Tips & Tricks

Trashing Preferences in Pro Tools

Darn it, Pro Tools is acting up again!

Before you call Digidesign tech support (and throw another coffee mug across the studio), here is what the techs probably will tell you to try first - trash your Preferences files.

Why? Because Preferences files occasionally become corrupted in Pro Tools, (for no reason that anybody can seem to figure out) and must be reset to factory defaults.

No need to worry, though! First off, trashing preferences is easy, and the next time you open Pro Tools, the program will automatically create new Preferences for you. And best of all, you won't have to spend 45 minutes on hold talking to a tech rep. Here is how to do it:

First, you need to get rid of the Digidesign Databases.

1. Close Pro Tools

2. On every hard drive, open the Digidesign Databases folder. Delete the Volume.ddb and WaveCache files.

3. Next, go to Start > My Computer > Program Files > Digidesign > Pro Tools > Databases. Open this file, and delete ALL the files this folder.

Now, it's time to Trash Preferences,

1. Start > My Computer > C:/ > Documents and Settings > Current User Folder > Application Data > Digidesign. Delete the Pro Tools Preferences file

2. Start > My Computer > C:/ drive > Program Files > Common Files > Digidesign > DAE. Delete the entire DAE Prefs folder

3. Empty Recycle Bin (very important)

4. Reboot your computer

If you were to look in these two locations after rebooting, you will see that Pro Tools has automatically made you new sets of the Preferences files you just deleted. But good as new, this time.

Now, go make music!