Something is not working with my Final Cut system. How do I fix it?

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Josh
at November 12, 2006 Tags: No Tags.

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Video editing systems will have problems. The process of pinpointing the problem is called "troubleshooting".

Troubleshooting is the art of changing one thing at a time until the problem is pinpointed.

For example, you’re having a problem with a project. Try creating a brand new project. Does the problem persist? If the brand new project works fine, that pinpoints your existing project. Perhaps you should delete the render files, restore from the AutoSave Vault, or paste your clips into a new project.  If the new project has the same symptoms, that points to a system problem.

If you are getting a General Error when opening a project, try renaming your Capture Scratch folder, and deleting your Rendered items folder. If it opens fine then, try relinking little by little.

If you’re having trouble capturing to an external drive, try capturing to the internal drive- if this works fine, this points to your external drive as the culprit. Having trouble capturing? Borrow another camera. Capture work fine now? It’s your camera. If not, it’s your system. Try your camera with a friend’s system. Still no work? It’s the camera. Try capturing with iMovie. If that works, you have proved your firewire cable is good. Either your camera is not compatible with FCP or there is some config problem with FCP.

See how that works? Change a variable, then test. When the problem goes away, you’ve pinpointed the problem.

With a weird or intermittent system problem, you can try trashing the Final Cut Pro prefs:

  1. Quit Final Cut
  2. In ~/Library/Preferences (the ~ is your username), delete com.apple.FinalCutPro.plist
  3. In ~Library/Preferences/Final Cut Pro User Data/, delete: Final Cut Pro 5 Prefs Final Cut Pro Obj Cache Final Cut Pro Prof Cache
To reinstall Final Cut Pro:

  1. Open the Applications folder.
  2. Drag the Final Cut Pro application to the Trash.
  3. Go to /Library/Receipts.
  4. In the Receipts folder, select the "FinalCutPro.pkg" file.
  5. Choose View > as List to view the contents in a list.
  6. Click the Date Modified column header so you can easily see all of the receipts that were installed at the same time as Final Cut Pro.
  7. Drag the FinalCutPro.pkg receipt to the Trash, as well as any other items that have the same modification date within 3 minutes of the FinalCutPro.pkg’s modification date.
  8. Click the Name column header to sort the list alphabetically.
  9. Drag any other receipts whose names begin with "Final Cut Pro" to the Trash.
  10. Insert your Final Cut Pro installation disc and install Final Cut Pro.
  11. When finished, use Software Update (under the Apple menu) to update your software to the latest version.
To keep a stable system, you have two choices:

1. Try to find a combo that works. This can be time-consuming, as you must juggle OS version, FCP version, and QT version. The good thing is, once you find the magic combo that works, stick with it!!! Do not upgrade anything. This gives you, after some work, a stable system that you can edit on for years and years.

2. Be a "bleeding edger". Always upgrade to the latest everything (unless Apple specifically says not to) You will have more problems, but you can always lock your system and go to option #1 if you get tired of them. From time to time, you may enjoy new features, but things that used to work will break.


Article found in Final Cut Studio, editing, postproduction, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro.
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  1. 1 Josh
    Mar 16th, 2006 at 3:36 pm

    Also try fixing disk permissions:
    1. Open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities)

    2. select your hard disk volume
    3. click the First Aid tab
    4. click Repair Disk Permissions

    Here’s an article on permissions.

  2. 2 Josh
    Mar 16th, 2006 at 3:37 pm

    Repair your disk:

    - Insert the Software Install disc that came with your computer into the disc drive.
    - Restart your computer and immediately press and hold the C key to start up from the disc.
    - When you see the Installer screen, choose Open Disk Utility from the Installer menu.
    - Select your hard disk volume in the left pane.
    - Click the First Aid tab, then click Repair Disk.
    - After Disk Utility finishes repairing the disk, restart your computer and test it.

  3. 3 Josh
    Mar 16th, 2006 at 3:40 pm

    Download Mac HelpMate, a freeware tool that will help keep your system running smoothly:

  4. 4 Josh
    May 26th, 2006 at 3:24 pm

    Check out FCP Rescue, will will back up your prefs so you don’t lose your settings:

    DESCRIPTION
    Instant backup, restore and removal of Apple Final Cut Pro’s preference files using this small utility that helps you if Final Cut Pro crashes and corrupts its preference files. Also very useful if other editors use your login, and you want to be able to go back to YOUR settings afterwards. Very simple interface. One backup per user login. Trashing and restore, affects ONLY the current logged in user.

    The backup includes ALL FCP settings, including:

    • User preferences
    • Audio/Video settings
    • System settings
    • Windowsettings
    • Keyboard setup
    • Easy setups
    WHAT’S NEW
    • Keyboard commands: CMD+T, CMD+R, CMD+B
    • Dock Menu with commands.
    • Audio Feedback.
    • Automatically “Check for update” upon launch.
    • New “splash screen” shown at first run.
    • Send feedback menu item, to send feedback by mail.
    • Version for FCP 4 also available from publisher.

    http://fcprescue.andersholck.com/

  5. 5 PAul
    Feb 20th, 2007 at 12:15 am

    HElp MY CAMERA IS NOT WORKING IT SAYS SYSTEM EROR

  6. 6 Jill
    May 4th, 2007 at 9:27 pm

    Thank you Josh!! I was freaking out that FCP wouldn’t start until I searched the internet and followed your advice to trash preferences. Whew!

  7. 7 harry
    May 16th, 2007 at 2:58 pm

    When i try and open Adio and video settings i get a general error?!! what can i do, iv tried it in other project and new ones!

    thanks

  8. 8 Dave
    May 16th, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    I am having continued problems while attempting to capture video in FCP from my Canon GL2 camera. I am pretty sure that the problem does not rest with my camera because I can import to iMovie.

    The problem that I am having with FCP is that when I turn on “Log & Capture” FCP seems to recognize my camera because when I click on the “play” button FCP begins to play the video — I can even hear the audio. I just cannot see the video in the preview screen. I have tried the suggestions that I have found here in the Discussions section of Apple Support, including reloading FCP and Quicktime. As a part of that process I have also trashed all existing receipts, etc. But the problem with capturing continues

    Can someone help me?

    Thanks.

  9. 9 Steve
    Sep 24th, 2007 at 1:41 am

    Why is it that importing to FCP HD uses the customary 12 gig/hour, while importing into Imovie HD uses something like 40 gig/hour in it’s highest setting?

  10. 10 Chris
    Jan 12th, 2008 at 10:20 pm

    Hi, Im having the same problem as dave. My canon GL2 just wont work with FCP5. It works fine with imovie. But when it comes to FCP it wont capture. I can play the video in the capture preview window but when I go to capture the footage the video starts freezing up and then ends up freezing up FCP to.. What is going on? Can someone please help me out to! Im using basic DV settings in the easy set up menu.

  11. 11 Josh
    Jan 14th, 2008 at 10:01 pm

    It’s best to ask those questions in our forums:

    http://dvcreators.net/discuss/forumdisplay.php?f=6

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