Endless Beach Ball in Premiere Pro 2021

[baronvisuals]

When I open projects in Premiere Pro 2021,  I get a beach ball and have to force quit to get it to stop. I have tried uninsalling, deleting preferences, nothing is working please help.

[thomas242396873xi3]

ONLY way I can work is to reset Preferences every time I launch PP

Ive been limping along trying to meet my deadlines, and minimize the loss of productivity when I get a crash. I was able to talk to an old colleague that configures editing systems. He recommended 2 changes:

• RE-Format my Samsung T5 SSD media drive to match the MacBook (APFS)
• Roll back my version of PP to the long term supported version (15.4.5)

The systems seems to be more stable, but I still get the beach-ball fail when booting first thing in the AM, I’ve worked around this by launching PP and trashing the preferences. I’m spending a few minutes after launching resetting my preferences and I haven’t had a crash while editing since.

Any thoughts on why resetting my preferences each time averts the Program non-responsive notice and prompting a force quit?

Im running a Macbook pro with a T5 Samsung SSD 2TB as my media media drive 

Model Name: MacBook Pro

  Model Identifier: MacBookPro18,4

  Chip: Apple M1 Max

  Total Number of Cores: 10 (8 performance and 2 efficiency)

  Memory: 32 GB

  System Firmware Version: 7459.121.3

  OS Loader Version: 7459.121.3

Any help or suggestions are welcome!

[Nancy OShea]

Have you reached out to technical support?

CONTACT ADOBE SUPPORT:
================
Online Chat: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen
Phone M-F, during normal business hours: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/phone.html

[doctorsney]

so I reached out to Adobe support and frankly it's not much help. They will take me/you through a bunch of basic trouble shooting stuff and then start insisting that I re-install programs or my operating system and frankly there is just no time to do these invasive steps as  I'm a small but busy studio almost constantly on overlapping deadlines.

If a dead end is reached then Adobe Support shrugs and hangs up leaving me absolutely nowhere.

In response to the ealier response somewhere on this chain about not providing system specs:

OSX 11.6.7 Big Sur

iMac 2020 version

Radeon 580 Graphics
96GB RAM
Running Premier/Ae 2021 and 2022

[Nancy OShea]

If you can't reinstall the software, I'm not sure what if any help this user-to-user community can provide.  Sorry.

Maybe it's time you hired an IT staff to handle computer equipment and software for you.  When I worked in an imaging lab, our IT dept provided us with backup computers whenever we needed one.   Time is money and dealilnes must be met. I get that.

[doctorsney]

Thank you, I shall have cake instead. Appreciate you!

[Jeff Bellune]

Are trying to open your project by double-clicking it in the Finder? If so, try launching Pr from a shortcut (Dock, Launchpad, Desktop) and then opening your project either from the in-your-face recent project list, or from the File menu.

What, if anything, happens differently when you use this method? 

[thomas242396873xi3]

The procedure that's evolved to b able to get the software to run:

• Launch PP from Icon on Taskbar (Mac) hold down the option key until I get the reset prefernces Yes/no? prompt
• when I get the splash screen with no previous projects to open, I navigate to my last saved project through the open file icon. that seems to be the only way to avoid the unresponsive application error
• One other note, I now have multiple (7) PP auto save files that I have to navigate thru to get to my most recent saved version. what am I doing that is causing this? is it caused by resetting the preferences each time? see screen shot

[Jeff Bellune]

It's good to hear you can get the software up and running. Are you absolutely sure the reset preferences step is required each time? My hope is that you can get to the welcome screen without having to do that and without the program crashing.

For the auto-save thing, It may well be caused by multiple preference resets, followed by Pr establishing a new auto-save location by the default location, which is next to the project file. Feel free to move and otherwise rearrange or delete the auto-save projects and folders until you make it look like you want it to. 

If you do have to reset preferences each time, and that is what is causing the deeply nested auto-save projects, then you may want to establish a permanent, fixed location for auto-saves.

You should also get your prefs set exactly the way you want and then save that configuration to the cloud. It will make resetting to your custom preference set easier.

[thomas242396873xi3]

For the auto-save thing, It may well be caused by multiple preference resets, followed by Pr establishing a new auto-save location by the default location, which is next to the project file. Feel free to move and otherwise rearrange or delete the auto-save projects and folders until you make it look like you want it to.

