No Preferences Folder (Trying to trash)

[gksounds]

Hi there,

My Pro Tools has been acting quite glitchy lately so I've decided to overhaul and optimize everything in the hope of everything running a bit more smoothly.

I tried to trash my preferences which is supposed to be located in:

~/Library/Preferences/Avid/Pro Tools right?

However, there is no 'Avid' folder in my Preferences folder. A spotlight search for it doesn't find it. I've also done a spotlight search for some of the usual preference files but they seemingly don't exist anywhere on my Mac.

I then downloaded an automatic preferences trasher program (PT Prefs). I ran it and it has a huge amount of 'file does not exist' messages on most of the main preference files so they're seemingly not on my machine. It's can't locate the Pro Tools Preferences folder.

Is this a bad thing? Could this be contributing to Pro Tools under-performing?

I have attached some screenshots of the logs from the trasher program.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

System:
MacBook Pro - Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015
mac OS Sierra 10.12.6
Pro Tools 12.7.0

[BScout]

PT Prefs has a section for versions after 11 and versions before 11. If you tried to trash all, you will get a lot of missing file messages because for 11+(like the current 2018.12), many of those files don't exist. Nothing to worry about.

If you want to be absolutely correct (though there is no harm just trying to trash everything), you check only the boxes for the stuff with "11+" and ones that don't say "pre 11" for the current version of Pro Tools.

[gksounds]

Thanks alot. I get you about the pre 11 files that wouldn't be there anyway but having no Pro Tools preferences folder anywhere?

Is that unusual?

It may be absolutely fine, just checking in case it isn't.

Thanks a mill

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by gksounds

Thanks alot. I get you about the pre 11 files that wouldn't be there anyway but having no Pro Tools preferences folder anywhere?

Is that unusual?

It may be absolutely fine, just checking in case it isn't.

Thanks a mill

Make sure you're looking in the right Library folder - the user one or the system one although Pete Gates's program should fin it automatically. Are you running the latest version of his program?

[Pete Gates]

Maybe I should change the text of those “file doesn’t exist” messages. I can see how they could cause concern if you don’t know what’s going on. They’re definitely not an error, as others have commented, there’s just a big list of things to delete and on some systems/versions certain of those files won’t be there.

Pete

[gksounds]

Originally Posted by musicman691

Make sure you're looking in the right Library folder - the user one or the system one although Pete Gates's program should fin it automatically. Are you running the latest version of his program?

Yeah have checked both System and User Library folders and the folder isn't there oddly.

Should I attempt a reinstall?

On a side note, after heavy research, I figured out what was causing some of the glitches I was experiencing. I was getting mad CPU spikes in my sessions. Even tiny ones. Apparently it's an issue with Sierra and High Sierra and Pro Tools 12. It's the Mac Turbo Booster that's causing the problem.

I downloaded a little program called Turbo Boost Switcher which allows you to turn off the turbo boost feature and hey presto - no more spikes! Apparently the turbo 'switching' causes the cpu to spike.

Another sidenote, my 003 causes my cpu core to heat like mad which in turn causes my fans to spin like crazy. Not good for mainting a quiet recording envronment in a home studio. Just the mere act of it being plugged into the machine drives the CPU mad. So weird.

Still scratching my head about the prefs folder though. They have to be somewhere! Or maybe not...hmmm

[gksounds]

Originally Posted by Pete Gates

Maybe I should change the text of those “file doesn’t exist” messages. I can see how they could cause concern if you don’t know what’s going on. They’re definitely not an error, as others have commented, there’s just a big list of things to delete and on some systems/versions certain of those files won’t be there.

Pete

Thanks for an awesome program all the same Pete!

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by gksounds

Yeah have checked both System and User Library folders and the folder isn't there oddly.

Should I attempt a reinstall?

On a side note, after heavy research, I figured out what was causing some of the glitches I was experiencing. I was getting mad CPU spikes in my sessions. Even tiny ones. Apparently it's an issue with Sierra and High Sierra and Pro Tools 12. It's the Mac Turbo Booster that's causing the problem.

I downloaded a little program called Turbo Boost Switcher which allows you to turn off the turbo boost feature and hey presto - no more spikes! Apparently the turbo 'switching' causes the cpu to spike.

Another sidenote, my 003 causes my cpu core to heat like mad which in turn causes my fans to spin like crazy. Not good for mainting a quiet recording envronment in a home studio. Just the mere act of it being plugged into the machine drives the CPU mad. So weird.

Still scratching my head about the prefs folder though. They have to be somewhere! Or maybe not...hmmm

You're able to see both Library folders? Remember that sometimes back Apple decided in it's infinite wisdom to hide the Library folder(s).

[gksounds]

Originally Posted by musicman691

You're able to see both Library folders? Remember that sometimes back Apple decided in it's infinite wisdom to hide the Library folder(s).

Yes I can see both Library folders. One in system and one in the Macintosh HD...

[gksounds]

The thing I' trying to figure out is - is it worth trying a reinstall. I haven't done one in a few years. Do you lose anything when you reinstall - like for instance the library locations for all your virtual instruments. Will i need to go in and repatch them all to my external drive or does it remember these things when I reinstall? Apologies, haven't done one in ages!