mmr91723
What computer operating system is your Premiere Elements 12 running on?
What do you mean by preliminary video? Are you talking about a Premiere Elements 12 project file (project.prel) whose export fate you have not decided on or about an export from the program which is just a draft of the "real" export?
In Premiere Elements 12, the program takes over setting the project preset in the new project dialog. So, you do not get to see the new project dialog unless your set the project preset manually. The Save In for the project file (project.prel) is in the new project dialog.
Once you set the new project dialog Save In field for the current project, it typically holds only for that project. The default project.prel location (Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 64 bit) is
Libraries/Documents/Adobe/Premiere Elements/Adobe/12.0.
Scratch Disk files Save In setting is done in Edit Menu/Preferences/Scratch Disks.
More on all this once we have some more details for your question.
Thank you.
ATR