Ian,

There are two ways you can do this. You can simply copy the files by hand (just drag the entire structure over to the new drive), and when you re-launch Aperture, point to the new location using the File > Locate Reference Files… command as you described.

You can also use Aperture to do the relocation, using the File > Relocate Master command. You can choose move your entire library, or just pieces, this way.

Unless you’re moving the files on the same drive though, I’m not a fan of the second option. I don’t believe there’s a “copy” command, just a “move”, and there’s risk for data loss of Aperture crashes mid-move. I could be wrong, and by all means test it with a small collection of files first. That said, the first option could leave you reconnecting files in batches as in my experience, there’s always files that have broken connections before the move (that you may not know about), and so this will force you to find them after the move and reconnect to them all (which in itself is a good thing).

Let me know how you proceed and fare please!

-Joseph @ApertureExpert

Andrew,

Yes, your Library can live anywhere, just as your Master images can.

Simply quit Aperture, then copy the Library file to your other hard drive, and double-click the Library itself to launch it. Or, you can launch Aperture, and in the Preferences, point to the new location of your Library.

Once you’ve moved the Library, you may need to reconnect to your Master files. When you open the Library from the new location, look for the Referenced File badge; the small rectangle with a curved arrow in it that shows up on the bottom right of each thumbnail (when Metadata is on). If you see either a red line (offline) or a yellow triangle (missing) on the badge, then you know you’ll need to reconnect your Masters.

If you do, it’s best to do all the photos at once. Go to the Photos view in the Library tab, select all the photos, and then select menu File > Locate Referenced Files…. From there you can point to missing files and hopefully reconnect everything at once.

Only delete your original Library from the Pictures folder once you’re sure that everything is reconnected from the new location.

-Joseph @ApertureExpert