Partition to protect FCPX Application and Media Files

Let me start with a few rants. Sorry to say this but there are so many frustrating things:

1) Tried using my regular browser where incoming cookies are blocked and found out that I had to accept them in order to make a post. During the course of writing a post I went to the Knowledge Base article that I've been working of of to get it's URL and this web site wouldn't let me finish my post so now I have to start all over again. Frustration #1

2) Now that I'm on Safari I wanted to make a reply to my post thread and there was no place to click on "Reply" EXCEPT in my own post. Hence, I have to Reply to myself. But nowhere does it say that is how it works. Frustration #2

3) I'm working off of Knowledge Base article http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5550 and this is the ONLY one that provides instructions for installing FCPX 10.1 (that I can find). And, it seems to assume one is through with editing all one's Projects because it talks about compressing FCP and putting stuff in a *.zip file. NOWHERE does it say how to continue using FCPX 10.0.9 (.9) with existing unfinished .9 Projects and .9 Events. As I read post after post on this web site I read about people having catastrophic failures. Does this give one a concern about installing the new 10.1 (.1) version? It does me!

Why doesn't Apple provide a kb article that says exactly how to keep the old version going until one can fisnish everything in the pipeline? What would be so hard about that? I've read nothing about problems for weeks on end and the people here that are trying to help everybody are spending an inordinate about of time doing that. So, Apple, why not pay someone a days wages to write a NEW kb article on this???

That's my Frustration #3

Okay, now onward with my post.

ZIP: The problem with putting .9 in a zip file is that it can't be used; hence, I don't want to do it. I NEED to use it to finish existing Projects. If .1 can be used to finish existing Projects then I can try that route, BUT, given how many people are having major problems I'd really like to keep everything separate and functioning.

RE-NAMING: I renamed FCPX and just added a "9" to the name (X9). I also re-named the Event and Project folders with a "9" but the re-named X9 doesn't recognize either of them. Furthermore, when X9 was opened it created a new Events folder, empty of course. So the "Final Cut Events 9" (Events 9) folder cannot be re-named as "Final Cut Events" because there is already one with that name as X9 just created it. Are we having fun yet? (okay, a little bit of sarcasam won't hurt)

At this point I still haven't downloaded the new .1 version because I want to make sure that the old X9 version will still work. I'm "taking baby steps" here becasue I don't want to experience a catistrophic event here.

PARTITION: Elsewhere I have read about putting FCPX in a partition that is twice it's size, as a minimum, to help it run faster. Also, there has been comments made about puting Projects in a partition, too. However, whether this is useful for running .1 and X9 at the same time was not made clear. It things would run faster I'm game to do it anyway as there is room available.

Note: All my Events are backed up on a remote drive, and, I have not "zip-ed" old reliable X9.

What to do next? Any comments?

Reply to Tom, Russ, and Luis:

Russ - In my first post it shows that I'm running Mavericks and it is on the SSD. For clarification, since there are two other drives, both hard drives, then the idea would be to install another OS copy on one of them. That's a thought and as I'm slowly working my way through the options that will be a consideration.

Since the drive will be used just for the current un-completed and un-archived videos it wouldn't be something that I'd be going to access regularly so doing the Option Key thing wouldn't be that much of an inconvenience. My video-movie making style is evolving and I need to revisit some of the old ones and re-edit them. Also, the newer FCPX versions provide some additional tools that can improve the viewing experience - a real plus! Thanks for the idea.

PARTITIONS: As Luis pointed out in his post, one of the ways to run two versions of FCPX is to keep them apart and one way this can be done is to use a dual-boot system. Hence, my exploration into doing this.

The article about creating a dual-boot OSX system that talks about partitioning is at

http://www.larryjordan.biz/create-a-dual-boot-mac-os-x-system/

Read the first reply by Dennis at the end of the article and it is dated December 30, 2013 and that is only a little over a week ago. The fellow seems to know what he is talking about.

Larry - thanks for the link to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5958. I see the copyright date is 2014 so it is brand new (or new additions). It is good that the http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5550 article provided a reference link to the 5958 article - that is helpful.

"Libraries FAQ" is not something I would have investigated at this stage, though, as I'm still trying to get the new update installed (without messing up X.9) ; however, the section with FAQs about "Updating" does have useful information at this stage.

From HT5958:

"How do I update my projects and events?"

The instructions in the pop-up window creates more questions than answers. For example, the 3 options are:

1. "Click Update All to create a new library for the projects and events on each connected hard disk." - Okay, so I have two hard disks. If I go the route with dedicating one for the old X.9 version, along with the X.9 Events and Projects, what happens if "Update All" is selected? Will this mess up or, if the drive requires the "Option" key, will this drive be exempt?

2. "Update Later" - this postpones updating and creates "a new empty library". So, if the .1 version is on the SSD and the new Library is on the 3TB hard drive with X.9 on the 2T hard drive (requires the Option key to access), does that mean the X.9 Events and Projects can share the 3TB drive? If so, then this way I wouldn't have to move any files and that would be a real plus.

