PE 7 Project AVI Files are Off-Line

[johnnycrystal]

Hello, everyone. I recently joined Muvipix as a subscriber. I have been making videos with Adobe Premiere since 2004, when my first grandchild was born. I am looking forward to making new friends who love making videos, and I am looking to raise my knowledge of the Premiere Elements video editing process. I am not a novice, nor am I an expert. I’ve learned much in 7 years of video editing, but have much more to learn.

I need help. Just recently I tried to look at old PE 7 projects, but encountered problems with project AVI files - they are missing, or “off-line”. Here is the background. I will try to leave nothing out.

A year ago I custom built a computer. I was using PE 7 on the old computer, and am using PE 7 on the new computer. When I was on the old computer, I saved all PE 7 projects and associated files to a WD external hard drive, not to the C Drive. At that time I believe the WD external drive USB path designation was G: in My Computer.

I transferred all data on the old computer to the new computer via a transfer cable. I did not transfer the data on the WD external hard drive to the new computer. Why should I, since I would access the drive from the new computer.

I hooked up that WD external drive to the new computer and the USB path designation showed F: in My Computer.

Using PE 7 on my new computer, I tried to open the PE 7 projects on the WG external hard drive. Project folders were there. However, when I opened the projects, project files in all of those folders showed a message “off-line”. I know I did not erase those files. The project folders were there, but the files were not.

So I hooked up my old computer again and connected that WD external hard drive to it. The USB path designation showed G: in My Computer. I brought up several PE 7 projects from the WD external hard drive, and all PE 7 Pre Projects opened and the project files were active. So, when I access the WD external from the old computer, I find the files. When I open the WD from the new computer, they are not there in the project folders.

I am assuming my file disconnect may have been caused by saving old computer projects and associated files to the WD external hard drive. Why isn’t my new computer connecting with those files? How do I solve this issue, as I want to work with my older projects.
Thanks so much for any and all help.

[Steve Grisetti]

Hi, Johnny. Welcome to Muvipix!

Often, when you store your files on an external drive, Premiere Elements loses the links to your media files because Windows has assigned a different drive letter to the drive.

First, map your drive to permanently assign a letter to your external. (Do this by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting the Map Network Drive option.) That should keep it from happening again.

As for your current project, when you next open the project you'll need to manually locate the files when prompted to. Fortunately, if all of the files are in the same sub-folder, Premiere Elements will see the other files and will link up as many as it can as you browse your drive.

[johnnycrystal]

If I understand you correctly, Steve, I should reconnect that WD external drive to the new computer and assign the letter G, which was the designation for the old computer?

[Chuck Engels]

That would be a really good place to start Johnny