PT V 2022 -can no longer find any plugins

[rosindabow]

First off, my system had been working perfectly until I upgraded to the latest version of PT, 2022. I had been running the prior system with everything working just perfect. All of my hundreds of plugins and instruments working just fine. And to be clear, they are all working perfectly in Digital Performer and Logic Pro. My computer is just fine.

I am running a Mac Pro, mid 2012 OS 10.13.6 with 64 GB of memory installed. And I have no plans on upgrading the computer till I have to.

Like I said, everything was working perfectly here in my home studio until the latest version of PT was installed. Of course, I could no longer open up my project as it said this version of PT was not compatible with my OS. I could not uninstall it as it said the uninstaller only worked with OS 10.14 and above. I found a website that helped me get rid of PT 2022 so I could downgrade back to PT 2020.12 After a couple of hours of work I was able to downgrade. But all my plugins and instruments are now missing. When I went to Avid Link, it upgraded my Pro Tools back to the latest version, even though I told it not to! I then had to go through the entire process again to uninstall 2022 and re-install 2020.12

This is a mess.

I also have a song that I am about to begin mixing - and none of my plugins.
I have a class to teach and students asking me to help with homework and I cannot get Pro Tools to open.
I contacted Avid support, which I pay for the Ultimate plan, and all that happened was a case was opened. With nothing that I told the agent included in the case.
And btw, I opened a case 2 years ago and was never contacted, ever.

Can I force Pro Tools to re-scan my entire system? Right now it only finds the Avid basic plugins -nothing else. Not ever Avid's Eleven or Air.
Can I get my plugins and instruments working again?
Can I force Avid Link to leave my system alone and not upgrade me again?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Ben Jenssen]

If I understand correctly, You now have PT 2020.12 running with the basic plugins. That's consistent with having uninstalled and reinstalled PT. Your old plugins folder (macHD/library/applicationsupport/Avid/Audio/Plugins/) will have been deleted, and PT reinstalls the basic plugins automatically at launch, if they are not present. Air plugins and Instruments are separate installers, found here, in "Avid Download Center" in your Avid account:
https://my.avid.com/esd
Scroll down to "Avid Pro Tools Plugins", download and install AIR plugins, AIR Instruments, and Xpand.
Any 3rd party plugins, you'll have to download and reinstall.

This would have been much easier if you'd had a proper backup.