Despite having a MacPro desktop with 8TB of internal drive space, I'm starting to run out of disk space. I use 2TB for Snow Leopard, 2TB for Time Machine, 2TB for Windows 7, and 2TB for a Storage Drive that contains Archives and Backup Hard Drive Images. I also have an external 1TB Western Digital. I use the MacPro for an Audio Server using a Logitech Transporter in the Living Room, and a Video Server connected to a few Tivos scattered throughout the house., then if you add thousands of RAW images, you hopefully get the picture.


Anyway, now that you have the background information, here is my question.


As of now, I upload my photos to the MacPro, I then put them in their own folder and then I import them into Aperture, choosing the store files in their original location. However, when I delete an image, it only gets deleted from the Library and not from it's original location. When I chose to set it up that way it seemed like a good idea at the time, however it's too much trouble to then go to the original folder and delete those unwanted files as well, so I just seem to accumulate a lot of unwanted files. Is there a setting in Aperture and/or Lightroom that will delete the original as well? I like the idea of being able to archive my images, separately from the Aperture or Lightroom Library, but I would like to be able to archive them after I have already gone through them and deleted the non-keepers.


I recently purchased LR3 and I would like to set up Aperture and LR similarly, in that I can delete the original files from their folder as I'm reviewing them in the library and yet still archive the keepers in their own folder. I understand that I can import them into the Library and then export the keepers, but I'm trying to avoid the extra step of importing and then exporting.


I've never liked the way the iTunes Library stored my Music by scattering it into different folders, so I was hesitant to let the Photo Libraries do all of the archiving on it's own. I also fear that a Library or Catalog could become corrupted. What's your current backup method for Libraries or Catalogs?


Would there be any disadvantage or advantage to letting Aperture and LR Libraries handle all of this? I would also like to be able to allow both programs to use the same image folders so that I don't have duplicates, but I'm not sure if that will mess up the stored processing of the images.


Perhaps a little explanation of Libraries vs. Catalogs, and how they store the information would help me understand it better.


I think I will take my data from my 2TB internal "Storage Drive" and move that to an external drive and then start fresh with that internal 2TB drive and use it just for photos only.


Thank You in advance!


Rich