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Rich1955 Author

Level 1

0 points

Aperture 3.5.1 and Mavericks memory leak

I have used Aperture 3 with Lion and Mountain Lion on a late 2011 MBPro , processing large (45MB) raw files over the last 2 years. When doing multiple edits especialy with multiple masks and brushes Aperture would take moments to process and then move on. This even with an SSD and 16GB memory. Not a problem with little effect on my productivity, processing hundreds of images in a session.

Following Mavericks and Aperture 3.5, Aperture no longer allows more than a handful of images to be processed before it exhibits strange display problems. These comprize of the unzoomed view becoming the zoomed view and this is visible in the preview thumbnail too. It happens most quickly in full screen mode but also less quickly in windowed mode. Simple exiting Aperture and reopening it restores normal functio and edits and previews are correct. A memory meter shows that Aperture decrements memory with every image viewed and doesn't release it, hence i think a memory leak.

I had hoped that the Aperture 3.5.1 update addressing performance issues would solve this. It didn't. I have a crucial SSD self fitted which has worked flawlessly over the last year and have updated Trim enabler after Mavericks which slowed down the leak.

I can't seem to contact Apple support by email as I am not an Applecare subscriber and can't find a way to report a fault without being one.

I have read that there were memory leaks in Aperture 3 years ago and these went away quietly as Apple updated either

OSX or Aperture.

I've not seen others report what I am experiencing, but would welcome feedback from others with knowledge, experience or just bothered by the same problem.

Thanks.

RMWD

Aperture 3, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Nov 22, 2013 11:06 AM

46 replies

Rich1955 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 18, 2014 2:43 AM in response to Rich1955

Further notes on the Mavericks Aperture memory leak problem which is currently not fixed by the current OS.

In order to track down the problem I backed up my Macbook and then wipe erased the hard drive and reinstalled Mavericks and Aperture only to my original Mac hard drive. No legacy files, no old large Aperture library. Only internet working. Even the suggested use of a third party SSD has been negated by switching back to the original Mac hard disk.

Loaded in 30 large 25-40MB raw files to the Aperture library and started to process them. Within a 9 files the mask display problems started and I found that by doing a crop it gave me a few more files before occcurring again but then Aperture needed to be restarted and all was well again. Never get beyond 12 files. Now to be clear, processing involves a crop, exposure asjustments, two or three brush enhancements and the edge sharpening.

When the problem occurrs while using the edge sharpe brick, the masks appear in white. When using brushes the problem presents as black blocks in the brushed area. If persisting the whole image goes black. When moving from Zoom to normal view if the problem occurrs there it results in the unzoomed view and the preview only showing the zoomed view. This view is taken to the next image . Restarting Aperture restores all to normal without loss of and instructions, brushes or crops.

I then installed lightroom and switched my aperture library (all managed) for the new one which was created on installation in order to get my images back. I relocated every image 30000+ in Year/Month/Day folder format and pointed lightroom at the root folder. I imported 1000+ raw files from a long shoot into lightroom and screened and processed all of them without the Mac stalling at all.

The solution I'm afraid is move to Lightroom at least until Apple fix this. I am using a wokflow which allows me to later on import my work done in lightroom to Aperture in case I go back if Apple fix this.Lightroom has a few more tools in some areas and less in others. It isn't so nice to work with though and at the moment I would go back to Aperture if this was fixed.

Hope this helps anyone with a lot of images to handle who has this same problem. Just switch to Lightroom for now as it isn't your disks, software, library. It's apple OSX Mavericks and Aperture.

Cheers,

Rich

RobAAA

Level 1

0 points

Mar 22, 2014 5:26 AM in response to Rich1955

I'm also getting image problems after using Aperture for editing a few images which fits in with the problems related here. I have reported this to Apple but so far they just sent me to this site!

Any information about a fix?

Thanks

Rob

Rich1955 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 22, 2014 7:06 AM in response to RobAAA

Rob,

thanks for sharing. Apple seem to be very quiet, to the point of denial, but must realise that there is a problem. The last OSX update didn't fix it and I expect one day it will be sorted.

Lightroom is worth a go. It does pretty well everything I can do in Aperture and some more, just it does it differently. My main initial concern was no editable full screen mode, but actually it's editing module leaves options for having a large window for editing which is more than big enough. It handles it's memory properly too and I can work quickly through all my days shoot without so much as a stall. I got the fre trial and today purcheased a licence as Aperture is still no better. i can go back to Aperture any time in the future, without loss of keywords or ratings. Indeed I can use Aperture on the same images if I wish, so the book options which are better in Aperture are still easily available.

Rich

907nomad

Level 1

6 points

Mar 25, 2014 12:58 PM in response to Reistad

No don't do it!!

INSid

Level 1

9 points

Mar 25, 2014 1:52 PM in response to Rich1955

I've switched over to Lightroom too, though I wasn't happy about it at first. I really like Aperture, but the bugs in the latest build (and the bugs that have been there since I first purchased it if I'm honest) just became too time consuming.

And I also sent them a report with the option for screenshots if they desired them. No response.

To be clear: I would love to use Aperture again, but beyond just fixing the bugs, they have to demonstrate that they are serious about this program and its users.

