Participating Frequently

Project Manager Issue - An unknown error (-1609629681) occurred during the Project Manager operation

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
August 8, 2025
15 replies
1235 views

August 2025 Issue with Project Manager

[PP Version 25.3 – latest version]
[OS Sequoia 15.5 – latest version]

I have a large project to offload to a colourist and have tried to use the 'Collect files and copy to a new location' function in Project Manager (File > Project Manager…)

After several attempts I am still receiving the "An unknown error (-1609629681) occurred during the Project Manager operation. Please save your project and retry the operation." I have been looking for a solution for days now.

Here's what I've tried based on Adobe support and what I've seen on this forum:

1. Check available disk space - I have three times what is needed on my external SSD

2. Uncheck the following boxes:

Include preview files
Include audio conform files
Export media files to match clip names
Exclude unused clips

Update OS—latest version OS Sequoia 15.5

4. Update PP—Version 25.3

5. Copy sequences into a brand-new project/save/try again—didn’t work

6. Try collecting files with only one sequence—only works for some sequences (and can’t determine why, the files are from the camera shot on the same day)

7. Ensure no special characters are in file names—checked. No dice.

8. Remove braw footage from project—didn’t work, just failed faster!

Super frustrating for an app supposably catered to professionals who no doubt use a function like this regularly to transfer GB's and TB's worth of assets.

Just by looking at the forum, I know many people have had this problem recently and over the years.

Would appreciate some advice/a solution or even to point out something that I’ve overlooked.

Thanks in advance!

Export

Show previous replies

6

636mjkAuthor

Participating Frequently

It should also be noted that I completely rest my Premiere Pro app via remote assistance through the help function.

6

636mjkAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hi Dani_V

Thanks for your reply. The calculated project size is ~800GB.

The whole point is that I need to send everything in the project through - all my sequences/rushes etc to the colourist. It's no use just sending a portion of the project. Other source media is clog3 .mov files from Canon cameras. One has 4 track audio, the other only one. The project doesn't not contain any AE compositions. What do you mean by modified audio or interpreted clips?

Either way, I shouldn't really have to go through this rigamarole when there's a in-built function for simplicity.

6

636mjkAuthor

Participating Frequently

How does one do this?

D

Dani_V.

Community Manager

Hi @636mjk,

Thank you for reporting a problem and sorry you are experiencing these issues. How large is the calculated project size?

Instead of copying the sequences into a new project, you could also try selecting the sequences you need in the Project panel > File > Export > Selection as Premiere Project, and this will create a new project with these selections only. Does it work from there? Another way could be by importing the sequences through the Media Browser in a new project, instead of copying. Have you tried saving this collect to a completely different location?

Seeing if the problem can be narrowed down, what other source media are you working with besides BRAW? Are you working with multicams or any clips that could be flattened, After Effects compositions, or were any clips interpreted or had audio channels modified? And seconding @Peru Bob's recommendation, are there any presets or subtitles in the project?

Really sorry for the frustration,
Dani