I have just updated my Aperture 2 to Aperture 3. The new version has taken over my old version (and I can't get back in to my old version) and now I it seems I have lost my photos! All my projects are there, named as in the old version, but no photos!!! Help.....
Aperture 3
More details would be a great help here, such as were your photos before the upgrade being stored as managed or referenced, have tried to repair and/or rebuild the library and are you using any third party applications to do things with the library.
Allan
Hi - I had all photo matster files in my old Aperture (2) library. I downloaded Aperture 3, which seemed to take over Aperture 2, so when I opened Aperture, it asked whether I wanted to update my photos so as to use them in version 3; to whch I answered 'yes'. Now, all the projects and albums, I had my photos organised in are there, but all with 0 photos. I have no idea where to go to get them. Please help - or tell me where I can get help. Thanks.
I can't help until you answer the questions
I thought I did. Managed or referenced? Managed as the master files were stored in the Aperture library and no other copies. Repair or rebuild? From where? How? I have a vault, but not completely up to date. I have back up of my computer, but not sure I should go there as I only have aproblem with the Aperture library.
No third party applications - all done in Aperture: photos imported in, managed in and left in Aperture library. Does that answer your questions?
Now I have tried to rebuild and repair from the Aperture Library first aid menu. It's no good. I have read that I should have copied the Ap2 library before upgrading, but I didn't. When I look at albums, the photos appear for a 10th of a second before everything is empty.... Please can someone help?
Have you checked, if any filters are set, that may prevent your images from showing? Check, if all search fields in the Library Inspector and Viewer are cleared and showing "All items" or "Show all".
Hi, thanks; yes it's showing all items, no filters. There are '0' s in all projects, albums, folders, indicating the structure is there but no files/photos.
Is the size of your Aperture library large enough for a library to hold all your photos, if you look at the size of your library in the Finder?
If yes, check, if rebuilding your Aperture library has created a special project named "Recovered". Sometimes lost image files will be collected in such a project.
If there is no "Recovered" project, look inside your Aperture library project in the Finder. Select the Aperture library, ctrl-click it, and use the command "Show Package Contents" from the pop-up menu.
There should be a folder named "Masters". If the library still holds your photos, the original image files should be in this folder, organized by yoear, month, day of the import session. Is there such a folder, and can you find your image files inside it?
I have back up of my computer, but not sure I should go there as I only have aproblem with the Aperture library.
What kind of backup do you have? Time Machine? Vault? Clone?
Well, no. There is a folder called Masters but nothing in it. No Recovered either.
I have Time Machine back up. The Aperture Library from there looks like it still has all files, so I have copied it onto my hard drive now. I'm just about to go into Preferences and change the Library Location to this library. It now tells me:
"The selected library is from an older version of Aperture and requires a relaunch to switch.
Choose “Relaunch” to relaunch Aperture with the new library."
Shall I do it - will it help? Or is there another way to do it?
Should I rebuild this copied back up first?
If I press ALT+CMD and double click on the copied back up library while Aperture is open, it asked me:
"Do you want to import the library “Aperture Library BU”?" Would that be a better way?
You seem to know what you are talking about, so I'd love your advise before messing things up further.
The Aperture Library from there looks like it still has all files, so I have copied it onto my hard drive now.
How exactly did you copy the library from the backup? Did you enter TIme Machine and let it restore te library? That would be the safest way.
I'm just about to go into Preferences and change the Library Location to this library. It now tells me:
"The selected library is from an older version of Aperture and requires a relaunch to switch.
It would be better to let Aperture repair the library, before upgrading it to verion 3. That is what the release notes are recommending.
Select your restored library in the Finder, hold down the key combination ⌥⌘ and double click the library, then select "Repair database". That may take a while for a large library to complete.
This should automatically switch Aperture to this library and then start the upgrade to version 3.
OK, I get that. However... When I use ⌥⌘ (i.e. ALT+CMD) and double click, it come up with the "Welcome to Aperture" menu, explaining that the library needs to be upgraded to work with Ap3 and that this may take a long time etc. This was the menu that I went through when I originally opened the newly downloaded Ap3 and which rendered my library empty. Maybe it will work this time - did something go wrong last time? Or did it go wrong because the library had not been repaired first?
(Actually, now I can't seem to get the Ap Library First Aid Menu up at all. I am trying the empty library in Finder and do the ⌥⌘double click and Aperture just opens. Previously, I did this and got the first aid/repair menu. I have closed Aperture, but still I can't get the menu working... Argh, this is so frustrating.)
I will try to restart the computer (my only solution to anything). What do you think?
Alas, I restarted my computer and that didn't make a difference. Then I said yes to upgrading the back up library and start it in Ap3 (as per my last post). This initially looked like it would take a long time (very promising) but all of a sudden it went to 100%, Ap3 started up and all was empty: no photos, only the projects, folders, albums structure left - including the library in Finder, which is now as small as the first library that I upgraded.
The problem you are having is that the repair of the Aperture 2 library needs to be done by Aperture 2, that is before you did the upgrade to Aperture 3. Once you have 3 on your system it will not do anything with the 2 library except try to upgrade it.
I am guessing if you just upgraded to Aperture 3 you did it via the Mac App Store, correct? Do you still have the Aperture 2 DVD and serial number?
If you do you can try re-installing Aperture 2. Drag Aperture 3 from the Applications folder to the trash and install 2 from the DVD. Then, with a library restored from your TM backup, start Aperture 2 and try doing a repair. If that works go back to the App Store and install Aperture 3 again and see if the upgrade of the library then works.
It's a lot of work but at this point I see no other way to get your library upgraded to 3.
regards
Yes, you are absolutely right. This was exactly what I did while waiting for someone to get back to me - so at least, I have my pictures back! 🙂 😁
Everything is still working on Ap2. Now, I am going through making copies of the photos, so that at least I have the files. Then I will try to do what you suggest: repair the Ap2 library then open it in Ap3, right?
Thanks everyone - not solved, but at least not lost!
Before you repeat the upgrade from Aperture 2, have a look at the Release Notes: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2518
Scroll down all the way to "Additional Information, A note on upgrading your Aperture library":
Note: It says "Rebuild", not "Repair"
If you are upgrading your Aperture library from an earlier version of Aperture, here are some guidelines to assist you in a successful move to Aperture 3:
- Before upgrading, it is recommended (though not required) that you perform a rebuild of your Aperture library. To rebuild an Aperture library, hold down the Option and Command keys while opening your library in Aperture 1.5 or 2, then click the Rebuild Now button.
- Aperture temporarily uses extra space on your hard drive during the upgrade process. This is for the purpose of backing up critical library info and insuring the integrity of your data during upgrade. If you don't have adequate space on your hard drive to accommodate the upgrade, Aperture will display a warning dialog. You may need to move your library to a different hard drive with more space in order to upgrade it, and then move it back to the original drive when the upgrade is complete. Any space used by Aperture during the upgrade is released and made available to you again once the upgrade has finished.
- Keep in mind that fully upgrading a very large library is a one-time process that can take a long time; the process may take many hours or even overnight, depending on the size of the library. Once the initial database upgrade is complete, you can begin working with your Aperture library. However, post-upgrade processing will continue in the background for some time, as face detection and preview generation are performed. (A progress indicator and the word "Processing" will appear in the status line of the Viewer or Browser to indicate these operations are underway.) While you can work with Aperture while these operations are performed, you may experience temporary slow-downs. Optimal performance will return when all post-upgrade processing is complete.
How do I get my photos back in Aperture3???