If you do have to reset preferences each time, and that is what is causing the deeply nested auto-save projects, then you may want to establish a permanent, fixed location for auto-saves.

You should also get your prefs set exactly the way you want and then save that configuration to the cloud. It will make resetting to your custom preference set easier.
Thanks for responding to my issue. The office I work in has Tech support, but they have little to no experience with Mac’s. They have said they can’t really help me.
I still have to trash the Preferences to get PP to launch, this seems to be creating an ever growing chain of autosaved folders for PP.

* How do I establish a Permanent Fixed location for the Auto save? To launch, I have to trash the Prefs, Every time I reset the preferences, the location resets?
* Also How do I save my preferences in the cloud or another location? At present I’m going thru the screens under preferences when PP has launched, ( I do that often of course, every time I launch the software!)
* One thing I have noticed is if I only do a minimal edit, like trim the head/tails of a video and export, Im able to open that project without the BBOD failure, any addition of dissolves, titles or multiple clips seems to trigger the unresponsive program fail.
Any help is welcome! I’m a one man department here and really don’t have many other options!

Thomas Wildgen

[Kevin-Monahan]

Sorry doctorsney, that's very frustrating. I apologize that support could not assist you with easier steps.

It's possible you are experiencing performance issues due to circumstances around your hardware and your media. I understand you are editing with the iMac 2020. Is this the computer you are referring to? https://support.apple.com/kb/SP821?locale=en_US You have plenty of RAM and VRAM, however, which CPU is installed in the machine. Is it an i5 or i7? What kind of media are you working with? Is it H.264 or HEVC? Is it at HD or 4K resolution? Give us a bit more info and I hope the community can help. 

Whenever I experience performance issues, I try to see if my media might be at the heart of the issue. Many people like to make proxies, but I tend to transcode to a codec like ProRes LT. You might try a test with an intermediate codec (ProRes, DNxHD/HR, GoPro Cineform) to see if you can be rid of SBOD (spinning beachball) Issues. Please let us know if this test works.

I really hope we can help you.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Jason G]

Hi Kevin,

I would say that I don't think it is media related.  I usually cut with prores HQ and if I need to work with h264 or mp4 I transcode to prores.

I get the SBOD regardless of the media.  I also keep my footage on an external high speed RAID, keeping my autosaves and preferences on the mac HD.  I find this separation worthwhile in case either drive goes down I will have a backup of the project somewhere.

Thank you,

Jason

[thomas242396873xi3]

I agree, I dont think its media related either. I had this happen EVERY time I launched PP for a large project earlier this spring. After making lots of changes with no relief (re-formatted Samsung T5 SSD to APFS, reverted back to PP version 15.0) I saw a mention to double check your device drivers for the extra monitor, because I got no crashes when editing on the Laptop screen only. It made a HUGE difference, completely eliminated the BBOD crashes. Alas they have moved me to another part of the building and my LG monitor didnt come with me. I started an edit using ACER KA272 monitor, 1st day was fine, but this morning I got the BBOD. Why would the monitor Im using cause saved PP projects to be unresponsive? I had to force quit, and relaunch trashing the Preferences again to get the program timeline back. 

[Jason G]

This is actually VERY interesting, and I completely forgot...

I started having this issue on my MacPro when I accidentally unplugged my AJA T-Tap thunderbolt cable.

I was recabling to my BT-LH 1850 via SDI.  Premiere instantly froze with SBOD.

I think you're on to something.  I am going to try and uninstall my AJA software and anything related to secondary monitors (2x 27" Thunderbolt displays).

When I am working on my MacBook Pro I do not use external monitors, and I have zero issues with SBOD!

Would be interesting to know what monitors people are using and if it goes away by disconnecting.

[doctorsney]

just to chip in on this - my monitor - it's an iMac, but it's also running a second monitor and a TV (1080p) as cheap client monitor (Thunderbolt 3 to HDMI splitter)

I've not got any AJA hardware in my chain.

Personally think it's Premier not managing itself well - because once I've isolated it down to 'this empty project will load, and then my normal project will load' it just screams software issue...

[Jason G]

Hi Everyone, 

I have been having this same issue recently and is incredibly frustrating.

I think I have another workaround that is much easier and faster than trashing preferences and reconfiguring your setup, etc.

I have tried to rename folders so that I get the media offline prompt.  It worked once.  Even when I relink, the beach ball spins.

