ProTools Help - Backed up files....

[lmoore]

So I have Pro Tools installed on my operating system and I store all my songs/files on an external hard drive. I backed up all the files from my main computer and from the external drive to an even larger external drive. Therefore, have two external drives, one for the files and one for the backups. The backups were complete (see the file size of each drive that backed up from the mycomputer folder) and when I go to my main computer/operating system and open Pro Tools, it loads BUT when I go to select a file from the original external hard, the computer restarts itself. Says a fatal error. should backing up cause this kind of error? if I restore, will my damn computer start working again? also, when I go to the external hard drive that has my original files and try to load a song from there, it does the same crap. Black screen, frozen, then restarts and get the fatal error.

what the hell! Please someone help.

ALSO:
When I plug the BIG external drive (that has the backup on it) into the computer via Firewire and plug the Smaller External Drive that has original files on it via USB (also has protools connected to it via firewire) PT won't even load. Says unable to connect message.

Thanks

Lynsey

[spkguitar]

should backing up cause this kind of error?

No.

if I restore, will my damn computer start working again?

Can't answer that question without knowing what procedure/software you used to do the backup.

Your post is extremely confusing. It sounds very much like you are having general computer issues.

We need you to clarify a few things;

1. On which drive were the files originally created?
2. What process did you use to get them to your external firewire drive?
3. How did you "back them up"?
4. How did you backup the system drive to your "BIG external drive"?
5. If none of the external drives are connected, does Pro Tools function?
6. If the new "BIG external hard drive" isn't plugged in, does Pro Tools function normally?
7. When was the last time the sessions in question and Pro Tools functioned normally?

[lmoore]

I will get you the answers to your questions tonight. THANK YOU.

I have to be at home in my studio to give you specifics, but I went to Start --> All Programs --> Accessories--> System tools and selected backup. and it asked me what I wanted to back up (selected the drive) and to what drive I wanted to save the backup (selected external drive)...etc. and it took a couple hours and said it was complete.

Sorry for the confusion. I will get specific steps that I took and write them down tomorrow morning. I will also try just plugging in PT via firewire to the computer and see if it works.

The sessions all functioned normally before the backup. I'm recording my band and with all the songs (big files) I wanted to have an external drive just for the backups b/c if I lose the sessions....well....death to me. =(

till tomorrow, have a good night.

[lmoore]

On which drive were the files originally created?
1. I have files on the operating system (C & D drive) which is also where PT software is
installed.
2. I have files stored on a 250GB external hard drive. all music files/sessions

I bought 700GB external external hard drive to back up 1. & 2. Didn't come with software, just pluged in firewire to computer and formatted like it said too. my computer read the drive and I was able to start backing up. When this 700GB hd is plugged in, I can see both backups (1. & 2.).

What process did you use to get them to your external firewire drive?
Start-->Programs-->Access-->SystemTools-->backup

How did you "back them up"?
see above

How did you backup the system drive to your "BIG external drive"?
see above

If none of the external drives are connected, does Pro Tools function?I will find out tonight, thanks for the tip

If the new "BIG external hard drive" isn't plugged in, does Pro Tools function normally?
nope. I tried to just plug in PT into the 250GB via fire wire and plug the 250GB into the computer via Firewire and that is when the screen goes black after attempting to open a session.

When was the last time the sessions in question and Pro Tools functioned normally?
before the backup

[spkguitar]

On which drive were the files originally created?
1. I have files on the operating system (C & D drive) which is also where PT software is
installed.

Again; confused. Which drive is the system drive? C or D? It cannot be both. There should be only one drive for the system drive. To which drive is Pro Tools installed? It should be the same drive as the system drive.

What process did you use to get them to your external firewire drive?

When I asked this, I meant the drive that you are using for sessions, not the backup drive. Did you create the sessions on that external drive? Did you copy the sessions from one of the system drives in some way?

What process did you use to get them to your external firewire drive?
Start-->Programs-->Access-->SystemTools-->backup

While this will sometimes function, and should be better than not backing up at all, it would definitely not be a method I would recommend for creating backups. True Image is my current preferred (and recommended) backup software.

