Please could somebody help? Aperture will not open - has a coloured spinning disc prior to opening the program correctly. I have the latest Snow Leopard update on a Mini Mac. I have "successfully installed" the latest Aperture 3.1.2 update.

Question

I am running the latest OS version and uploaded the latest version of Aperture 3.1.2 all successfully installed. I have all my photos (say 12000 files) stored on a RAID WD (MyBook) external hard-drive and I assume that that has the latest software update Wd 2.25. I have previously had problems with Aperture's external referencing - which drops out frustratingly, I was in the middle of a major import of photos when the spinning rainbow ball appeared. I am now unable to open Aperture.
I have tried rebooting to no change.
Help please?

Answer 1

Colin-
Thanks for the detailed info. One additional question, how full is each hard drive? The internal and external drives' % full.
Step one is to change the import workflow. Even though lots of manuals inappropriately lead folks in that direction, one should never import directly into Aperture or any other images management app. Instead, in this exact order:
• Restart the Mini (to clear possible memory leaks of the limiting 2-GB of RAM).
• Create a folder ("abc") for the incoming images. Since you are on a Mini you will want to be referencing Masters with the Library on the Mini's hard drive and the Masters on your external RAID array. The abc folder should be created on the RAID.
• Connect a card reader with the camera card in it. The camera card should show on the desktop. If it does not show, restart the Mini with the reader and card still plugged in. You can of course use the camera directly in this step, but I do not recommend it. Obviously cameras like the iPad do require direct camera-to-computer uploading.
• Drag the contents of the card's image folder(s) to the abc folder that you previously created on the hard drive.
• Review the abc folder contents to be sure they all copied properly.
• Software-eject the camera card.
• Physically disconnect the camera card reader from the Mini. This step is important to help avoid all-too-common human error.
• Again review the abc folder contents to be sure they are indeed all there (because stuff happens sometimes...).
• Back up the abc folder contents on to another drive.
• Review the files on the backup to be sure they all copied properly.
• At any time after but not before the previous step you can reformat the camera card in-camera. Do not delete images on the card using the computer.
• Start Aperture and only have Aperture running (due to your limited 2 GB RAM).
• Import the images from folder abc into Aperture, selecting "Store Files: In their current location" on the right-hand side of the import window.
Some generic advice I posted in another thread:
Aperture is a heavy pro graphics app that is very demanding of hardware. Your Mac's CPU, GPU, i/o and RAM are all limiting to Aperture so we need to do what we can to optimize. Some steps:
• Set Previews to only be built manually, and only tell Aperture to build Previews when you are not otherwise editing in Aperture. I suggest setting the size of Previews to be the pixel dimensions of your display.
• Keep the internal drive underfilled for speed, which sooner or later usually requires using a Referenced-Masters-Library with Masters on external drives. Back up originals before importing into Aperture or any other images app.
• The Aperture Library should be on an internal drive.
• Turn off Share Previews with iLife and iWork.
• Remember that HDs slow as they fill and keep the internal drive underfilled. Approx. 70% full _maximum_ is a good guideline.
• If page outs increase significantly during operation, max out RAM and/or try to run Aperture by itself. On my C2D MBP with its max of 3 GB RAM I always did a restart prior to a heavy Aperture session to clear any memory leaks and make sure no other apps were open. Browsers in particular will often suck RAM Aperture would otherwise be using.
IMO all Aperture users who can should routinely bump RAM to at least 8 GB.
• Some users have observed that it can take a new Aperture installation time (weeks) to stabilize on slow computers. So do not panic; and allow Aperture to continue background work by not fully shutting down the computer.
HTH
-Allen Wicks