How to set the System Setting

Question

Hi guys
I have Final Cut Express for a few years but I don’t practice very often, I use it once or twice a year when I have a family project to do. I am confused with the Scratch Drive vs the Final Cut Express Document Folder (Scratch disk>F.C.E. Documents>). About 2 months ago, I start a New project. Before that, I cleared up all the previous project files and from the Preferences I trashed the com.apple FinalCutExpress Plist and from the Final Cut Express User Dater File I trashed the F.C.E. 4.0 Pref and the Ojb Cache and reset my Scratch Disk for capturing (not the startup). Now my editing is almost done. Last week I open the Scratch Drive >Final Cut Express Document Folder, I notice there is no captured files (captured materials,data or media) anywhere in the Capture Scratch, Autosave Vault,Thumbnail Cache File and the Waveform Cache File but there are files in the Audio Render File and the Render File (I suppose this Render File is the Video Render). I open the System Setting, I notice I have set the Scratch Disk for Video Capture, Video Render and Audio Render, the rest are set for Startup Disk; I went to the Startup disk, I found them all filled with something, but I have no idea where to locate my captured materials and I am not sure if these settings are correct or they should all be set to store in the Scratch Disk instead. I am all confused. Right now my questions are where to locate my captured materials (data/medias) and how do I reset the above settings if they need to be reset? I appreciate some one will take time to explain all these to me. My equipment is G4, Final Cut Express 4.0 with OX 10.5. If further info is needed, please adv.
Thank you ALL.

Answer 1

If I understand your advice correctly, after the current project is done, I should reset the Thumbnail >Cache File and the Waveform Cache File to the Scratch Disk and leave the Autosave Vault in the >Startup Disk because it is safer.
Yup. Plus back up your Project file to another media type, CD etc. for double security.
not to change the clip names either.
Changing names is fine if you do this within the FCE application because FCE still knows where to find the file. If you change the name in the Scratch Disc through the Finder, FCE will loose the link.
don’t know how to reconnect them
Right click an offline clip in the Browser and select reconnect, navigate to where the clip is stored through the window that appears.
You can search this forum for details and all is explained in the FCE manual.
Here's one:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1968953&tstart=15
Al