This is about the 4th time I am trying to write a reply! I write and lose it. I do NOT know how to find or know if I am using Aperture 3.6.

What happens is I see no pictures at all where they usually are, just a black area and no pictures. I do see a side gray bar on the left with the words projects and others.  I do not DARE try to copy those words again in fear of losing this reply once again and starting over.  What I DO NOT see is the many many folders I have made over the 4 years since I bought my Mac, gone to One to One and Open Lessons, for hours, days, gone through many fine teachers and learned what I needed to know. I love the personal help. I get no error messages when I try to open Aperture.  All my pictures are stored in a Lacie External Hard Drive due to advice from a creative years ago.  I have many pictures.  I love my system and have panicked because Apple does not support Aperture anymore.  I clicked on "correct answer" and it is more like This helped me.  Thank you.  But I still have no clue how to see my pictures. I did try to include a screen shot in here of what appears and the screen shot kept disappearing.

I AM using 3.6 version of Aperture.

No projects are seen when projects is clicked.

I get a message that asks me "do I want to import the Aperture Library,  or I can cancel.  I cancel not knowing why I have to import the Aperture library.  It may be because I am paying $10 a month for 4 or 5 months now to Lightroom and not knowing what will happen when I try to switch to Lightroom. About two weeks ago I called Lightroom to cancel until I have time to do it.  They ended up helping me import. all pictures in Aperture, to Lightroom.  It took entire night. I think my thousands of pictures went into Lightroom and I have not had time to do any more than that.  He told me pictures are still IN Aperture and copies are in Lightroom.

At one to one at Apple I was advised to use Lightroom and joined and then did nothing with it and am paying.  I love the system I have made in Aperture and do not know what will happen in Lightroom.  Thus two picture programs and not basic knowledge to operate either one. and I only want to use Aperture.

Did not go further on your directions but did try last suggestion, clicked on adjustments and got add adjustments or effects for only choice.  Stuck again.  Thank you,,

leonie said:  On no account import an Aperture library.  You need to open your library in Aperture, not merge it into your current library, only as the last, desperate  measure.

Mary did NOT merge  or take any desperate measures.  I do not touch to Lightroom library.  I do not use it.  I do not know how or have time to learn it now.

I only want to open Aperture but see NO pictures in Aperture, just these words on a left sidebar

       "LIBRARY: Projects,Photos, Places.

Under Places I see the word     

       'RECENT'   with words

        Last 12 Months

        and four other word categories and also an ending word of

         Trash, a total of 5 categories under RECENT

leonie asked:

Does the menu command "File > Switch to Library" in Aperture not let you switch to a different library?

mary' answer: NO

leonie asked

Is your Aperture Library on an external drive or on your System drive?

mary's answer: External Lacy Drive.

leonie stated:

I do not use Lightroom, so I have no idea what the migration to lightroom  may have done to your Aperture Library.

If lightroom change permissions or ownerships you may need to repair your Aperture Library.

mary's response:

I have never used lightroom either but the Apple Creative suggested it because Apple no longer supports Aperture but does something new with I think it is iPhoto and stores all the pictures on it.  I take pictures with my iPhone and add those pictures to Aperture Folders and Projects and make my OWN categories.  It is all I have ever done.  I have over forty thousand pictures and do not understand the organization of iPhoto. I do not know what to do.  And all I want to do is use Aperture.

I spoke to a Lightroom person who helped me (I think he said import or maybe I am not saying the right word) my Aperture library into Lightroom and he said the Aperture Library would stay as it is and the SAME pictures in Lightroom, are simply Copies of exactly what is in Aperture Library everything STAYS the SAME.  I have all the picture copies in Lightroom and the original pics IN Aperture.

Aperture HAS repaired my Aperture Library several times in the past.  It somehow comes up and each time I panic, don't know what is happening, but somehow it does it with me doing some steps and all goes back to using it smoothly.  But this time I cannot even find or open the Aperture Library.  I am totally lost! I do not know is lightroom changed permissions or ownerships and have no clue how I get to repair my Aperture Library .