If the 2TB drive has the X.9 version (requiring the Option key start), will X.9 be able to access the 3TB drive files?

3. "Locate" - "lets you manually navigate to a connected hard disk …" This sounds like it could be work, BUT, if it is only to Update the "selected" X.9 Projects and Events (where the user can select certain ones) then that wouldn't be too bad.

Would this option Update ALL the Projects and Events at one time, or, can they be selectively updated? Given the possibility for, ahem, "difficulties", it wouldn't be a good idea to update the entire folder because there is no telling what problems might develop. Updating piecemeal gives an opportunity to select "easy" files or files of a similar editing type. Some of my videos do have B-roll clips and that could be an issue.

This is enough for now. Those were my comments to just the first FAQ under "Updating". Like I said, I'm taking "baby steps" to hopefully avoid a catastrophic problem. Just trying to be very careful.

At this point I'm thinking of Luis' "Renaming FCPX option" and having it on the SSD as the way I'd prefer to go, with the 2TB and 3TB drives for the X.9 Projects and Events, and the .1 Library (Libraries?). This option would avoid installing another instance of OSX and having to use the Option key trick.

How does this plan sound?

Russ - thanks for the comment. It is still workable though and I've just encountered another problem. More in the next post.... (the saga continues)

Alcohroma - This helped me to the extent I felt comfortable doing a .1 download, all 3.5 hours worth ! Renamed the "old" FCPX project "Final Cut Pro 9" before starting the download. Actually I did the re-name yesterday and the download today.

Hmm..... an interesting thing happened. When I checked if the download was done the App Store screen was still open and the little download progress bar was showing a tad bit of blue at the beginning and then it went into "Calculating ....". Now why would it do that? Well, apparently it wasn't downloading anymore, it was "Updating" the 9 version. Whoa! Time to turn the computer off!!!

There are enough places where it has been said that to maintain the "old" 9 version it should be re-named, not a lot, but several places. It worked for you so why didn't it work for me? Could it be that putting the "_9" (it is actually "space" 9) at the end of the name might not be enough of a name change?

Now that the "Update" has started to change/update the "old" version, probably around 5% per the "bar", is there a way to abort and have it revert back to what it was? If so, then I could go and re-name it with "Old FCPX" like you did and give it another try.

By the way, I didn't tell it to Update, it went straight from "Download" to "Update" on it's own without any intervention from me.

Open to suggestions from anyone.

Tom - Well .... turned On and booted the computer back up and it looks like I might be too late.

The renamed FCPX still has a thin bar next to its name. I tried to open the application but it wouldn't open.

Got a message from the App Store: "Cannot Connect to the App Store. An Internet connection is required." Not surprised at that, but, if a connection is required and it's been disconnected then something got stopped. That could be a plus.

Disconnected the Internet cable but the Activity Monitor still shows there is "stuff" happening.

In Activity Monitor I clicked on "softwareupdate" and told it to "Quit"

Clicked on "storeagent" and told it to "Quit".

In spite of the above actions, a new message popped up:

"Final Cut Pro 9 is being updated. Final Cut Pro 9 cannot be opened while it is being updated"

By the way, it should be mentioned that I tried changing the name and did but it keeps updating itself.

Created a folder and put it in it with the name changed but it keeps updating.

This is like the computer "Hal" from the movie!

Grrrr....

Al - thanks for coming back. Still working in it here and here is an update. (lower case "u").

After doing more Internet searching for solutions and not really coming up with any, I went back to the computer to "poke around" and, lo and behold!, the little "activity bar" next to the re-named application name, for some unexplained reason, was gone. Wonders will never cease.

Okay, so now what to do? This time I renamed the application to "FCPX9". By the way, the "_" underscore mentioned above was intended to indicate a blank space as it wasn't typed as such.

Next, I created a folder in the Applications area and moved the newly renamed X9 into it.

So far, so good. No error messages that this can't be done. Cross fingers!

Go back to the App Store, log in, and re-download Final Cut .1. As it stands, it has about an hour to go so we'll see what the computer programming gods come up with next. Be sure to stay tuned!

Oh, and one more thing. I did some research about how to copy the X9 version from my MacBook Pro over to the Mac Pro but this didn't really turn up anything I liked.

The new download is completed.

Safe or sorry? Well, I'm in the "sorry" camp now,,,,. The bloody update searched out and found the renamed X9 inside a folder and updated it to .1. Arghhhh....

So this is what I've got now for FCP X:

10.0.8 on the Mac Pro 2TB drive,

10.0.9 on the Mac Book Pro (late 2008)

10.1.0 on the Mac Pro SSD (in a folder called FCPX9 under Applications)

Because the X.8 version on the third drive didn't get changed, in hind sight it appears that if the X.9 version was put on another drive it may have worked.

Question: Is there a way that 10.0.9 on the MBP could be copied and put on the Mac Pro 3TB drive? For info, that is also where all the .9 Events and Projects are located.