Why does premiere save a backup file that is the same name????

I think going incremental in the name ... modifying before opening, and moving to main project folder ... would handle it. I'm a huge fan of named iterative saves as you may have noted.

Neil

This video describes the issues:

https://youtu.be/YKvISAMyVG4

<If I open that file, I know have 2 premiere pro project files in circulation. This becomes a rabbit hole,>

Wow!

BTW: You are not required to use that file name, feel free to rename it before you open it. Also, it should be copied (apparently after you rename it) to the main project folder, then open it from there. I almost never use them, and when I do, it's usually looking for something I had going previously and want to look at again. If your software is crashing as often as you indicate, it's time to look at your hardware and OS installation.

This sounds more like a file organization issue than a file naming issue.

Premiere Pro saves files exactly where you tell it to.

Try creating a template folder structure that best fits how you like to organize your footage.  For example, create folder named “Template Project” and inside that folder create the following three folders: Source Footage, PR Project Files, Exports.  Every time you’re starting a new project, copy “Template Project”, rename it, and browse to the PR Project Files inside that folder when you start a new project.  If you leave the default setting for Auto-save set to “Same as Project”, Premiere Pro will create “Adobe Premiere Pro Auto-Save” inside “PR Project Files” for you.

Stick to this or something like it and you’ll always know where your current project files are as well as your backups.

Yes, you have other choices (Apple Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer, Blackmagic Design Resolve); however, each requires some level of good file organization to work well. Of those, FCPX probably does the best at taking over file organization, but that's a very reason it may not be a good choice for some editors in the first place.

There are settings in the Preferences under Auto Save. Check those.

Auto save also saves current project

If you open an auto save you need to adjust the path as soon as the project is open.

Except for on  my laptop, I never put the auto-saves on the same drive as my 'normal' project files. Call me paranoid if you will, but ... if that drive crashes, I want my autosaves elsewhere. I know there are reasons one chooses to do otherwise, but still ... I wouldn't trust that.

Now ... Premiere always lists the file-tree for the project file along with the name at the top of the app. Right now, top of my laptop's Premiere window ... Adobe Premiere Pro 2020 - C\Adobe Projects\NAB2018\DEMO ML_1.prproj.

If I open up the auto-save, the displayed file-tree is different. I learned some time ago, when they first allowed mulitple projects to be open, to simply check that line routinely. Saved me a ton of time re-sorting messed up projects. So even though the tab name in the Project file panel looks the same, you can quickly tell which project you're in by location glancing up.

And if I need to go to an auto-save version, I copy that to the folder my 'normal' project files live in for that project, rename it incrementally as noted below, and continue on. There's no rabbit-hole to fall into.

But mainly ... I learned quite some years back to do the iterative save-as process routinely. So I'll work a project, get to a major step, save-as/incremental, and continue in that new incrementally named project. Thanks to Ann Bens, Jim Simon, shooternz and several other users here who did similar things.

I can't replicate the troubles getting it to save ... nor crash at the moment.

Check to see if save-as works properly for you. If nothing else, that keeps it going on forward.

Neil

Nothing is saving but it's saving a backup file of the same name ... hey, I know you're upset, but I can't make any sense of this post.

Where do you have it set to save auto-saves? And is that what you're talking about, the auto-saves?

Or ... what?

Neil