(Big) Problem with Audio Clock

[dasrossischlos]

I've got a big problem:

Yesterday, I cleaned up my notebook by running some clean up-tools (defragmentation by Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2007, and the disc clean-up-tool, that is already installed on windows XP).

Today, I wasn't able anymore to play my session in pro tools LE 7.0. I can open the session, and all sound files are still existing, but if I press play, i get a message, that pro tools is having problems with Audio Clock. I should check my clock source and sample rate.

Untill now, I was never having some problems with that. If I start a new session, with new recordings, I don't have that problem. Only with the sessions that were already existing before yesterday.

Can you help me? I would really appreciate it.

My System: Dell Inspirion 6400, Core2Duo 2.0GHz, 2 GB RAM, M-Box 2.

[spkguitar]

(defragmentation by Ashampoo WinOptimizer 2007,

The recommended defragmentation procedure for audio drives is to copy all of the material off the drive and reformat. Running defragmenting programs of any kind is not recommended.

and the disc clean-up-tool, that is already installed on windows XP).

Never, ever, ever, ever (can I add another ever?), ever run the windows disk cleanup tool on an audio drive. The windows disk cleanup tool compresses files that haven't been used in a certain amount of time, and Pro Tools (and other programs) cannot access the compressed file properly.

Most times, windows is set up by default to display compressed files in blue text in windows explorer. Check to make sure none of the files you are trying to access are compressed. If the files were damaged by the defrag process, there may be nothing you can do but restore from backup. (You did make backups before you did all of this to your drive, didn't you?)

[lemix]

dasrossischlos,
Welcome to the DUC new poster..
Unfortunately, all of what my friend Shawn wrote above is the crude, sad and honest truth !
You never mess with audiofiles, there is a lot of info lying in the headers that some generic applications just won't understand and purge !
You do have a backup..yes ?
Try opening a new session and import the data back.
Also, re-check that your system runs on internal clock, at the rate the session was originally recorded at.

good luck,
a

[dasrossischlos]

Today, everything was running properly. My problem disappeared over night. I was really afraid when I read your postings today. But it was a lesson. Thank you very much for your advices. I thought, it would be good cleaning up the computer all few weeks.