File Help

wolfbass wrote on 10/8/2006, 5:18 AM
Hello all.

A bit of background before I pose my question.

I do my editing semi professionally. You'll know when I'm on a job, I'll re-appear here and ask a lot of question, in order to complete a project, then I'll disappear until my next job comes in.

So, generally, I know what I'm doing over all, but sometimes need specific help.

Same with PCs in general. Mostly, I get by. However, this one has got me stumped.

I've gotten rid of some files I don't need, and moved some around, to clean up my hard drives in general.

What has happened is that some folders have, after I moved them, become empty, and the files that were in them are gone. I can't delete the file, I get a message: Access denied when I click on them.

When I check the properties of these folders, the attributes Read Only box is greyed out.

Sometimes jpegs get the same message: Access is denied.

I can't figure it out, any hints would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Andy

Comments

vicmilt wrote on 10/8/2006, 6:40 AM
I don't mean to be facitious or rude, but since you state that you are not facile with either Vegas nor computer "backroom" technology, I suggest you stop "moving and cleaning up".

Hard drive space has gotten so inexpensive, it just doesn't make sense to try and keep it orderly. You are, in your mind, thinking of an orderly desktop at your office. Computers just are not like that. They keep an orderly "index file" (invisible to you) and scatter data where ever they feel it's correct.

You can "clean-up" by regularly defragmenting your HD and using the "Clean up" program that Windows encloses on your computer. Both can be accessed by right-clicking your drive and then going to "tools".

I'd also suggest that you keep program and system files on your C:/ drive and any and all other data on other drives - perhaps using a USB or Firewire connection to "hook them up" to your computer.

There ae recovery programs available, as well as recovery services, but unless what you've destroyed is critically important, it probably isn't worth the time, effort and money.

As a side note - I struggle with the identical situations that you mention. Existing now, as a "one man show", I'm shooting, then editing, then authoring, then doing the books, corresponding, researching, then.... - well, everyone on this site can relate. But even though I consider myself a Vegas "expert", if I've been doing another part of the project for three months, it's difficult to get back up to speed, compared to after a week of continual use. It's WAY easier to accomplish, if everything is in the same place I left it.

So leave stuff alone. If you are compelled to "clean up" - I suggest trying the garage.

best,
v
JackW wrote on 10/8/2006, 11:14 AM
In my experience, one of the most potentially "dangerous" features in Vegas is the Vidcap utility. Before capturing, it is imperative that you make sure you have assigned the to-be captured material to the correct folded. This is done by opening "Options" and selecting the "Disc Management" utility. Once there, either select an existing folder or create a new one.

Failing this, your captured material will be put into whatever folder is currently active.

It is therefore very easy to capture from a tape in your "Baseball" project and have it stored by the computer in the "Swim Meet" folder. Three months later, when you have finished the swim meet project and decide to rid the computer of the "Swim Meet" folder, you'll delete all of the baseball footage you stored there by mistake.

You probably already know this, but it's very easy to overlook this detail when you're in a hurry to capture new material on a project.

I've gotten into the habit of NEVER deleting a folder without first checking its contents thoroughly to make sure I don't have a misplaced file nested in it.

Jack

Chienworks wrote on 10/8/2006, 1:56 PM
I'm not sure why you single out VidCap for being so "dangerous" in that respect. Any piece of software, when starting a new project, will save files either in a default directory or in the last directory used, sometimes further classified by file type. This is exactly what VidCap does too. So why does this make VidCap any more dangerous than Vegas, or Word, or Photoshop, or Notepad, or ... ?
wolfbass wrote on 10/8/2006, 2:02 PM
Vicmilt:

I appreciate your point of view. At the end of a project, I usually put all the files I have used, except the AVI I have captured, into one folder. The avi files I delete.

My question is more along the lines of 'why can't I access these files that I've moved'?

Back in the days when I had less drive space, sometimes I put different stuff in different folders, so why now when I drag One to another can't I access it?


Jack W: Yep, the Vidcap thing is one of the lessons I've learned! The deleting thing is cool too, what is annoying me is I can't delete some folders, because I cant access them, and I have all these inaccessable, empty folders floating around on my hard drives.

A
kentwolf wrote on 10/8/2006, 2:39 PM
Based on what you said, some questions:

1.) Are you an "Administrator" on the PC in question.
2.) If so, were the folders you cannot access created by you on this same PC?

It sounds like you may be running into folder sharing (security) issues.
wolfbass wrote on 10/8/2006, 2:59 PM
Yes, I'm the administrator.

You have raised an interesting point. I have two operating systems (dual boot) which access the same drives. Maybe this is the issue.

Yes, the security issues things seem like the problem, now I need to solve them! :)

A
ushere wrote on 10/8/2006, 4:12 PM
there's a program called 'delete at boot' which i've used with success on a number of occassions. well worth the very small download - just be careful what you're deleting!!!

leslie
Tech Diver wrote on 10/9/2006, 2:34 PM
Also be sure that you haven't set the check-box entitled: "Encrypt contents to secure data". You can look by right-clicking a directory, selecting "Properties" and then selecting the "Advanced" button under the "General" tab. If you were logged in as another user and set this attribute, then you would be getting the symptoms you describe.

Solution: log in as the user who owns the folder and uncheck the option on the top-most level that has this unwanted attribute. The sub-directories will inherit the change.
wolfbass wrote on 10/10/2006, 1:27 PM
Hi Guys!

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I'm thinking more and more that I've got a virus, the P.C. is deteriorating rapidly.

SO:

If I start again, reinstall Windows, reformat all the drives etc. will it rid my P.C. of the virus?

Andy