How to re-associate my files to my project

[ckmucci@gmail.com]

I am brand new to this forum AND Premiere Elements 14 so bear with me. I created a project and saved it on my home laptop and to a flash drive. Then I had time to work on the project at lunch on my work computer so I tried to open it from the flash drive since I have PrEl installed on both. All I see now on the work computer is lots of blank boxes in place of the pictures- however, when I hover over them I see the file name. And on the audio I see the green to show there is something there but nothing plays. So I'm guessing I need to associate the files. But do I have to go in and find EACH file separately to associate? Please help!!

[Steve Grisetti]

It sounds like you saved your project (.prel) file to your flash drive -- but not all of the media files you've linked to it!

Whenever you add video or audio to your project, the project file saves a link to those files. And it must have access to those files the entire time you're editing.

If you move the .prel file to a new location or a new computer, when you open it, it will look for all of the linked media. And, if you don't provide it, it will show with a big, red "media missing" sign in your monitor.

[Kent Frost]

I know my answer is not in reference to PRE, but I know that in Sony Vegas if something in a project gets changed, such as if a clip file you've referenced in your timeline gets moved to another location on the drive, then when you open the project it'll give you a warning that basically says "Hey, I can't find that one file. Where is it?" and then it has you browse to find the video/audio file(s).
However - and again I'm talking Vegas here, not PRE - when you find the first file, it'll ask if you'd like to search in the same location for all remaining ones if those are missing too. Your project file knows what video and audio clips you used in your timeline by filename, so it should know what to search for on its own if you give it the location to look in. This also means that if you DO want to move everything to a new drive, you can. You'll just need to tell the program where it all got moved to once it asks where it went when you open your project file.

[Steve Grisetti]

Good note, Kent. Premiere Elements does exactly the same thing.