Help!!Lost ALL slideshows

[Pam Dean]

I hope someone can help me.

For some reason when I saved my last slideshow, it also saved over every slideshow I have created since 2005. I tried a different slideshow and it to saves over all the slideshows.. I can only have 1 slideshow at a time and I have lost everyslide show since 2005. I'm not sure at what point does this happen. When I save as or create or x out. I some point what ever that slideshow I'm working on copies over the other slideshow from the past.

I do remember something that happened just the other day. After creating and burning a slideshow a box came up and I checked to save this slideshow because I needed 2 of these slideshows( this box is something I have never seen before, it kinda looked like the box that comes up if you have to many images to burn on one CD.)

I think every since then, when I save my slideshow, it saves over ALL slideshows too.

Can someone please help me. I am working in version 4.31

Thanks Pam

[Ken Cox]

save as with a different name

and create as a different name

example

save as

pam1.pte

create as

pam1.exe

next time change the 1's to 2's and so forth

also

update your version to 4.48

ken

[Pam Dean]

When I "save as" I save it using my clients name and date. When I "Created Slideshow As" the Start Button EXE is always in the file name. What I have is folders of 3 months (Sept.-Dec. 07) and as I make slideshows those months each slide show has their own folder ( Lori Ford Family 11-15-07) . I might have 20 different family names in this 3 month folder.

Now all folder change everytime i make a new slideshow to the last slideshow I have just made. Their name stays correct but when you open it up, it contains the last slideshow's pictures in it.

How can I upgrade to 4.48. I there anyone that I can talk with on the phone with. I would be glad to do the calling so the bill would be on me.

thanks Pam Dean

[Conflow]

Pam,

Forget PTE 4.48 until you get your problems sorthed out with V4.31 !

Looks to me as if your PC has decided to 'Save' to your Archive Folder

as a 'generic-save' which is over-writing all the Folder Contents....

This could be 'human error' or a 'confused PC error' and looking at your

Filenames this is an accident which was waiting to happen,let me explain:-

1)

It seems that you were simply saving to the Archive Folder without going

to the bother of opening up that Folder in the 1st instance and then giving

your File a unique name and then selecting Save...see 'Attachment' below.

2)

You made the classic mistake of relying on your PC to 'Archive' your Files

where in fact most PTE Users Archive their Files to a Master CD-Disc then

you loose nothing. Burn as 'Data-Files' to which you keep adding to the CD.

3)

Your Filenames (your example)...Lori Ford Family 11-15-07...Has 3 spaces

and 22 characters, this is excessive and beyond the normal 8/10 characters

which a PC prefers and those three spaces loose 'connectivity' between the

characters, so anything can happen, and it will eventually ~

4)

The following Filename Format would suit your work:- A01-Ford, A02-Ford, etc,

Thats: A,Zero,One. Then for a different Family: B01-Smith, B02-Smith,etc,etc.

Note : There are no spaces.

The Numeric values gives you the date sequences which you keep on record.

So from A01~A99 gives you 100 Files for Ford and B01~B99 is a 100 for Smith,

and A to Z is 26 Families. (All told that allows you 2600 SlideShows).

Hope this helps you...

Brian.Conflow.

[Pam Dean]

Hey Brian,

I tried naming it the way you showed me, but that did not work either. It still replaces every slideshow with whatever slideshow I am currently working on.

Brian, I do remember a box coming up at one point earlyer and I needed to run 2 of the same slideshow and I clicked on a save the file (therefore I must have changed something in default somewhere) but I don't remember that box every coming up before. It happened right after I burned the slideshow to a CD.

Somewhere in a default on my computer or in the slideshow software I have changed the default setting. This is the only thing I can remember happening. My husband and I have been working hours on this since Wednesday.

If anyone can help me please post your phone number so I can talk and work this out on the phone. I can talk better than I can type.

Thanks so much

Pam

[Ronniebootwest]

If anyone can help me please post your phone number so I can talk and work this out on the phone. I can talk better than I can type.

Thanks so much

Pam

Hello Pam.

Why don't you consider signing up to MSN (Microsoft Messenger) it works very well indeed and will allow you to talk directly from your computer to any other MSN member. This way you can talk through your problems and at the same time have PTE running on your computer. The whole thing is FREE and you need not run up a bill on your telephone line - even between different coutries.

Ron West

[nobeefstu]

Pam,

Just to gather some background facts/details on your file opening and file saving steps using PTE v4.41.

For some reason when I saved my last slideshow, it also saved over every slideshow I have created since 2005. I tried a different slideshow and it to saves over all the slideshows

-I assume your talking about the .pte files here ... correct ?

