What kind of video (see below) and does your project exactly match your video?
Also, how many hard drives and do you have your projects and video files on your 2nd (at least) hard drive?
Read Bill Hunt on a file type as WRAPPER http://forums.adobe.com/thread/440037
What is a CODEC... a Primer http://forums.adobe.com/thread/546811
What CODEC is INSIDE that file? http://forums.adobe.com/thread/440037
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Report back with the codec details of your file, use the programs below... a screen shot works well to SHOW people what you are doing
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For PC http://www.headbands.com/gspot/ or http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en
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http://blogs.adobe.com/premiereprotraining/2011/02/red-yellow-and-gree n-render-bars.html
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Once you know exactly what it is you are editing, report back with that information... and your project setting, and if there is a red line above the video in the timeline, which indicates a mismatch between video and project
My 3 hard drives are configured as...
1 - 320Gig Boot for Win7 64bit Pro and all program installs
2 - 320Gig data for Win7 swap file and video project files
When I create a project on #2 drive, the various work files follow,
so my boot drive is not used for the media cache folder and files
3 - 1Terabyte data for all video files... input & output files (*)
(*) for 4 drives, drive 3 all source files & drive 4 all output files
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Search Microsoft to find out how to redirect your Windows swap file
http://search.microsoft.com/search.aspx?mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US
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http://forums.adobe.com/thread/784220?tstart=0
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Trying to use only ONE Hard Drive for Video Editing
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You are a music conductor, with a baton that you use to point to various parts of the orchestra... this is like Windows pointing to various parts of the hard drive to do Windows housekeeping or to load program segments for various functions
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Now, at the same time and with the same hand... while still using the baton to conduct the orchestra... pick up a bow and play a fiddle... this would be doing something with your video file at the same time as all the other work
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You as a person cannot do both at the same time with the same hand
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A computer is a LITTLE better, in that it can switch from one kind of task to another very quickly... but not quickly enough for EASY video editing
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You need AT LEAST two hard drives (separate drives, never a partition http://forums.adobe.com/thread/650708 for more) with Windows (or Mac OS) and software on your boot drive, and video files on a 2nd drive so the boot drive is not slowed down by trying to do everything
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I find that the three drives I use work very well for me, for editing AVCHD video... some people use a 4th drive, so video INPUT files are on drive three and all OUTPUT files are on drive four... I only bought a mid-tower case instead of a full tower case (my bad... but had to fit in the space available on my office desk!) so I use the three drives that will fit
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Depending on your exact hardware (motherboard brand & model AND USB2 enclosure brand & model AND external hard drive brand & model) AND the type of video file, you may... or may NOT... be able to use an external USB2 hard drive for SD (Standard Definition) video editing
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Steve Grisetti in the Premiere Elements forum http://forums.adobe.com/thread/856208 and Jim Simon in the Premiere Pro forum http://forums.adobe.com/thread/856433 use USB externals for editing
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A USB3 hard drive connected to a motherboard with USB3 is supposed to be fast enough for video editing (I don't have such, so don't know) but eSata DOES have a fast enough data transfer for video editing... I have not used the eSata Dock below... for reference only, YMMV and all the usual disclaimers
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http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-BlacX-eSATA-Docking-Station/dp/B001A 4HAFS/ref=cm_cmu_pg_t
