Instructions to Tech Svs Dept in setting up Adobe Premiere in school firewall setting?

Question

Hi.  I work in a public high school in a very large school system.  While I have new computers w/8gb of ram and decent video and audio cards, our Adobe Premiere 9.0 software frequently stalls, freezes, won't open projects, etc. . . .  The problems are not consistent from computer to computer.  In fact, the software runs beautifully from my "stand alone" laptop (which I installed myself using your recommended install procedure and the original DVDs.)  Which leads me to believe that our network firewalls are getting in the way of Adobe Premiere functioning properly.
We operate in a Windows XP 5.1 environment.  (I know!)  Our tech services folks take a copy of the original DVDs that we purchased (35 licenses), and load it onto a folder within an external flash drive that they've labeled as the image for my classroom.  That is how they install the software - all the software - for the computers in my room.  Never from original DVDs.
And, our Tech Svs staff told me that they read a service bulletin from Adobe that said if you have the Adobe CS4 or 5 web design suite installed on your computers, it will cause your Adobe Premiere Elements not to function properly!!!  I'm having a hard time swallowing that one.
So, there is something between how they copied this software onto their flash drives, to the network firewalls, that is causing headaches with the functioning of this software on networked computer stations.
I have also seen other forums where this problem occurs in other educational settings.
Education provides a pretty big customer base for you.  Have you developed a set of instructions specific to this environment for the installation of the software by the Tech staff?  If you would like, I'd be glad to volunteer my school and situation as a place you can come to troubleshoot and develop these instructions.
My only current solution is to tell students to render and save frequently (like, after every single thing they do.)  If their station misbehaves too terribly, we transfer the work to my laptop - and they do the work there.  But I have only one laptop.

Answer 1

function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}We are on a network - but we do have access to save to the C drive.  Students have a folder on the C drive where they save all project assets and work. 
Being on a network is fine (especially since you don't have a choice ), but using network drives is not. As John mentioned, *everything* PRE is doing should be using local, physical drives (at least 7200 RPM). Preferably one drive for projects and media storage, and another for temp files (and, no, partitions do not count because they are the same physical drive).
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}Are you saying that if they are multi-tasking, it could cause software burps?
I think a rule of thumb with editing is: the less running the better. But some processes seem to interfere much more with editing than others: virus scanning software and indexing are the biggest culprits I can think of. So if you have Word, for example, running at the same time that's fine, but if Norton is running or, God forbid doing a scan, that's more likely to cause issues.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}Should they transfer all assets from a flash drive (pictures, music, etc. . .) into the project directory - and make sure they are not using any other programs while they are editing? Would this work if we are still tied to the network?
I think the above should answer... let me know if not.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}We cannot boot the computers without accessing the network, because if we could be "independent" (of the security features of the network) then my students might turn into deviants and mess up the settings on the computer or release viruses or do a multitude of other evil things.  So I've been told.
Well, I.T. has many reasons why they do things they do, but (as you might have suspected) your user experience is not Reason #1. But in any event, logging in and being on the network - in and of itself - shouldn't present any issues so no worries there.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}And, we just received 1 set of DVDs - but our license number is good for 35 stations - so using the same serial number should not be the issue (we do the same thing for our Web Design suite, and that has had no problems.)
Well, good, that should be one thing to cross off the list, then.
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}I have complained to Tech Services and unfortunately, the problems never seem to replicate when they come in after school to do the work.  They are the ones who told me they read the adobe service bulletin that states Web Design CS4 interferes with the operation of Adobe Premiere Elements 9.0.  But, the students aren't working with the CS4 software when they are doing their video projects.  So - that has been the extent of their research, as far as I can tell.
Yeah, isn't that always the way? Just like when I take my car to the mechanic and tell them it's making this weird noise, and of course they drive it and it's fine and they think I'm drunk or something. Unfortunately, software is even harder to diagnose, and if the problem can't be replicated it can be pretty hard to fix.
Is the tech bulletin saying that CS4 and PRE9 need to running together to cause problems, or can the mere fact that CS4 is *installed* cause PRE9 problems? Either way, it the "tech bulletin" theory held water, you would think it'd be fairly easy to replicate. Also, if that was the issue, why does it run fine after school?
Can you get tech services to come in during one of the classes and see the problems first-hand? If nothing else, maybe they might be able to appreciate how frustrating the problems are and take a more proactive approach.
ETA: I don't know what that "function(){return A....." code stuff is, but it's not me typing that in