-Using Windows Explorer | Properties ... do all the old .pte files have the same date/s as the new/recently "Save As" file just created ? If not ... the .pte files could not have been overwritten by the new/recent file. Use something like ExamDiff file compare tool to indeed see any changes among all the files.

-How do you open your older/archived .pte files ? Try using the File Open in PTE main menu and select the file you want to open ... instead of just dbl-clicking file or relying on last file used/open.

[Pam Dean]

Nobeefstu,

OH my Gosh!!! When I went to file/open I could get to them. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! Still when I go to them from my folders in My Computer they are all the same slideshow.

When I save a new slideshow, I go to file/save as and name it with the clients name and date.

I have a folder strickly for slideshows called My slideshows. Inside that folder I have folders with dates example ... Oct.2007-Dec.2007 and inside that folder I put all slideshows made during those months along with a startexe and autoruninf. Each slideshow is named with the clients name and date. When I get ready to burn a slideshow that is already made 1. "create it" choosing the folder (oct.2007-decembe2007) in PTEXE 2. Close out PTEXE. 3. Go to "my computer" and open the folder of Oct.2007-December2007 find my clients folder ,the start button and the autoruninf button and highlight those 3 sending it to my D drive so I can burn it to a CD.

Now.... the other day, I remember when I burned a CD slideshow, a box came up with several options and I choose save CD because I needed to burn 2 of the same slideshow. I have never seen that box before and I think when I choose save CD, it change a default somewhere and thats why i am having the problem of it changing all my slideshows.

I just don't know where to find that box or if this default box is in PTEXE or on my computer.

If you have any ideal, please let me know

Thank you so much.

Pam

[nobeefstu]

Pam,

To resolve any possibility that your Windows Shell FileOpen command in the registry may have gotten corrupted ... just reinstall the PTE v4.41 program installer again into the same existing directory.

After reinstall of PTE program again ... should correct the possible registry shell corruption in PTE.

Does dbl-click to open a .pte file work correctly now ?

[Tomuk]

Pam,

Just a thought but have you tried to run RESTORE, it may reset your windows to a time before your problem.

If this works,don't forget to save all your shows to a CdRom.

[Pam Dean]

Yes, when I double click in file/open I can get to my slideshows. Thank you so much for that information. It's been a long 5 days trying to solve this problem..

I am actually working in PTEXE 4.31.

Dumb question... do I go to programs/uninstall or install to reinstall PTEXE and will it change any of the slideshows I have?

I just looked and in programs-all I have in uninstall. How do I reinstall 4.31?

Thank you so much, you have been sooo helpful.

Pam

[nobeefstu]

Pam,

If you intend to keep using PTE v4.31 ... there is no need to uninstall v4.31 . All your doing by reinstalling PTE v4.31 is overwriting the exisiting program files only, resetting the registry, and options to defaults. This in no way changes any of your existing saved/archive .pte files and shows.

To reinstall v4.31:

-Run the Setup.exe (v4.31 if you still have the program installer/ zip available)

-Follow the program installer directions.

-Install into same exact folder location/directory where your PTE v4.31 (apr.exe) is currently located.

I personally suggest to uninstall PTE v4.31 and newly install PTE v 4.48. PTE v4.48 has many fixes and new additions as compared to older v4.31. The v4.48 is last/final of the version 4 series before now new version 5 series. This in no way changes any of your existing saved/archive .pte v4.31 files and shows. However, once your v4.31 .pte files are opened and saved in v4.48 file format ... they are no longer backward compatable for use in v4.31.

PicturesToExe v4.48

http://www.wnsoft.com/apr/pte448.zip

* To completely uninstall v4.31 just run the uninst.exe contained in the existing PTE program folder. Uninstalling has no effect or harm to your existing .pte files/archives and shows made into .exe

[Pam Dean]

Great!!!

So uninstalling will have no effect on my current slideshows?

I will do that. Upgrading hopefully will take care the problem that has been happening. I will let you know how it turns out.

Thank you again for your time and help.

Pam

[Ronniebootwest]

Pam,

If it is not to late, remember to save all of your project files and exe files to a separate drive before you re-install (just in case). Better still copy everything to a CD or DVD.

Ron

[Conflow]

Pam,

Thats "twice" Ronnie has advised you to Archive your Shows and I have also said same.

You also need to attend to a few things,:-

* On the Forum when we say 'Slideshow' we mean the completed Blue Icon,Exe File.

* For work in progress we refer to the .PTE Files, apparently these were your Lost Files.

* The 'Naming & Title' of your Files need to be more compatible with PC requirements.

Many of us will seriously recommend you to make "Templates" of your Shows and burn

each 'Template' to a CD-Data Disc ~ its so simple I'm at odds to understand how you

could have possibly overlooked this crucial Utility which is available in all versions of PTE.

