Mac Application Disappears Without a Trace

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Mac Application Disappears Without a Trace

(6 posts) (3 voices)

Started 2 years ago by VideoGuy
Latest reply from Nyubis

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VideoGuy
Spielberg
Post Count: 8720

Okay for starters, I had no idea what board to put this in. So I just went to Off Topic. Maybe there's a better one for it somewhere.

In my video class this summer, I'm working on my own independent project (Amulet 2 is someone else's problem), and my teacher let me take one of the editing computers (Macs) home over the weekend to work on it. I brought it home, set it up, and was about to start my project when Final Cut Pro, the software we use, wouldn't open.

I'm not very experienced with Macs, so I wasn't sure why. The application in the dock shows a question mark over the icon, and there's no shortcut to it in the Applications folder. What's stranger still is that there are no files for it in the Applications directory on the HD. Not even an empty folder. Nothing. I tried opening a FCP file, it said there was no default program for it. It's like the program was never installed, yet we were using it fine in class a few hours earlier.

I don't know, maybe this is just a freak accident, but has this ever happened to anyone before? Any advice? I called the teacher and he's as baffled as I am.

Hopefully SuperBrad will show up with some help.

Just got back on the internet after losing my access for a week. Read more on Random Discussion.

Posted 2 years ago #
WJUK
The Lone Ranger
Post Count: 13301

Are your Macs on a network in class?

Because at my school and college, they install the app onto the server than the computers draw this app from the server when they need to. It's not the ideal way to get the best performance but it's the easiest way to set a large network up with applications.

When you got home, because it's not connected to the network which hosts the application (but it's still trying to find the path on the shortcut) you'll get nothing.

Don't click here

Posted 2 years ago #
Nyubis
Nyubis of Strata
Post Count: 9089

No experience with Macs either, but I do have some experience with LAN-networks.
Most likely the product was installed on a single pc(server) in your video class, and the other pc's could use the programms that are installed on the server pc, aka on the LAN-network.
So, when you clicked the shortcut in the dock, it would connect to the server and either use it via the connection (which would go slow) or either temporarily install it on your pc(which would take much startup time), or either do something else that I can't guess. I don't know exatly what happened, but it should work again as you plug it back in the LAN-network in your movie class.

I am not sure of all this, I don't even know if your movie class has a LAN-network, I just know that the ICT class in our school has one, because when they want to install a program, say Word, on every pc, technically, they'd have to buy it 20 times. To avoid that, a LAN-network is used.

Now, how to solve your problem: I dunno.
Try setting the video files you have already to your pc, get a free version of Final Cut Pro, do the editing at your pc, and give the Mac back to your video class Monday.

.

PS: I know that I've written pc a couple of times when we were still talking about the Mac, but technically pc means personal computer and has nothing officially to do with Windows.
PPS: If you get in trouble by following my advice, don't blame me, k?

EDIT: Darn, WJUK fastposted me. Well, apparently I'm not the only one who thnks about it like this. (And WJUK explains it quite a bit simpler than me...)

Not in cruelty
Not in wrath
the Reaper came today.

An angel visited
this gray path
And took the cube away.

Posted 2 years ago #
VideoGuy
Spielberg
Post Count: 8720

I'm 99% percent sure that it was originally located on the computer itself. All of our other movie software is, and they were part of a suite.

I might just use a different video editor (on my Windows PC) to do this. It's pretty lame by comparison, but I think I'll have to.

And did you mean to link to the free FCP?

Just got back on the internet after losing my access for a week. Read more on Random Discussion.

Posted 2 years ago #
WJUK
The Lone Ranger
Post Count: 13301

I'm not to sure then, it's difficult to sort something like this out without being there.

Don't click here

Posted 2 years ago #
Nyubis
Nyubis of Strata
Post Count: 9089

And did you mean to link to the free FCP?

No, I was just using a title tag. We're not allowed to link to free stuff here.

Not in cruelty
Not in wrath
the Reaper came today.

An angel visited
this gray path
And took the cube away.

Posted 2 years ago #

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