FCP 5 won't open

FCP 5 won't open when I launch it. I was getting dropped frames in log and capture in a new project so I unplugged all my external HDs except the one I was logging to. I restarted my computer and I got the message that " was missing a pathway in a previous project and I couln't get past the screen demanding that I re-establish the path. Reconnected all HDs to get around this. After a few tries, FCP stopped launching. I re-installed FCP thinking maybe preferences off...and nothing. Just re-installed my OS (Tiger) yesterday and everything was working fine (preferences issue, again. Computer wouldn't shut down). Can't find anything in archives or applecare. Also, how to get past that message re: the missing pathway? Where are these pathway messages coming from, anyway? Didn't get them in earlier versions. Not like this anyway. G4, dual proc.

Good Morning, Seeker

Quote: "After a few tries, FCP stopped launching. I re-installed FCP thinking maybe preferences off...and nothing. Just re-installed my OS (Tiger) yesterday..."

Before doing anything so drastic like reinstalling software, especially the OS, may I recommend a few very easy steps to get any system to a fairly clean and stable state. Do each item 1 by 1, you don't need to do the rest if the 1st item fixes the problem:

1. Close out of FCP and Repair Disk Permissions in Safe Boot. When finished restart the computer.
[www.victorfoto.com]

2. Empty the Trash

3. Are your external hard drives firewire?

4. Turn the computer off for a couple of hours.

References:
[docs.info.apple.com]
[docs.info.apple.com]
[docs.info.apple.com]
[docs.info.apple.com]

The above is virtually painless and are the first things I do when any application is acting up.

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

<<<I unplugged all my external HDs except the one I was logging to.>>>

"All your hard drives" being how many? Fifteen, twenty? There is significant discussion (fistfights) about using *one* external FireWire drive for Final Cut. People using more than one are increasing their risk of system instability enormously.

System instabilities like: "pathway missing," "unable to link," and "dropped frames."

Does the machine work with **no** external drives connected?

FireWire drives also have the interesting property that they get slow and sloppy as they fill up. This makes failures more and more likely as you approach the final layoff to the client.

**No** drive on a video system should be over 90% full and many people use a smaller number. Include the System Drive. INFO your brains out. Include *every drive* connected to the machine, whether it's in your show or not.

Koz

Quote: "**No** drive on a video system should be over 90% full and many people use a smaller number."

Yup. Once the hard drives fill up to within 5% of free disk space left the system will more than likely start to misbehave. Be aware that items in the Trash makeup disk space used.

I keep my drives at no more than 75% full (25% headroom).

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

I did all but shut off for a couple of hours and no improvement. Irritating!

Yeah. I understand and am careful on this. This one is nearly empty, a 250 with 60 on it. There are three firewire HDs and all but the one are disconnected. Or connected depending on where I am in my diagnostics. Still getting no rise.

Hello, seeker

Quote: "how to get past that message re: the missing pathway? Where are these pathway messages coming from, anyway? Didn't get them in earlier versions."

Did you check what Koz said regarding disk space and amount of drives?

Did you move the project media?

What type of hard drives are you using?

Check the integrity of the RAM.

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

[www.victorfoto.com]

Is there an actual picture of Victor in there anywhere?

Koz

And now a word about Trashing Preferences vs. Reinstalling FCP.

Way back up top, seeker said "I re-installed FCP thinking maybe preferences off..."

I would submit that reinstalling FCP will not do a thing about preferences. If you didn't trash them deliberately, you would have the same (possibly corrupt) ones governing your fresh install. Consider this: FCP will create default Preference files when it launches if it can find no existing ones. That's why trashing preferences works as well as it does - you get rid of them, it makes new clean ones automatically when it starts up. When you install FCP, first time or tenth time, there are no Preference files created during the install, they are created when FCP launches (if none already exist). So reinstalling will not overwrite old Preference files and nothing will be solved Preference-wise.

Now, maybe seeker did in fact trash his preferences somewhere along the line (he didn't say), but I always worry when people report that they took the ultimate step of reinstalling the software with no relief that they're just experiencing the same old bad preferences problem and are chasing the wrong shadows.

Scott

Ah. You are right! I didn't trash them thinking that they would be overwritten but I have now...and things are launching perfectly. Thanks all for your help. Where is that picture of Victor? Not here.

Hey, koz

Quote: "Is there an actual picture of Victor in there anywhere?"

Uhhhh, kinda. In the bio page or you can get an up close and personal look at me at the lafcpug meetings in Hollywood. I'm the guy helping michael horton shoot the event and also attempting to get a closer seat to christine steele!