So, now I've been opening a NEW project each time I need to work on a current project.

I just name it anything, "test", etc.

Once that opens, things work as they normally would.

Now go and open the project you actually want to work on.  Ta-da!  It works.  You can now close that test project and continue to work.

Much, much faster than a lot of the other work arounds.

BTW, I am running 

Mac Pro (Late 2013)

2.7 GHz 12-Core Intel Xeon E5

64 GB 1866 MHz DDR3

AMD FirePro D700 6 GB

Premiere: 15.4.3

Oddly, I am not having this same issue on my 2019 Macbook Pro.  I'm running the same 15.4.3 of Premiere.

I hope this helps, it has definitely helped me but still does not excuse the fact that this is happening to us!

[Jason G]

Forgot to mention I am on Mojave 10.14.6 on both of my machines.

Long live Quicktime Pro!

[doctorsney]

heya, yes this is my current workaround, I have an empty basic template project with just a folder structure in it, and if I load this first, then load my current projec, then I get Premier launched and editing seamlessly (or as I like to think of it - AS IT SHOULD WORK IN THE FIRST PLACE).

Totally unimpressed with the level of patronizing responses on this thread.

As if I've not done this for 20 years, as if I'm not techincally savvy and have 20 years of trouble shooting dumb computer stuff (which is half my job since the days of Avid Xpress), as if I've not built my own edit systems for over a decade, as if I don't understand what my hardware can do and is capable of.... as if, as if....

[Jason G]

Exactly.  I started 20 years ago as well and have worked for a lot of the hot independent post houses as an assistant and editor.

I pretty much learned to be my own tech, after learning from the Avid and Discrete techs over the years.

This issue we've been having seems to now span from 15.0 up to 15.4.5.  Strange that it only started happening to me recently though.

Troubleshooting is the name of the game nowadays it seems.

[Jason G]

Okay, here's a bit of an update.
For whatever reason, I am not having the issue anymore, as of today.

It may still be related to external monitors, as I have been having another new issue with Prem that I'll have to investigate further.  But, that led me to uninstalling and reinstalling multiple times the AJA drivers for T-Tap, and then also updating to the long-term supported 15.4.5 AGAIN.  I had been on 15.4.5 before and had the SBOD so went back to all of the 15.4.x iterations to see if any of those made a difference and they hadn't.

Not sure what did it but I've been able to reopen multiple ongoing projects today with no issue!  I hesitate to say it is resolved.............

[doctorsney]

I recently updated to Premier 2022 v22.6.2 and the beach ball is gone, I can just open and close Premier normally, no need for the workarounds.

I'm inclined to be grateful but it feels like the bare minimum.

[Jason G]

That is great news.  Not sure why the SBOD was/is happening, other than Adobe trying to force our hand and update to the latest, which it seems you've done.

I am still on Mojave as I do not want to let go of my precious QT Pro and also my Avid license is not supported past Mojave either.

I am starting to think the only solid replacement for QT Pro once I have to upgrade my OS is Compressor.  I used to use it heavily more than 10 years ago and if set up with custom droplets you can make it do anything you want.

Happy Cutting.

[Aleksandar23854318bwcn]

Adobe Premiere is just really looking like Crap.

I mean whenever I want to work on my project the beachball is appearing and I have to reset the preferences. So I am ending up with 10 versions saved as recovery. Sorry, but this no longer looks like a professional Video editing Program.

I have M1 Macbook and I am using 2022 I don't want to install the last version. Can anyone tall me why I have to reset PP?

[Jason G]

Hi Aleksandar,

I understand your frustration, and yes, the latest versions of PP are not the best.  But I think you need to update to at least 23.2.0.  It isn't the latest-latest, but it should get rid of your beach ball issues.  It worked for me and I no longer have to open a blank project at startup before I open a project that I am continuing to work on so it won't freeze.

There are a lot of things that I am not terribly fond of with the new PP, but in talking to a friend who has been a beta tester for PP for a decade now, he says not to worry; a lot of "improvements" are coming for the next updates (they'll be getting rid of a few tabs, etc. and going back to a more familiar interface).

Honestly, once you get used to the new Export tab (don't even bother using the Import tab, it is one of the most confusing things I've ever used - just hit Command I), you'll be fine.

Keep all of your existing settings and presets to help ease you in and everything else is mostly the same.

Jump in, the water is warm and will be getting better soon.