Hard drive size error - import from Aperture plug in

[Zammeree]

I am trying to import from Aperture but on the very first screen, I am told to select the Aperture library and also the Lightroom catalogue. 

Lightroom insists that the available space on me hardrive is only 166gb when there are over 600gb free. As a result it will not allow be to continue with the import. I have rebooted my Mac and updated to the latest version of Lightroom. No luck. 

I've tried to contact support but they say they are "looking into it" then close the conversation without an answer. I've given up trying.

[Just Shoot Me]

There is a sytem in Time Machine that create temp backup files that take up space but are not recorded as doing so. Other programs see these files where Finder does not report them. Making you think you have tons of drive space available when in reality you don't.

[Zammeree]

Thanks. I’ve a 1 TB hard drive. There are hardly any programs on my Mac. I’ve putged all back up files or moved them to an external drive. I deleted an old Aperture vault that was 220gb but still Lightroom says there’s no space. It’s plainly Lightroom that has the problem. This Mac is just to be used for photos. There’s easily two thirds of this drive free. Lightroom will not accept that though.

K

Sent from my iPhone

[JohanElzenga]

If you haven't updated to Catalina yet and so you can still use Aperture, then do the following. Select all images in Aperture (make sure you expand all stacks first), then use 'Relocate Original' to move the images out of the library into normal folders. If you then use the Lightroom plugin, it doesn't need all that space because it does not have to create copies of the images.

If you did upgrade to Catalina so Aperture no longer runs, then you could try to use 'Retroactive' to get it to run.

[Zammeree]

Does that mean I only get to keep orginals and lose all the versions? There are years of work in the versions. I was hoping to keep the file structure and the originals and versions together. Importing them separately will be a disaster.

I have an almost empty hard drive. I just don't understand why Lightroom can only see less than a third of the empty space.

[JohanElzenga]

Versions are virtual copies, kept inside the library. You do not lose them by moving the originals out of the library.

[Zammeree · Accepted solution]

Thanks all. The solution was to run first aid and then repair the drive. Lightroom can now see the entire free space.

Import has just commenced... fingers firmly crossed!