Premiere Pro for PC can't locate files with * in the filename.

First a solution, then a warning:

Solution: (Please note: This is an unconventional workaround and should be used with caution.)

1. Use an app to rename all your files containing an asterisk (*) in the filename. A great tool for this is Adobe Bridge. Replace the asterisk with a safe character like an underscore (_).
2. To update your Premiere Pro project to reflect these changes, you’ll need to modify the project file’s XML data.
   
   Here’s how:
   1. Duplicate your project file and rename the duplicate by changing its extension to .zip.
   2. Unzip the file. Locate the unzipped file and add .txt to its extension.
   3. Open this file in a text editor such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).
   4. Use the Find/Replace function to replace instances of *.mov with _.mov (or the appropriate file extension).
   5. Save the file, then change its extension back to .prproj.
   6. Open the updated file in Premiere Pro.

Warning:

1. In future, avoid using special characters (such as *, ?, |, etc.) in file names on any operating system—Mac or PC. These characters often cause issues across applications and workflows.
2. If you need to add information about a clip, it’s better to do this within your editing application rather than renaming files at the system level. Premiere Pro offers robust tools like metadata columns for this purpose. For example, you can use the “Good” column with its checkbox to mark clips or add custom metadata for better organization.