"Save as" doesn't save a new project. What am I missing?

[TimSilva]

New to video, but long time user of photoshop. In photoshop, you open an existing PSD file (PSD1) make any change you want and save as a new PSD file (PSD2). These two files (1 and 2) are totally diferent projects. You open 1 and you see 1, open 2 and you see 2. I thought Premiere Elements works the same way, but at least for me it doesn't. I open an existing project (PE1, make changes to it, and save as a new project (PE2. In a diferent folder name, just to be sure. I can export the new project (MP4) and it looks correct. After I close the program and open the new project (PE2) in Premiere Elements, however, I don't see the new project but the original one (PE1), even though the name of the project is PE2. I must be missing something, otherwise what would be the purpose of "Save as"? Thanks for your help. 🙂

[Steve Grisetti · Accepted solution]

In 16 years on this forum, I've never heard of this. But maybe I'm misunderstanding.

Are you saying:

1) You edit video and save it as Project 1. Then do a Save As and save it as Project 2.

2) You edit Project 2 so that it looks nothing like Project 1 and then save it.

3) You  close the program, then re-open it and Project 2. But Project 2 looks like Project 1 with none of the changes you've made to it?

[TimSilva]

Yep, except that in a few bullet points you described what it took me a manifesto. haha

[TimSilva · Accepted solution]

Hello, so that it can be helpful for other people with the same issue, I believe my problem was related to long file path and long file name. After I shortened both, the issue was resolved.

So, instead of (an example): C:\Users\UserName\Documents\MyVideos\VideoProjects\VideoClip\CoolVideo1\MyVeryLongVideoNameThatWoudntSave.prel

I did this: C:\Users\UserName\Documents\MyVideos\MyShortVideoName.prel

If the problem reappears, I will try to update the solution. Thanks, 😊