User Name Conflict

[Maxine370]

So I had an interesting conversation with a Adobe tech support person and found out something I never knew. I was having a problem with one of the features in Adobe Premiere Pro. Basically I was trying to add markers to the beat of a song and the action of placing the markers was stopping the playback. The tech specialist after taking me through a number of things that wasn't working had me open the program from a new WIndows user name. Viola, it worked.

He said there was a conflict with something in the Windows User. In fact, he said the Windows users typically start having problems after about 6 months. Never knew that. I have always kept a ghost user (something I had read to do and never knew why). Guess that is one of the reasons why.

SO now, I need to start a new user name. Anyone have any suggestions on how to migrate to a new user name (all the folders and files and bookmarks and other stuff associated with it?

[Chuck Engels]

Here you go
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/dupprofile.htm

[Maxine370]

Chuck,

Knew you'd have an immediate response. DO you know if having a duplicate profile will mean double the spcae used with the files?

[Chuck Engels]

Without removing the old user all of those files will still be on your hard drive.
I am not sure if the files are duplicated or just shared between the two logins.
My guess is that it will copy the one user at that point in time but they don't actually share a 'My Documents' folder for example.

[Bobby]

I don't buy it. Oh, going to a new user obviously fixed your problem, but it just really relieved the symptoms. It's like buying a new car when the old car needs a new alternator.

Adobe products just seem to have issues with WIndows, and it is really seen with Vista. I am fairly sure that proper cleaning out of the temporary files in your current logon, along with any settings in Application Data that Adobe themselves left there would have fixed the problem.

I have never created another ID for myself in all my years of doing this, and rarely had to do it for clients.

Just another example of tech support just trying to do the minimum to get the user off the phone.

Sorry about that...

Bob

[VernonRobinson]

So, Bob, what is a good cleaning regimine? I know that Steve has posted one in the Adobe forum, but what tools do you recommned and how often do youj clean? I have a new machine and would like to keep it in tip top shape.

-Vernon

[Ken Jarstad]

I read this topic earlier today and said to myself "Hmmmm....., I don't know about that." So I'm glad Bob stepped up and put the kibosh on that idea. What are we supposed to do, create a new user account every six months? Nonsense! That is just avoiding dealing with the problem.

[Bobby]

re: cleaning

Good question, but it's not really a question of cleaning in this case.

All I do for cleaning is to clear the temp folder in ...\Local Settings\Temp, and clear Temporary Internet Files.

You can clear both by using My Computer, RIGHT clicking on the C Drive, and clicking on Disk Cleanup. In this, I generally check everything except "Compress Old Files". This is the easiest and safest way to do it. although it will leave some more recent temp files there.

But what is probably causing more of the problem in this case is settings that Adobe has left in its section of the ...\Application Data folder. You basically don't control that - the application does. In a pinch you could experiment with deleting some of those folders (such as the Adobe folder or folders beneath it) which is in effect what Adobe said to do - by creating a new user it is creating a new ..\Application Data folder. They probably didn't tell us to do this as it requires knowledge of using Explorer, files, and folders. Don't be surprised - most people don't. Creating a new user was easier for them to recommend.

I am willing to bet that if their recommendation was to erase ..\Application Data\Adobe\Premiere Elements that would have done the job.

Bob

[Maxine370]

They did have me try to remove the application data file by moving it to the desktop. That didn't seem to do the trick but I got a little scared when I did open the program from my new user and all the preset I had saved were gone. Luckily I was able to find them and copy them from the old application data to the new one.

FOr now I'm using the two user names until I can fix the problem in the original.

[Bobby]

Thanks for the update Beth. Well, I was guessing, but there is a history of Adobe problems in this area. Probably the most annoying was the "file corruption" problem in early V3, the workaround for which was saving and restoring some of this data.

Keep us posted if you find something more.

Bob

[Maxine370]

Thanks for your input, advice and expertise. I'm not all that well versed in the inner workings of these machines.

I do like to tinker a bit, which is how I taught myself Premiere Elements, Pro, Photoshop, etc. but I don't like to tinker in the machine itself. So I rely on help desks, tech support and such sometimes to find they are just reading a manual.

I find that this forum is much more knowledgable. So again, thanks.