Delete original ONLY IF not used in a non-reject version

No prompt or warning. The Trash emptied. Th e revealed referenced original stayed in the folder.

but what about in Aperture? Was the original still visable or was it gone from the project?

Works as expected here. I just created a new Library on my system drive, imported files keeping the Originals in place, and deleted them in various combinations. In each case, when I deleted the final Version based on an Original, I got the dialog and checked the box, and the Originals were moved to the System Trash and was able to successfully empty the System Trash.

Did not try this with Originals on an external drive, but that is the default for a few Libraries I administer, and I have always seen this behavior.

I don't know why Léonie's installation is not behaving this way, or why the OP's is not. As a trouble-shooting start, create a new Library, populate it with Images that have referenced Originals, delete them and see how Aperture handles it?

GoClick wrote:

Okay, so I took some photos of numbered Post-it notes and made various versions and deleted them and then emptied the trash in various combinations trying to mimic my normal workflow. Aperture DID give me the check box and the referenced originals were deleted… as Aperture should do… but that was new to me!

Well, that's good! 🙂 .

The problem is, I have around 25% more actual raw files in my Originals folder than I have total versions in my library and many of those versions come from the same raw file. So clearly Aperture isn't actually deleting all the originals when I empty my trash.

And that's not good. I suggest cleaning things up before you move forward.

It should be straightforward to remove any files in that Finder finds that are not connected to Images in your Library.

(Of course, you should never work with _any_ file without having a back-up.)

First, I'd check that every Image does have an Original. Select the Photos container, and filter using the Rule "File Status" set to "Missing". There should be none.

Then check that you don't have any managed Originals (to confirm that your set-up is as you think it is). Change the Rule "File Status" to "Managed". There should be none.

Then also make sure that the referenced Originals are where you think they are. Mount only the external drive(s) that hold your Originals and change the Rule again, this time to "Offline". There should be none.

Then follow my directions here to relocate all your referenced Originals, delete the ones left, and move the "good" ones back.

This does nothing to keep the problem from recurring, but it does clean up your drives, and gives you a known base-line status going forward ("Every Image's Original is referenced; no files in my dedicated Finder folders are unattached").

but what about in Aperture? Was the original still visable or was it gone from the project?

In Aperture the versions were gone from the project. The result was exactly like emptying the Trash with the option "Move Referenced Files to the System Trash unchecked". Only that I never was promted to set this option.

Meanwhile I have tested with a new, simple, referenced test library and this library is working exactly as it should and as you and Kirby are saying. When I delete the last version, the referenced master is als deleted, as it should be.

So I am troubleshooting the library now. It is still repairing.

That's good ot hear.

GoClick at this point I'd recomend doing a library repair to see if that fixes the issue. See Aperture 3: Troubleshooting Basics for details.

Frank Caggiano wrote:

GoClick at this point I'd recomend doing a library repair to see if that fixes the issue. See Aperture 3: Troubleshooting Basics for details.

YES. Of course. My bad for not listing this first 😊 .

Message was edited by: Kirby Krieger

Hopefully Léonie will have a chance to work on her library that is not working and come up with a solution. As Neither Kirby or I have the problem (Aperture works for us as it should) there is no way for us to troubleshoot this.

Have you tried all the steps in Aperture 3: Troubleshooting Basics specifically the library permissions repair and the preference file move?

It will be interesting to see what the cause of this is. Good luck

regards