907nomad

Level 1

6 points

Mar 25, 2014 5:48 PM in response to INSid

I already use Lightroom 4 and now 5 for my professional work. I used Aperture for all my personal/family snapshots. I love keeping them separate because I believe LR is a little too intesive for family get together albums. I have cleaned the HD and am in the process of restoring to the last Time Machine backup I know to not have issues. Hopefully Apple will get their act together soon and resolve this..... In the meantime, I want to move my Aperture library onto an external HD and work it like I do my LR workflow. I import all my LR masters to an external HD and work the edits from there. If I do that w/ Aperture, I be would working it as a managed or a referenced library. I'm still a little confused about which is which....

Thank you in advance....

907nomad

Level 1

6 points

Mar 26, 2014 12:08 AM in response to 907nomad

Update- the restore to a previous backup was successful!! Now to figure out moving my aperture library to an external hard drive....

Rich1955 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 26, 2014 2:41 AM in response to 907nomad

Hi Nomad.

What I wanted was for my bird images to be edited by Lightroom and my family images by Aperture. Bit like you.

I'm not sure but I think the Aperture library needs to be on the computer that Aperture is on. If so you could relocate the family images from the Aperture library to your external drive into a family folder and let the export option create a project folder system or a YYYY/MM/DD folder structure for you. The library with the database and masks and keywords all remain on your computer.

Rich

ccap 386

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2014 8:24 AM in response to Rich1955

Hi everyone

(sorry for my english i am a french it not my fault ) i also have the same probleme i am using Imac 27 whit 4GB and a Macpro 8GB,Both run on maverick 10.9.2 ,itune 11.1.5,Aperture 3.5 ,Ipad 2 and Iphone 4s.My aperture library is on a external drive so when i am out to do a even i bring my Macpro whit my eternal drive so i am able to show or work on the same library .I am a professional photographer.most of my work is done whith ligthroom 4 and it work very well whit both machine.The reason i also work whit aperture is just for face recognize. I got over 1000 different face (Most or MTB racer) in my aperture.It very helpfull to sell picture to the racer.

The season begin soon and yesterday i try too put back the picture in my Ipad2 but it never work.same whit the iphone 4s.When you syncronize there different step and when it get to the picture is just don't work but the music work well. The step to get to the music is after the picture so if you want to get new music you have to remove the picture check in the square,i hope you understand.

i am not realy a computer freak. I hope Apple or someone solve the problem soon.

rfader

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2014 11:08 AM in response to Rich1955

SWITCHING TO LIGHTROOM! I can't process photos with the pinwheel churning with every edit. It's taking me 10x longer to work with photos.

Rich1955 Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2014 11:15 AM in response to rfader

Just import with a standard preview. Takes longer to import but reduces time when viewing. Aperture looked ahead and made previews in advance which was great in Mountain Lion. This may be part of the Aperture problem though in that it doesn't seem to release cached preview memory properly with some systems.

Btw my 2011 MBPro has very short spinny wheels when using minimal preview.

Mar 31, 2014 12:31 PM in response to Rich1955

Already importing with a standard preview. The memory leak still occurs. I may have a new project this week and will be processing the pics in Lightroom.

I am extremely disappointed in Aperture since going to 10.9. I had to use Time Machine to reload Apperture in10.7 and every time I opened the program I had to type in the serial number. It was extremely annoying. Apple mever did fix the glitch. I think that Apple support has degenerated and has customer support issues that are built in. This will continue to cost them customers who switch to other software.

Microsoft is offering Office to iPad. Maybe the competition will wake up Apple.

omaether

Level 2

155 points

May 3, 2014 7:43 AM in response to Rich1955

Upgrading to Mavericks and Aperture 3.5.1 is a massive FAIL. Do not do it!

Well it is now May 2014, and there has been no acknowledgement of any issue, or any update from Apple to fix it. On my MBP 17" mid-2010 laptop with 8 gig memory, the latest versions of Mavericks and Aperture 3.5.1 have brought my image processing to stand still.

It used to all work great. Now I cannot import images, just trying to import my last shoot of only 260 photos it is still running after almost two days and it has only copied 69 photos. I also end up with a lot of duplicates on disk when Aperture crashes and I have to start the imports over.

I've tried everything, repairing permissions, restarting before importing, closing all other apps during imports, splitting and shrinking the library, deleting thousands of images from the library and on the disk, importing from the camera in smaller batches, using a card reader instead of the camera, changing USB ports for the disk, repairing the Aperture library and rebuilding the library, turning off previews...

Nothing has worked and it just keeps getting worse, no matter what Aperture just hangs. There's plenty of disk space and the same amount of memory as before.

If the latest versions are not intended for 2010 machines, fine, give me a warning instead of an upgrade alert, I'd never have done this. Now the only word at all from Apple support was there is no going back without a full wipe and clean install of the OS. This is the most un-Apple-like experience I've ever had and it's pretty shameful.

May 19, 2014 9:02 PM in response to omaether

I just only noticed this this past weekend. I have a late 2012 iMac BTO top of the line with 3TB Fusion Drive and 32GB of RAM. I noticed that it was almost using all of the memory the iMac even though on the activity monitor it shows that it is only using 4GB of RAM. Swap used was around 140mb and Memory Used was registered at 31GB. This is only happening when aperture is running and I'm doing editing and uploading of pictures to Flickr. OS version is 10.9.3 and Aperture 3.5.1.

I hope apple will acknowledge that this problem exists or else I will jump ship and move over to Adobe LR.

Rich1955 Author

Level 1

0 points

May 20, 2014 3:37 AM in response to daniel.montecillo

I already did and actually Lightroom is prety good and for me very stable. I don't know if this months Mavericks update has fixed Aperture. I ought to check but can't be bothered an longer.

Aperture 3.5.1 and Mavericks memory leak