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MAINTENANCE ARTICLES

New ! A Commentary on the Importance of Training
Ben Balser, an Apple-Certified Trainer for Digital Media, sent me the following commentary on investing the time to get trained. By way of background, Ben is a long-time educator and trainer. (Published: Mar. 2010)

New ! Searching for Missing Files in FCP
Normally, Final Cut Pro files don't go missing. However, sometimes, you end up looking for a file that you didn't create and who's file name is mostly weird letters and numbers. What kind of file is this? And how do you find it? And can you fix it if it is lost? This article explains what, why, and how. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

New ! Technique: Compressor Not Resetting In Final Cut Studio 3
When using Compressor on Final Cut Pro 7 and multiple users are using the same computer using different log-ins, if editor one submits a batch through Compressor, waits for the job to finish, then logs out, when the second editor logs in and submits a job to Compressor, they will get a "Share Failure" error. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Compressor v. 3.5x)

New ! Trouble-Shooting Hard Disks
Hard drives are essential to video editing. Which makes it really, REALLY aggravating when they stop working. Here are two techniques you can use to trouble-shoot hard drive problems: having too many disks attached, and not being able to boot from the system disk. (Published: Mar. 2010)

New ! When Should You Upgrade to Snow Leopard?
Snow Leopard, Apple's latest operating system, is not for everyone. But it may be for you. This article describes what you need to know in deciding when to upgrade your system. (Published: Mar. 2010)

New ! Using the Power of Save As
Save As does more than just give your file a a new name. It can also prevent problems, as this short article describes. (Published: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

Updated ! Getting Organized for Editing
One of the biggest challenges editors face is getting organized at the start of a project, then staying organized during a project. Here is a collection of tips and techniques from a variety of readers than can give you the system you need to get on top of your project.  (Published: Jun. 2007 - Updated: Mar. 2010 ; Final Cut Pro v. 4, HD, 5.0x, 5.1x, 6, 7.x)

New ! Restoring Hard Disk Data
About a year ago, I wrote that when hard disks are unplugged and stored on a shelf, the magnetic data slowly dissipates. In this article, you'll find two different methods you can use to restore your data -- along with a link to the original article. (Published: Mar. 2010)

New ! Reflection: The End of Television As We Know It
The recent conversion to all-digital broadcasting brought this reflection on the changes we've seen in television over the years. I guess this isn't really technical, but it struck me as appropriate. (Published: Mar. 2010)

A Cautionary Tale
Are you having problems getting Final Cut to render? It may not be a software problem. Eric Solstein sent us this cautionary tale on the problems of heat. If your system is acting up, read this article. (Published: Apr. 2009 ; Final Cut Pro v. 5.1x, 6)