Lost projects

[The oldie]

Firstly - what a super improvement with the new betas and the light table etc. !

Many congratulations to Igor!

Now to my problem.

I have had to reinstall everyhting after my photo PC wouldn't boot up. Everything was tried but to no avail, and the reinstall was needed. This sorted it out except for my current PTE projects.

Everything was reinstalled in the same place on the hard discs etc. I transferred PTE4.2#1 ( I have a small machine for e-mail, internet etc. and my photo machine is not connected to the internet - no viruses- transferred stuff is all scanned with Norton antivirus before transferrring to the photo machine).

When starting PTE and opening a current project the programme first says it can't find pictures. when the file list is opened at the correct folder the programme recognises the pics but they show in the slide list in the right order with the name but showing 1kb size for each slide. They also will not show as a thumbnail in the right hand window. Obviously the project is lost, and I have to reinstall all the pics again. Fortunately the larger sequences are already exe files and run fine. I have however two or three shorter pieces which were being worked on which have been lost. I still have all the pictures both in their original form and as jpegs in av folders. So all can be reconstructed. A lot of unneccesary work !

My concern is for the future. What has gone wrong, and what can I do to eliminate the risk again ? Has anyone else experienced the same thing.

Incidentally the main PC which would not boot up is running on XP, while the small internet PC is on 98.

Alan in UK

[ccmanz]

Alan,

One way around this is if you take your pictures in the show and place them all in the

same DIR and also put your show.pte file in the same DIR you can load it this way.

PTE looks for the pictures in the DIR that the show.pte is in first before it goes and looks

for it with the path that is saved.

If you have any music make sure you have it in the same DIR too.

After you have created a show you can make a Template of the show.

and PTE puts all the pictures, songs and Show.pte file in the same folder. This is

an easy way to create a backup of your show. That can be easily burned to CD for later use.

cc

[alrobin]

Chuck,

That is very good advice.

However, more for Igor's attention, I would like to point out that putting the images and sound files in the same Directory as the PTE project file works fine with the exception of sound files added via the "Sound" line at the bottom of the main window.

Not many people use this means for adding sound - it is mainly used to superimpose narration or special sound effects over background sound. However, those using it should be aware of this little bug in PTE.

[The oldie]

Chuck ( and Al),

Many thanks for the help. I will look into the template system when I sort out the current projects. Currently all the elements of the project are in the same hard disc, but are in different directories. The pics are in one, the sound and project files are in subs of another directory.

Incidentally, probably a simplistic question. As I explained, I have a small capacity PC which I use for e-mail, internet etc. and keep a bigger capacity machine for photography. This means that the current version of PTE is transferred from one PC to the other. I copy to disc and transfer. Is this ok with PTE? The reason I ask is that I notice that the transferred version will not show the help info. It occurred to me that the programme, for it's own protection, may not allow this transfer? The programme seems to work otherwise ok.

Isn't the forum splendid. And you are such a helpful lot!

Best regards,

Alan in UK

[Maureen]

Hi Alan

I find using an USB external hard drive very useful.

I Keep all my digital AV folders on it.

When starting a new PTE sequence, I always create a new folder within my digital AV folder with sequence name eg Summer.Then create three folders withing that labelled -

summer-images

summer-sound

summer-docs

Keeps everything handy and when the sequence is completed I can save all folders onto a CD as backup.

If I lost my originals I'd know to create the same folder pattern again.

The external hard drive keeps my main computer free and so it works better.

I have also got into the habit of creating templates which save time resetting initial projects to my preferences, etc.

Hope this helps in some way.

Best wishes

Maureen

[Ken Cox]

Alan

well i have been thru the "help" problem

the program must bu unzipped and installed in a "standalone " folder for the help function to display it's contents -- for example my original install is located here

C:\Program Files\PicturesToExe

extract the zip to that folder and run the setup to that folder

i do things differently tho' and install each new version on my "D" drive in a folder showing what version it is -example

D:\P2E Shows\4_3 beta 4 program

i then make a new properly named shortcut to that version

if by chance there is a big problem with that beta i can easily revert back to a working version

-- i got into trouble when i made another folder within that folder for the program -- the help file would not display its contents.

then i keep track of specific threads related to the latest program here

D:\P2E Shows\4_3 beta 4 notes

when i start to make a new show -- i do as Chuck says -- i create a folder c/w ALL music pictures icons special notes links to info from web etc in that folder, and if i remove the folder to cd i note on the cd what drive it is from -- with the advances that Igor is making with the program, you may wish to do your "removed shows" again with the new features

krn

[The oldie]

Once again many thanks to Maureen and Ken. All your advice will be incorporated when I revamp my folders etc.

Ken, I reinstalled PTE from disc and made sure of the folders and "hey presto" help file now OK.

Maureen, I like the idea of your external hard drive. I think I have read some of your comments about it before. I have certainly found that keeping the minimum running on the Photo PC, help with the speed of operation and in particular in Photoshop. Trouble is I have just forked out for an excellent Image Tank III travelling hard disc (40gig) which is also a card reader and allows downloading and clearing of camera cards on the move ( carrying a laptop, without the car, can be a bind).

More expense! but then you can't take it with you !!

I would be very interested in the make and spec of your model. I do know they get smaller and with bigger capacity all the time.

Best wishes,

Alan

[ronwil]

I have been using a Que 40GB USB External Harddrive for the past two years and use it for either transferring or playing back on my Royale Digital Projection Unit, which has its own built in computer. For projects, which I am going to transfer in toto, I create them in one specific folder in Drive C of my main computer, copy it into the external harddrive and then transfer the folder to Drive C of the projection unit so that there are no problems with the file line.

Ron [uK]

[Maureen]

Hi Alan

I use the Western Digital 120Gb external purchased from PC World a few years ago.

However I am a great fan of the Aldi special offers regarding their computer equipment.

Bought their PC, laptop and also their external hard drive Medion 160 Gb.

The Aldi external hard drive needed to be formatted before use (which Ian did for me -Thanks!) and so it is also now split into two drives.

I use the WD external and husband, Robert uses the Medion.

If you are near an Aldi store and can wait for their offer Alan, might be worth your while doing so. See their web site www.aldi.com & subscribe to the weekly e-mail newsletter which sends you the offers ahead of time.

Best wishes

Maureen

[The oldie]

Ron, thanks for your info. Makes and specs that work well with others are always worth noting!.

Maureen,

Interesting that you mention the Aldi offers. My chum Roger Mallison has acquired a very nice laptop via that route. I will certainly watch their site.

Unfortunately I bought my laptop somewhat earlier. I would have done better by waiting! Thats always the case?

Thanks very much for all your interest.

I read about all you av experts in the "AV World". I am astonished at your capacity to produce masses of top notch av's, run conferences etc. etc. and still manage to find time to take some pictures ! Marvellous.

Best regards,

Alan

[Maureen]

Lidl also has some PCs and laptops coming on offer next week - anyone interested see http://www.lidl.co.uk

Alan

I also know Roger - he regularly comes over to our RPS Wessex meetings.

Best wishes

Maureen