files). You can create a new library using either of these approaches:

         IF APERTURE IS ALREADY OPEN:

         1.  Select File > Switch to Library > Other/New...  The Library Select dialog appears.

         2.  Create New..., then select the external drive on which you wish to store the library. Name the library and click Create.

     

         IF APERTURE IS NOT RUNNING:

         1.  Hold down the Option key when launching Aperture. The Library Select dialog appears.

         2.  Create New..., then select the external drive on which you wish to store the library. Name the library and click Create.

     

    At this point Aperture will be using the library on the external drive. When you import images into this library they will be stored within the library on the external drive (unless you instruct Aperture to import the images as referenced files).

  • by prutowski,

    prutowski prutowski Dec 11, 2012 2:03 PM in response to prutowski
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    Dec 11, 2012 2:03 PM in response to prutowski

    Yeah, I tried this multiple times.  I got this (see screenshot) I did try the Disk Utility Route and it appears to be Mac OS Extended (Journaled).  Is it because I am using an older USB version?  Should I upgrade to a Firewire type (I don't have Thunderbolt on my MacBook Pro tho)

     

    Screen Shot 2012-12-11 at 3.59.59 PM.png

  • by heff_sf,

    heff_sf heff_sf Dec 11, 2012 2:12 PM in response to prutowski
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Dec 11, 2012 2:12 PM in response to prutowski

    Is the external drive directly connected to your Mac? Aperture doesn't allow libraries to be stored on network drives (network-attached storage or NAS drives). If your drive is a network drive, try connecting it directly to your Mac using a USB/FireWire cable.

  • by léonie,Solvedanswer

    léonie léonie Dec 11, 2012 2:16 PM in response to prutowski
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    Dec 11, 2012 2:16 PM in response to prutowski

    What does the disk "My Book" show, when you select it in the Finder and use "File > Get Info  ⌘I"? The error message strongly suggests, that the file system has the wrong formatting.

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Dec 11, 2012 2:17 PM in response to léonie
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    Dec 11, 2012 2:17 PM in response to léonie

    macos.png

  • by prutowski,

    prutowski prutowski Dec 11, 2012 2:19 PM in response to prutowski
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    Dec 11, 2012 2:19 PM in response to prutowski

    heff_sf   External drive is directly connected to my mac using USB 2.0 tho.  

     

    leonieDF  Yeah somethings wrong.  I just cannot point it out.

     

    All, This 1TB External HD already has 750GB in it.  So I cannot reformat it and I am thinking of getting a new one with Firewire.  And try to set up a library on it. Agree?

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Dec 11, 2012 2:33 PM in response to prutowski
    Level 10 (108,906 points)
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    Dec 11, 2012 2:33 PM in response to prutowski

    All, This 1TB External HD already has 750GB in it.  So I cannot reformat it and I am thinking of getting a new one with Firewire.  And try to set up a library on it. Agree?

    You could partition it, without deleting the present contents, and format the second partition, but if you can get a new, larger drive, it would certainly be preferable. A photo library needs space to grow.

  • by prutowski,

    prutowski prutowski Dec 11, 2012 4:29 PM in response to léonie
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    Dec 11, 2012 4:29 PM in response to léonie

    LeonieDF. Interesting, when I did what you suggested,  "My Book" show, when you select it in the Finder and use "File > Get Info  ⌘I"

     

    Turns out that it was MS DOS-FAT after all.  Odd I have 750GB worth of Mac stuff on it!  Thanks for the catch and I will try to partition it but more likely I will just go get a new Firewire EHD and will make sure its formatted correctly.  Thanks!

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 11, 2012 4:43 PM in response to prutowski
    Level 10 (108,906 points)
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    Dec 11, 2012 4:43 PM in response to prutowski

    You are welcome, glad to help.

     

    It is only the latest Aperture release that is actually checking a dsk for compatibily. Previous versions actulally let you write your Aperture volume on disks with the wrong format, and you only would notice it when Aperture lost the reference to the original image files.

     

    With some of the files you now are having on the drive you may eventually get reading errors, if the filenames contain national characters or you need to distonguish between upper- and lower case letters.

     

    Regards

    Léonie

  • by prutowski,

    prutowski prutowski Dec 11, 2012 4:49 PM in response to léonie
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    Dec 11, 2012 4:49 PM in response to léonie

    Yes.  I noticed that when I upgraded Mountain Lion or Aperture that came with the new OSX upgrade,  my libraries all got messed up, especially with refereencing and "is not the original" etc... So frustrating making me wonder what happened with the simplicity of Apple those days...  I now have 2 external HDs with libraries there.   Would you advise that I transfer ALL of my libraries into my 3rd and NEW External HD away from the existing two (because they are already formatted MS DOS-FAT) and will this help with the referncing issue? Or will I be making matters worse by changing libraries all around? Just wondering.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 11, 2012 5:04 PM in response to prutowski
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    Dec 11, 2012 5:04 PM in response to prutowski

    It will be safer in the long run to get all your libraries onto correctly formatted drives; at least I would stop adding images to the libraries on the MS DOS-FAT drives. There maybe already some images be imported, that may give copying errors, when you try to move the libraries.

  • by prutowski,

    prutowski prutowski Dec 11, 2012 6:14 PM in response to prutowski
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    Dec 11, 2012 6:14 PM in response to prutowski

    leonieDF  Thanks!  I now have a spanking new GDrive 2TB that is working well. I'm now able to set up a library on it using Firewire 800.  Will see how it goes from here.   This is making me wonder.  I have several libraries scattered all over my 2 external HD and internal and now this 3rd external HD.  I was wondering if there are pros and cons to building one large massive library to hold ALL of my photos?  That would eliminate the reference look up issues?  Or is that too big of a risk to put all in one single library?

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Dec 12, 2012 7:58 AM in response to prutowski
    Level 10 (108,906 points)
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    Dec 12, 2012 7:58 AM in response to prutowski

    Or is that too big of a risk to put all in one single library?

    You mean like all eggs in one basket? Aperture has been designed to work well with really large libraries, and managed libraries are easier; it is less likely that you will accidentally move or delete referenced files. On the other hand, really large libraries can become a bit unwieldy, and it takes along time to copy them to other drives, if need be; and to copy them using the network will require a very stable network. Creating a vault for backup will take a long time.

     

    So it is really up to you, what you prefer. It might be a good idea to start with on big managed library, to consolidate everyting in one place, and if you notice, that you prefer a smaller library, turn it into a referenced library by relocating the originals.

     

    But I'd go for only one Aperture library. It is much more useful to have all images in one database. You do not have to switch between libraries and can combine all images freely.

     

    Regards

    Léonie

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