Repairing and Rebuilding Your Aperture Library

In the rare event that your Aperture database becomes corrupted or the files within it have permissions issues, Aperture provides a few methods for reconstituting your Aperture library and the file relationships within it.

desperate  measure.

Mary did NOT merge  or take any desperate measures.  I do not touch to Lightroom library.  I do not use it.  I do not know how or have time to learn it now.

I only want to open Aperture but see NO pictures in Aperture, just these words on a left sidebar

       "LIBRARY: Projects,Photos, Places.

Under Places I see the word     

       'RECENT'   with words

        Last 12 Months

        and four other word categories and also an ending word of

         Trash, a total of 5 categories under RECENT

leonie asked:

Does the menu command "File > Switch to Library" in Aperture not let you switch to a different library?

mary' answer: NO

leonie asked

Is your Aperture Library on an external drive or on your System drive?

mary's answer: External Lacy Drive.

leonie stated:

I do not use Lightroom, so I have no idea what the migration to lightroom  may have done to your Aperture Library.

If lightroom change permissions or ownerships you may need to repair your Aperture Library.

mary's response:

I have never used lightroom either but the Apple Creative suggested it because Apple no longer supports Aperture but does something new with I think it is iPhoto and stores all the pictures on it.  I take pictures with my iPhone and add those pictures to Aperture Folders and Projects and make my OWN categories.  It is all I have ever done.  I have over forty thousand pictures and do not understand the organization of iPhoto. I do not know what to do.  And all I want to do is use Aperture.

I spoke to a Lightroom person who helped me (I think he said import or maybe I am not saying the right word) my Aperture library into Lightroom and he said the Aperture Library would stay as it is and the SAME pictures in Lightroom, are simply Copies of exactly what is in Aperture Library everything STAYS the SAME.  I have all the picture copies in Lightroom and the original pics IN Aperture.

Aperture HAS repaired my Aperture Library several times in the past.  It somehow comes up and each time I panic, don't know what is happening, but somehow it does it with me doing some steps and all goes back to using it smoothly.  But this time I cannot even find or open the Aperture Library.  I am totally lost! I do not know is lightroom changed permissions or ownerships and have no clue how I get to repair my Aperture Library .

Repairing and Rebuilding Your Aperture Library

In the rare event that your Aperture database becomes corrupted or the files within it have permissions issues, Aperture provides a few methods for reconstituting your Aperture library and the file relationships within it.

Leonie copied and pasted the above blue part.  I did everything on this reply except the blue and this part yesterday.  It takes me a long time to write, make myself clear and fix the many errors I make.  I goofed up on this and do not know how to send it back to you.  I think you will get this now and know what I wrote so far. I do no think the files are corrupted and opened Repairing and Rebuilding Aperture Library and could not follow any of the directions because I  cannot find the Aperture Library to open.

It took me two days to write this. I struggle knowing how to write this and hope you can understand it.  Thank you for sticking to this with me. I cannot open Aperture and hope  you had a Good Easter.  Signed, Grateful Mary

Thank for for the quick response on your vacation using your iPhone. 

I tried all three suggestions you made with no luck.

.aplibrary ....comes up with a mis-spelling and goes nowhere

jpg and I also on my own wrote in .jpg...I put both of those in , press send and the computer highlights what I typed in grey and then does nothing

I made an OPEN appointment and may go in to Apple Store to see if a creative can help me this morning.  Not sure I can make it.

Am keeping me fingers crossed.  Creatives either can help you quickly or they often look up this thing I am using with you.  It is a mystery to me so far but you have been very helpful with your suggestions and I am learning new things.  Thank you, leonie

Leonie...   I just finished at one to one with a great creative. She easily helped me fix the problem and I know what to do if this happens again... hopefully, will know what to do. I am so happy that I used this support option and now I at least started to know what it is.  Have a wonderful time on your vacation and thank you much for another quick reply and all the replies you made. You pointed out many things and the time you put into this is much appreciated.  It is wonderful to learn there are people who will willingly help.  Bless you.  Mary