Urgent, Lost the whole project!!!

[SimonCPW]

Dear all,

This morning, I opened a project that we've been working on, last saved 2 days ago. Although the session was opened normally, (no abnormal message), it was EMPTY!!! No audio files, no tracks, nothing but looked like a brand new session.

Checked with Norton, said the file had an "open resource fork" and could not be fixed. The file is 356k, any my template is 40k, so I'm hoping the data are still there, it's just something stopping PT to read them. Any way to fix this? or at least get some of the data?

The project has 30+ audio tracks, 1 video track, and contains hundreds of edit points, total of 22 mins. Need to deliver the final mix on Monday morning.... to Disney LA.

God help us!!!

Simon

[SimonCPW]

Forgot to mention:

PT MixPlus, V5.01
G4/400 AGP, OS9.04
ProControl Main unit & 2 Fader expension
SCSI64
AVoption
USD

thanks.

[Kasper]

This has happened to me. It's a bug for sure.

I always save copys of the session doc as i go, but I assume you did not or you wouldn't have posted, right ?

anyway.......

Got ResEdit handy ?

IN ResEdit do a "Get File/Folder info" from the file menu.
Navigate to the session doc and click "Get info"
It will prob say "PSes" or maybe something else in the type box.
Change it to "PT5S" .
Close the file and save changes.

You might want to make a copy of the session doc in the Finder just incase.

This worked for me, good luck !!

kasper

[smlworld]

wow - same thing happened to me yesterday. this is extremely nerveracking (if you don't have a session copy - which i had)

Digi - what IS UP WITH THIS?

ps great work around - if it works.... (i tossed the file out so can't try it)

s

[MacDaddy WGAR]

FYI, in the future when you have a can't lose, must have session. Save a copy of the reel on another partition.
And if you start seeing any abnormalities when working stop imediately and run DiskFirst aid, Norton, DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro. If I am notmistaken on rare occasions certain crashes it seems can corrupt the directory on your drives. Anyone else experience this?

As a last resort, you may be able to use unerase and find an older copy of a sesion floating around in the directory which will allow you to partially recover your work. I have only had this happen with small non critical sessions, but it is a bug. All the disk tools turn up no problem with drives yet it can all just vanish.

Good Luck
Bill

[jimlongo]

Certainly it's always good practice to have more than one copy of your session as you go along.
I use Flashback from Aladdin to automate this. Some folks use QKs or applescript to do it.

jim

[SimonCPW]

Thanks for everyone's reply.

Kasper, ResEdit didn't work for me. I got a message saying:
"The resource map is inconsistent with that operation.[-199]"
So I guess I'm out of luck?!

My way to get around this particular case is to immediately ordered 72G of hard disk, duplicate the SFX library and have the other PT running at the same time, basicly doubling the resources and studio time.... in order to meet the delivery time.

And of course, create a new "Session Backup" folder in the system disk. Can Digidesign write a script to save Session Backup as part of PT's feature?!!!

I'm surprised this has happened to others before and no update to fix this yet?!

Thanks again everyone.

[Huby SEA]

I've had several similar experiences with sessions made on a Protools 4.3.1, after using an Audiosuite Plugin. Protools gave me some sort of error like "can't find the right audiofile DAE error XX92 or XX93 orsomething).
Lost two days worth of recordings: since I make every 1/4thof an hour an incremental "Save session as" .

I've been able to recuperate some of these crashed sessions:

-Make a copy of the corrupted session in the finder and, give it some name (like horror copy recup 01).
-Open this copied session, and put Protools in the "SPOT" mode.
-Make some new audiotracks
-drag the audiofiles from the filebin onto the newly created tracks, and 'spot' them against the original timecode (upper right arrow in the time-code dialog-box) . Most of the whole files will drop back into place, but some regions won't: you'll have to work on these by hand by cutting and copying.
- get the PC-AUTO-REFLEX habbit of increasing every 15 minutes or so the name of the sesssion by 1 ( horror copy recup 02 , aso.).

Good luck,

Greetings,

Huby

[smlworld]

DIGI, HE YELLED, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS THREAD. this is not acceptable software behavior.

thank you

s

[editor]

Sorry about your sudden loss! Man when I am doing a complex session I save as in PT, after every major edit or mix move. After a feature film I have at least 1000 saves, all date and time stamped neatly. This way I can return to any portion of the session and retrace my steps. I also save several FINALS OF THE MIX sessions, to bring up for the finicky client. They are usually identical sessions, but it makes them feel powerful...