Mac OS X v10.5, 10.5.1, 10.5.2: Time Machine may back up the entire Aperture Library each time

Products Affected

Aperture 2.x, Mac OS X 10.5, Aperture 1.5.6

Symptoms

In Mac OS X v10.5 through 10.5.2, Time Machine may perform a full backup (rather than incremental) of the Aperture Library, resulting in heavier-than-expected disk usage for Time Machine backups.

This can happen if the Aperture library is included in Time Machine backups and a backup occurs while Aperture is running.  In this situation, Time Machine excludes the Aperture library from a backup while the application is running, but backs up the entire library once Aperture quits, rather than just the changes since the previous backup.

Resolution

Download and install Mac OS X v10.5.3 or later. Afterwards, when you use Time Machine it will perform incremental backups as expected.

Additional Information

As a workaround for Mac OS X v10.5 through 10.5.2 only, turn Time Machine off (in Time Machine preferences, in System Preferences). Avoid performing backups or restores while Aperture is running. When you want to manually back up, quit Aperture, then choose Back Up Now from Time Machine's menu bar icon (Mac OS X v10.5.2), or by Control-clicking or right-clicking Time Machine in the Dock and choosing Back Up Now.

This document will be updated as more information becomes available.
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