[lmoore]

I will know 100% tonight, but I am almost certain PT is installed on the C drive. I have two drives on my desktop HP computer. (C & D) I believe C has the PT installed on it (no MS Office, or anything like that -- it's stripped just for recording programs) and the D drive has older PT sessions on it before I got the 250GB external drive. The 250GB external drive (E:) has all the recent band sessions.

hope that clears up that part

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What process did you use to get them to your external firewire drive?

When I asked this, I meant the drive that you are using for sessions , not the backup drive. Did you create the sessions on that external drive? Did you copy the sessions from one of the system drives in some way?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am using the 250GB (E:) for sesssions for my band. Those are the most important files, although there are session files on the D: drive which is on the desktop. I did not copy the 250GB files from or to my desktop. I have the 250GB plugged into the Desktop via firewire the whole time PT is on b/c PT is connected to it. So it goes PT--Firewire-->250GB--firewire--->Computer
Save Session (select E drive (for external drive) and all my sessions are there).and so when I backed up using the steps I told you, I just selected entire C: & D: for one of the backups and entire E: drive (external 250GB) to backup to the F: 700GB drive.

[volume9]

Man open each of your sesions one by one and do a "save session copy in" of each session on all your hard drives except the operating system drive; (that should be drive c:). Check off the boxes to save all audio, fades etc. Enforce PC/Mac compatibility, highest sample rates and all that, then save to desired hard drive. You have 3 backup drives so your gonna do that 3 times. That save accessories-backup stuff is not for sessions. Then save those "save session copy in" onto DVD. Burn it as a Data DVD.

[lmoore]

OK, so I found out PT is on the D: drive not C: b/c the D: is bigger on my operating system. Hence why before I got the external drive, I was storing older sessions on the D: as well. C: has misc programs (Notepad, etc). but that is it.

I plugged PT directly into the computer via Firewire to see if I could load the files from the D: and it didn't work. PT loads, but when I go to open a session from the toolbar, the screen goes black and my computer restarts. This is the MS error that pops up on the screen after the restart.

The system has recovered from a serious error. (it asks to send error report and I do not b/c I don't have internet enabled. but I select detail report and this is what I get below)


Error Signature:
BCCode : c2 BCP1 : 00000007 BCP2 : 00000CD4 BCP3 : F4EC4A30
BCP4 : F4EC489C OSVer : 5_1_2600 SP : 2_0 Product : 256_1

The Following files will be included in this error report:
C:\DOCUME~1\Robin\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER52e4.dir00\Mini 122606-01.dmp
C:\DOCUME~1\Robin\LOCALS~1\Temp\WER52e4.dir00\sysd ata.xml



Errrr. Also, in response to Volume's remarks, I don't want to save files to DVDs, that defeats the purpose of having the 700GB drive. I am not using the 250GB as a backup. that is where I record/save my important music sessions. I am not saving anything to the C: or D: anymore.

PLUS - I Cannot even open my session. I can only load the intial PT screen, but cannont open anything.

[spkguitar]

I plugged PT directly into the computer via Firewire to see if I could load the files from the D: and it didn't work. PT loads, but when I go to open a session from the toolbar, the screen goes black and my computer restarts.

This sounds more like you need to update your PACE drivers from www.paceap.com

There's nothing (that I can think of, anyway) that running that backup could have done that could cause the problems that you are experiencing.

I'm sorry, but your initial PT installation is really... well, for lack of a better word, whack. It actually should be causing quite a number of problems, not the least of which is plugin installations going awry (which may be directly related to your restart problem).

Pro Tools should have been installed on the C drive with the rest of the system.

Unfortunately, at this point, my real recommendation is to wipe the machine and start from scratch.

[lmoore]

Why would it matter if it is C or D. They are both formatted the same and are on the main computer. D has more file space, that is why I put it there. I will try the drivers update and if that doesn't work, do you think restoring will bring it back to how it was before? If so, then I will go get TrueImage, like you suggested and use that from now on.

Thanks again SPK,

L