Full days work missing from drive?

[lm183902]

I have a full overdub session that is completely missing. Pro Tools isn’t even telling me that there are missing files - there’s just nothing there. Also nothing for that day in auto backups. I save very frequently and create a backup at the end of every session, so this has me puzzled. I’m also going to have to either refund the client or offer another day for free if I can’t get this sorted out.

Any suggestions on how I could potentially track down these files? I know the date they were recorded if that helps.

[BScout]

Forget the session for a moment, do you actually have audio files on the drive? Those would be the actual files recorded. If those are missing. then that's some massive operator error.

[lm183902]

Originally Posted by BScout

Forget the session for a moment, do you actually have audio files on the drive? Those would be the actual files recorded. If those are missing. then that's some massive operator error.

Yeah, can’t locate the audio files. There’s no record of anything even happening on that day in PT. I feel like I’m pretty careful with this sort of thing. I tend to hit save after any take, not to mention the fact that there should be auto backups. And I always back up the day’s work when the session is over. I’ve used PT for 13 years now and have never lost a file before now.

Perhaps I’m not searching correctly, as I’ve never had to track down a file. I just went through my drive, looking for track title and date created and haven’t found anything. When I opened the session to start the overdubs, I opened from where I had previously stopped, so I don’t think there’s any way the files should have ended up elsewhere.

[gives]

Originally Posted by lm183902

Yeah, can’t locate the audio files. There’s no record of anything even happening on that day in PT. I feel like I’m pretty careful with this sort of thing. I tend to hit save after any take, not to mention the fact that there should be auto backups. And I always back up the day’s work when the session is over. I’ve used PT for 13 years now and have never lost a file before now.

Perhaps I’m not searching correctly, as I’ve never had to track down a file. I just went through my drive, looking for track title and date created and haven’t found anything. When I opened the session to start the overdubs, I opened from where I had previously stopped, so I don’t think there’s any way the files should have ended up elsewhere.

Try this file for looking. I wrote a longer post, but I got into something and forgot to actually post it.. This file Called "Find Any File" may help: https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.php

[Southsidemusic]

Have you manually looked in the audio folder where all the session files end up? If there aren't any audio files in that folder from that session day then something has gone awry in a major way. Never heard of that before during our 15 years of recording except when a drive cocks out.

Check the audio file associates with the song/s you did that day and see if the takes are inside.

[Extreme Mixing]

Did you check on your backup drive? Could be that you opened and did the overdubs from there? If not that, then I'd guess that you backed up in the wrong direction and erased the work. The explanation that you are giving is just not possible. If you recorded audio files and they were playing back then they would have to be in the audio files folder. They would be there even if you didn't save the session somehow.

Are you using software to back up, or doing it manually by dragging the files? I hate to say it, but you may have made an error.

Steve

[_JJ_]

Any chance the project was recorded on another drive which was subsequently removed? Did the client have a drive plugged in? USB thumb drive? Or on your system drive? I guess ProTools would see it as "recent" if it was there.
Just ideas...