"File c:\myfile.VSP is already in use." VS Error - SOLVED

[MrVideo]

Hello,

I installed a trial version of VS X6 on WIn XP as administrator. Wanting to jump into evaluation, I created a small project. Everything worked great. I saved my project and exited VS. Because I don't like to use XP as administrator, I switched to my user account and tried to open the VSP project file. The project file and all of its libraries are in a fully shared (read/write/rename/delete) folder. When I try to open the project file in my user account, I get the error message:

"File c:\mysharedfolder\myfile.VSP is already in use."

I rebooted the computer to make sure any locked files would become unlocked. Same results.

I copied myfile.vsp to myfile1.vsp. It opens just fine, the project is there with everything I put on the timeline. What's not there are the libraries I created. So I tried a workaround by first exporting the library as administrator. (Strange to put that function in Settings. File & Tools were the first places I looked.) That worked, but with the side-effect that the current library is replaced by the imported library. I could find no way to merge libraries.

So my questions are: (1) What's the magic to saving a complete project file that can be used by another account - including shared libraries? (2) Is there a way to merge libraries between projects?

Thanks in advance.

[BrianCee]

There is no magic - it should work PROVIDED that when you installed as administrator you clearly checked the box to make VideoStudio available for ALL users of the computer - if you did that everything should be available for everyone.

The workaround for your problem may simply be to set every thing up as *you* and then only use VideoStudio as *you*

not sure what your asking about merging libraries - just import whatever you want into whatever library you want - libraries are not project specific unless you make them so, nothing happens automatically, opening a project does not automatically populate a library. if you were using VideoStudio as one user (admin) then importing a project when using VS as another user (*you*) will not populate any libraies from that project.

[MrVideo]

Thanks for getting back to me Brian.

OK, so that answers one question. I jumped to the conclusion that projects would include the library manifest. Don't know where I got that idea.

To see what I mean about merging, try this. Export your library. Reset your library. Add a new folder to your blank library, call it something like Test123. Add media to Test123. Now import your exported library. Notice that Test123 is gone. So how do you go about merging two library manifests? If you have Library A and Library B which have some same media and some different, and you want to create Library C which is the merge of A and B? Do you have to start with one and add all of the missing parts of the other one or is there a way to merge the two?

I installed the software as administrator for all users. I can run the software from my user account. I can't open a project created as administrator and saved in a shared location because of the error message previously described. Why?

Thanks again.

[MrVideo]

OK, this VSP file open error is related to XP. I've got my system set to simple file sharing but apparently it's not as simple as Microsoft describes. VS must be using some permissions that don't get enabled for everyone in simple file sharing. I was able to login as administrator and open a project created as a user, but not the other way around. So I turned off XP's simple file sharing and set the security properties of the file to allow users full access. Then I was able to open the administrator's project with my user account.

[BrianCee]

I am sure it's all to do with user account control to prevent one user modifying other peoples documents (or video projects in VS) - but they can modify a copy. If you didn't have some sort of control like that then on a computer with multiple user accounts as may happen in a family then you would have the children modifying mum or dad's documents etc.

I just import items to my libraries as I need them - I have never needed to try to merge libraries.

[MrVideo]

My situation is different from a family computer. I'm the only one who uses my studio computer. I have a shared folder that I make readable on the network so I can get at the data from other locations. My studio is in a separate building. But I thought the shared folder allowed full control for the local users. I was wrong. Anyway, I fixed it. Here's how... I turned off simple file sharing. Then I set the security properties of the shared folder to allow full control for local users. Finally, I turned simple file sharing back on. So now is still have simple read access to the shared folder on my network, and full control for local users. I don't know which property VS was looking at specifically, but logged-in as a local user, I've always been able to read, write, rename, and delete files in the shared folder - even those created by the administrator.

Merging libraries would be important if you're collaborating with another user. Not having a means to merge someone's library with your own would slow you down.

[BrianCee]

It is no good merging libraries - they are not the video files - if you want to share a video project across a number of computers you also need to move the actual video files.

if you export a library on one computer you should be able to Import the library on another computer - but it will not be any good unless the second computer can access the original video files.

the thumbnails in the libraries are just shortcuts to the actual videos on your computer - in some cases just to a small section of a video only.

you cannot share projects with each person doing different bits and merge it all back together at the end

best you could do is make a "Smart Package" - which collects together in one folder everything used in a project - videos , images etc. - including the project file - then you pass the package to your colleague who can work on it then make a Smart Package to pass back to you

[MrVideo]

Yes, I understand that the media files themselves are different from the library manifest. If you copy a new library's media into the "..All Users\Documents\My Videos" folder than the structure would be the same, and all you'd have to do is import the library manifest. But when I did that in VS X6, it replaced the library and did not merge the existing with the new manifest. So if you're working on someone else's project, you would have to either import their media into your library or your media into their library. See what I mean?

[BrianCee]

I don't know what you mean by "library manifest" - you just export or import libraries - if you import a library it populates the library panes - if you want a different library with other thumbnails then just drag and drop from pane to pane.

You do not need to use the library at all - it is not necessary to have anything in the libraries in order to be able to edit a project - they are just a convenience tool - no need to merge - just don't use libraries

[MrVideo]

You have a very dry sense of humor, Brian. It might surprise you that I already know how not to use the convenience of the media library.

By library manifest, I mean all of the media descriptors that define the media in the library. It would include the path to the media and anything you might have done to turn the media into a clip like in/out points etc. So it's basically the information that turns media into a library of clips. For example when you use the scene detector, it will turn one video file into lots of library clips. Each one points to the same file but with different in/out points.

By "Library Pane" are you referring to what I'm calling folders? When you click "+ Add" in a library, are you adding a pane or a folder? Regardless what you call them, when you import a library whatever panes/folders you had before disappear and you get the ones you imported. They are not merged. Would be nice if they would be. But I can deal without that feature.

[BrianCee]

When you click on "Add" Videostudio says add a folder - but they are not real folders they do not exist -when you click on the name of a *folder* it's contents are displayed in the library pane next to it.

[MrVideo]

I marked this topic solved. As described above, the file error was caused by Win XP not providing adequate shared file permission to local user accounts in its "Simple File Sharing" mode.