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

<<<In the bio page>>>

Oh yes. Heavily styalized.

I know you know how this works. Two eyes and a mouth and you can forget everything else. Reeeeely close to a portrait.

Everybody else looks grand. How are you doing the animations and how did you get them to track--or are they really all one?

Koz

Hey, hey, koz

Quote: "How are you doing the animations and how did you get them to track"

Do you mean the Jim Braddock animations? These:

Unmodified
[www.victorfoto.com]

Modified
[www.victorfoto.com]

They are modified GIFs that I put together for the movie and then made a background of them. Trade secret kinda stuff (tongue in cheek)

It was one of those all night experiments. I exported a bunch of frames out from FCP via QuickTime into Photoshop. Made 1 movie of I think 4-7 choice frames shrank it to 1/4 size and then staggered each movie and made 1 big frame that contained the 4 quartered movies which I then placed as an internet background browser image ? presto magic!

Quote: "Oh yes. Heavily styalized."

"I know you know how this works. Two eyes and a mouth and you can forget everything else. Reeeeely close to a portrait."

I'm a secret agent for the secret government that runs this place so I have to protect my identity sorry, no portraits.

take care, koz!

love & peace,
victor



Post Edited (05-16-06 23:35)

amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

Victor/Koz et al.
OK. What is your version of the Monday Maintenance routine with FCP5, a la Ken Stone? Any changes from earlier versions? Put anything on Automator from desktop? I did put Disk Utility there-not on Automator. 'Course it's also important to trash the correct FCP preferences in the 'other (User) Utility file'. And then reset your preferences so you aren't loading onto the wrong HD. So much to learn! Now that the water's receeding I may have time. Oh, to live in sunny CA.

Victor/Koz et al.
OK. What is your version of the Monday Maintenance routine with FCP5, a la Ken Stone? Any changes from earlier versions? Put anything on Automator from desktop? I did put Disk Utility there-not on Automator. 'Course it's also important to trash the correct FCP preferences in the 'other (User) Utility file'. And then reset your preferences so you aren't loading onto the wrong HD. So much to learn! Now that the water's receeding I may have time. Oh, to live in sunny CA.

Hello, seeker

<[www.lafcpug.org];

Do you have a link to Ken's maintenance routine?

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

Yes, Victor. Actually there is a Dec '05 version now that I check my records.
Again, thanks for the help.

O2BNLA

I think that was one of the license plates on a car in Steve Martin's "LA Story."

We're not as wet, but I bet you got more sunshine than we did so far. The December rains stopped last week and we transitioned directly into "June Gloom" where the Marine Layer (Never "Fog." That City Up North has Fog.) covers the whole city except for about 8 seconds in the afternoon.

One day it cleared up and the pilots at LAX had to be retrained. Did you know citrus trees get sunburned? Not this year.

<<<Monday Maintenance routine with FCP5>>>

We don't have a "Monday Routine." The only problem we ever run into is filling up hard drives. Let's see. An INFO on the System Drive tells us there is 1.6M free space left. I think I found your problem. Just a guess now.

We also never do upgrades and most of the system files are owned by "root", not administrator. Lots of problems go away when you do that.

Koz

Koz-
Upgrades to me are like a moth to a flame. I can't resist them and now I know they are going to kill me. I've come to realize that everytime I go to the Cafe with a problem it is after an automatic upgrade and a perversion of my preferences and permissions. For whatever masochistic reason, I always install them and then live to regret them. I like your mantra, "Never do upgrades!"
If you can briefly, explain your use of "root" to me; perhaps as a new topic? Thanx

Quote: "Upgrades to me are like a moth to a flame. I can't resist them and now I know they are going to kill me."

Words to live by?

1. Never update/upgrade during a project. Finish the project, get paid and archive the project then upgrade.
2. Never update/upgrade until you have read the boards and know there are no problems with the update/upgrade.
3. Disconnect/unmount external hard drives before an update/upgrade.
4. Repair Disk Permissions in Safe Boot before and after update/upgrade.
5. Empty the Trash after a restart especially after a Safe Boot restart.

The only exception to the items above would be if the update/upgrade is stable and fixes a known issue that is interfering with your project.

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]

Quote: "we transitioned directly into "June Gloom"

Hey, hey koz

June Gloom which starts in May and last until sometime in July or August. It makes for interesting displays on the Fourth of July.

We're back from the psychologist now and no longer in denial so we're calling it "May Gray" over on this side of the hill. Now if we could come up with something that rhymes with July.

Hey, where's the stylized mug shot on your site?

love & peace,
victor



amor y paz,
victor
[www.victorfoto.com]