FCP won't start, did everything listed in wiki!

I was working on FCP 6 this morning just fine with a USB 2 drive, and then plugged in an additional firewire drive to look for a file. FW drive was corrupt and refused to transfer files, so I shut down, removed it and restarted. Since then, FCP won't load. I have done everything listed here, I swear:

[www.lafcpug.org]

(except the RAM bit -- the project files I have, which are stored on the Mac and not the USB drive, never use more than 2 hrs of footage and are never very big)

I can get to varying points in the load -- sometimes it asks me to reset my prefs and hangs, sometimes it'll let me get through so I can see the project windows and then hangs, etc. Have trashed prefs and restarted multiple times, loaded from projects, loaded from app, logged in as someone else, unplugged the USB drive, phoned my editor friend...

So what's left to do? It seems possible that someone here has walked off with our install discs and Applecare number -- we have them for the version installed on a laptop, but that's not the one that's causing problems. So I can't reinstall and am not sure if I can contact Applecare anyway.

iMac 10.5.6
Processor 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo
Memory 4GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

p.s. I plugged in the USB drive to the laptop (with the diff serial FCP) and loaded an FCP project from a flash drive and it seemed fine, leading me to think there's no corruption in the media or the projects, just something about FCP on my desktop mac.

Is your copy of FCP legit?


www.derekmok.com

Yes, it's legit -- we have two copies bought by the company I work for, one from 18 mos ago (that's the one that's causing probs, and also missing the install discs) and one from about 6 mos ago (for the laptop). Would reinstalling with the 'laptop' discs and the 'old' desktop serial number work?

Try it...



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

It stopped installing halfway through, saying that the install discs were damaged. I don't see any obvious scratch on that disc or anything. Contact applecare?

Applecare says £50 per replacement installation disc, or to trash the prefs if it won't load. So I'm right back where I started.

try copying FCP across from your laptop to your other computer.
cant see it working.

i wonder if the problem might be with your system.
how do other apps behave on it?


nick

Suggestion

create a new user account and try loading FCP from that.
Do you have a AJA or Blackmagic card in your create?
What is the Consol telling you in terms of error messages?
Is quicktime working happily?

Boot up the laptop in target disk mode and try running FCP off it