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r2_7278
Participant
November 8, 2025
Answered

Project won’t open – “The project appears to be damaged” error (Premiere Pro Beta)

  • November 8, 2025
  • 11 replies
  • 2162 views

Hi everyone,

I’ve been working on a large video project (over 1 hour long) in Adobe Premiere Pro Beta for almost two weeks. Suddenly, when I try to open the project, I get this error message:

“The project appears to be damaged. It cannot be opened.”

Here’s what I’ve already tried:

  • Opening multiple auto-saved versions → same error appears.

  • Copying the project and opening it on a different computer → same error.

  • Trying to open the project in the main (stable) version of Premiere Pro → it says

    “This project was saved in a newer version of Adobe Premiere Pro and cannot be opened in this version.”

So at this point, I can’t open the project in Beta or the main version.

Has anyone encountered this before, or is there any possible way to recover or repair a damaged project file from the Premiere Pro Beta?

Any help would mean a lot — this is a big project and I’d really like to avoid starting over. 

Thanks in advance!

    Correct answer Yori X

    UPDATE. Found the issue, at least for my files. There is definitely a bug in the Beta version that is corrupting every save file. 

     

    Here is my troubleshooting log:

    1. Unzipped .prproj with 7ip
    2. Renamed resulting file with .XML
    3. Opened file in XML Validator Buddy and found 23 <> errors (this is a missing parameter name error)

      Bolded snippet I deleted for each occurrence:
      <AudioClip ObjectID="120520" ClassID="b8830d03-de02-41ee-84ec-fe566dc70cd9" Version="8">
      <Clip Version="18">
      <Node Version="1">
      <Properties Version="1">
      <>-21.2545948029</>
      <asl.clip.label.color>19005</asl.clip.label.color>
      <asl.clip.label.name>BE.Prefs.LabelColors.11</asl.clip.label.name>


    4. In Notepad++: searched <> and delete the full line
    5. Saved XML
    6. 7-Zip Add to archive: gzip, Ultra, named the archive with .prproj
    7. Opened file with Premiere Beta,  OH MAN IT OPENED! Everything plays fine, all media loaded. 
    8. Saved as a new file
    9. Opened saved file. IT CORRUPTED AGAIN.

      So something in this beta version is saving corrupted properties?


      ANYWAY. Hopefully this is a quick fix for adobe team. Just needs to search file for empty <> tags and replace with standard? I don't know, I am not a programmer. 

      However, With the technique above, I can open all of my prior save files. Probably a good idea to export a plain old XML once you open your own project just to save your edits at least. 

      @r2_7278 
      I went ahead and did the same thing I did for my project file with yours. I was able to open it up with premiere pro beta without issue. See file attached. 





    11 replies

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    Bruce Bullis
    Community Manager
    Bruce BullisCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    November 8, 2025

    We can make absolutely no promises, and...I've DM'd you my email address, so you can send us the project. 

    [Do you have any auto-saves that DO open? If so, send those too]

    R
    r2_7278Author
    Participant
    November 9, 2025

    Hi, Thank you for the reply. But I did not get your email address.
    Any help is highly appreciated because 2 weeks of edit just gone.
    And there is no auto save file that opens. all the auto saves have the same issue.

     

    Anyway I have attached the file here.

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