Trashing ProTools Preferences and Digidesign Databases can be helpful when your ProTools system is not behaving normally. Be sure to check included manuals and our online knowledgebase before resorting to these steps.

Digidesign's Tech Support Folder provides a handy utility to automatically delete preferences and databases. This can be dowloaded from: http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=1&navid=54&itemid=25974


Here are the steps to manually delete preferences and databases.

On Mac OSX:

Deleting Digidesign Databases (not necessary for v8.0.3 and above):
1. On the root level of every mounted hard drive, go into the Digidesign Databases folder and delete the "Volume.ddb" and "WaveCache" files.

2. Go to: MacHD > Library > Application Support > Digidesign > Databases > Volumes. Delete all of the files in this folder (they will have very odd names).

Trashing Preferences:
1. Go to: MacHD > Users > (your user name, aka "the house icon") > Library > Preferences. Delete the following files:
- com.digidesign.protools.plist
- DAE Prefs (entire folder)
- Digisetup.OSX
- ProTools...vX.X Preferences (this may be either ProTools LE or TDM, and any version, such as 6.4 or 7.1).

Empty the Trash after trashing preferences and/or databases.


On Windows XP:

Deleting Digidesign Databases (not necessary for v8.0.3 and above):
1. On the root level of every mounted hard drive, delete the folders that are named "Digidesign Databases".

2. Go to: My Computer > C: > Program Files > Digidesign > Pro Tools > Databases > Unicode > Volumes. Delete all of the files in this folder (they will have very odd names).

Trashing Preferences:
1. Go to: My Computer > C: > Documents and Settings > (your user name) > Application Data* > Digidesign. Delete the file entitled "ProTools...vX.X Preferences.PTP" (this may be either ProTools LE or TDM, and any version, such as 6.4 or 7.1).
*If the Application Data folder is not there, go to: Tools (in the menus at the top) > Folder Options > View, and select "Show Hidden Files and Folders."

2. Go to: My Computer > C: > Program Files > Common Files > Digidesign > DAE. Delete the entire "DAE Prefs folder."

Empty the Recycle Bin after trashing preferences and/or databases.

On Windows Vista:

Deleting Digidesign Databases (not necessary for v8.0.3 and above):
1. On the root level of every mounted hard drive, delete the folders that are named "Digidesign Databases".

2. Go to: My Computer > C: > Program Files > Digidesign > Pro Tools > Databases > Unicode > Volumes. Delete all of the files in this folder (they will have very odd names).

Trashing Preferences:
1. Go to: My Computer > C: > Users > (your user name) > AppData* > Roaming > Digidesign. Delete the file entitled "ProTools...vX.X Preferences.PTP" (this may be either ProTools LE or TDM, and any version, such as 7.4).
*If the Application Data folder is not there, go to: Control Panel (in the Windows start menu at the top) > Folder Options > View, and select "Show Hidden Files and Folders."

2. Go to: My Computer > C: > Program Files > Common Files > Digidesign > DAE. Delete the entire "DAE Prefs folder."

Empty the Recycle Bin after trashing preferences and/or databases.