Click on File (left-Top) of PTE Main Window-->select-->Template-->Create Template of

this Show.The Template Folder is within the Main PTE Program Folder,simply Burn it to CD.

That way you will never loose a Client Folder again and it is complete including all Sounds.

Brian.Conflow.

[Debbie DeVita]

Pam,

Just to gather some background facts/details on your file opening and file saving steps using PTE v4.41.

-I assume your talking about the .pte files here ... correct ?

-Using Windows Explorer | Properties ... do all the old .pte files have the same date/s as the new/recently "Save As" file just created ? If not ... the .pte files could not have been overwritten by the new/recent file. Use something like ExamDiff file compare tool to indeed see any changes among all the files.

-How do you open your older/archived .pte files ? Try using the File Open in PTE main menu and select the file you want to open ... instead of just dbl-clicking file or relying on last file used/open.

[Debbie DeVita]

Pam,

Just to gather some background facts/details on your file opening and file saving steps using PTE v4.41.

-I assume your talking about the .pte files here ... correct ?

-Using Windows Explorer | Properties ... do all the old .pte files have the same date/s as the new/recently "Save As" file just created ? If not ... the .pte files could not have been overwritten by the new/recent file. Use something like ExamDiff file compare tool to indeed see any changes among all the files.

-How do you open your older/archived .pte files ? Try using the File Open in PTE main menu and select the file you want to open ... instead of just dbl-clicking file or relying on last file used/open.

[Debbie DeVita]

When I "save as" I save it using my clients name and date. When I "Created Slideshow As" the Start Button EXE is always in the file name. What I have is folders of 3 months (Sept.-Dec. 07) and as I make slideshows those months each slide show has their own folder ( Lori Ford Family 11-15-07) . I might have 20 different family names in this 3 month folder.

Now all folder change everytime i make a new slideshow to the last slideshow I have just made. Their name stays correct but when you open it up, it contains the last slideshow's pictures in it.

How can I upgrade to 4.48. I there anyone that I can talk with on the phone with. I would be glad to do the calling so the bill would be on me.

thanks Pam Dean

I am having the same problem. Since is seems you have figured it out could you get in touch with me? I will be happy to accept charges for the calls. 828-264-1466

[nobeefstu]

Welcome, Debbie the Photographer

I am having the same problem. ...

If you are indeed having the same issue/problem of opening your previously saved/archive .pte files as Pam ... the solution to resolve is the same as replied in the prior/above postings.

If using File | Open in PTE main menu is not working/opening your .pte files as you expect ... your issue must involve other aspects/details.

Please give your specific details in file saving and file opening of your .pte files and your PTE version #.

[Pam Dean]

Debbie,

Hey I just got back into town. I left you a message on the number you posted.

The advice from Nobeefstu is working for me. File/open in PTEXE.

THANK YOU Nobeefstu.

My problem now is, I want to upgrade to 4.41 but how do I save my "Blue Icons" files (slideshows) since the only way I can get to them now is File/Open. I mean is there any way of all of them or most of them at a time on a DVD.

When I open them in File/Open in I don't see any where to save the files.

Thank you again everyone for your great help.

Pam

[fh1805]

Hi Pam,

I've been following this thread without contributing to it, as yet. Before I offer any advice I would like to ensure that when we use certain terms we both have in mind the same meaning.

As I am sure you are aware, when using PTE to build your sequence you are creating and then subsequently modifying a file whose file extension is .pte. This file is, in my experience, associated with an icon that looks like the desktop icon you use to launch the PTE software (it has the letters PIC in red over the letters EXE in blue). Let's call this the project file. You will have one of these for each AV sequence you build.

When you are happy with your sequence you then use the Create button to create the standalone executeable file for your sequence (the file with the extension .exe). This file is associated with an icon that resembles a greatly reduced PTE window and is what I think you mean when you use the phrase "Blue Icons file". Let's call this the executable file (because that is what it is).

Now, when you say that you can only access your files via File...Open... which file type is it that your are actually opening: the project file "something.pte" or the executable file "something .exe"?

And which software is it that you are using to do the File...Open...: Pictures-to-Exe or Windows Explorer?

I have no familiarity with PTE versions earlier than 4.47 but in v4.47 if I do File...Open... the only file type I can open is one whose extension is .pte - i.e. PTE v4.47 will only open a project file. It will not open an executable file.

Your posts above seem to imply that you are opening executable files (what you seem to call "Blue Icon" files) via File...Open... within PTE.

I feel we need to clarify the points above in order to move forward with confidence.

If you do not understand my questions or are unsure as to what I really mean, please do not try and answer them - tell me that you do not understand and we can keep working at it until we do have that mutual understanding which is essential to all remote problem diagnosis.