Imported Files Deleted From Memory Card

Question

I imported my files from my camera's memory card and selected the option to import into the aperature library and delete the originals after import.  The files successfully imported and I began to work on them in a project.  I flagged a couple of the pictures that I wanted to put in an album and print, upload, etc.  Then, all of a sudden, they were GONE.  They are nowhere to be found in Aperature.  I even viewed all photos in a "list" view and sorted by date taken and none of the pictures I took today and "successfully" imported were there.  I do not see them in the trash either and a Time Machine backup has not completed since I imported the photos.  Could someone please tell me how I can recover these priceless pictures of our toddler son and my wife on their first Mother's Day???
Desperate -
Jason

Answer 1

Jason,
hopefully you did not actually delete your photos but just hid them. Did you quit and relaunch Aperture before your images vanished, or did did it happen, while Aperture was open?
There are basically two ways that occasionally hide images:
Hiding in a different Librariy: Import into one library, then opening a different library and the images appear to be gone
Filtering and rejecting: Accidentally setting filters or using the "reject" key will exclude images from the view.
If you noticed the missing images after quitting and relaunching, you may have imported into a different library then you are viewing now. This may happen, if your Aperture library is on a different volume and the volume went offline, before you started importing. Then Aperture may simply create a new library on your drive and import into that. Or you have two Aperture installations - on  in the Applications folder, one somewhere else. Depending on how you launch Aperture you may open different Libraries.
To check for other Aperture Libraries, see if Aperture offers different Librarues to open, when you hold down the options-key while launching Aperture or if Aperture is already running, go to the File menu and select "File -> Switch to Library".
If  the images vanished while you were working with Aperture: (You did not tell us which Aperture version you are using - I assume you are using Aperture 3 ....)
Check the searchfields in the Browser and in the Inspector pane and clear them.
The browser filter should be set to "Showing All" - this will even reveal rejected images,
The filter in the Inspector pane shuold show: "All items"
Note that each library item may have its own filter applied; you will have to select them in turn to clear all filters.
In very rare cases you may even have created an invisible filter; then Frank Caggiano's user tip will help.
Images not appearing in browser, search filter is cleared
Rejecting images: If you accidentally hit the "9" key, your currently selected images may be rated rejected and the filter in the Browser will exclude them from view, if it is not set to "Showing all". Rejected images are marked by a "x". To unreject them assing a different rating.
Pkease post back, if this does not solve the problem. Don't use the card in your camera, until you got your pictures back. If all fails, you may need to use recovery software on the card.
Regards
Léonie