Links to render files are lost AGAIN after Premiere Pro update

[ghpictures]

Upon updating to Pr Pro 2025 (both standard and beta versions), it has lost the connection to those 1200 render files in the Video Previews folder. It took nearly 10 hours to render my project timelines so I could work on my 4K edit without a lag (2019 Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz 8-Core Intel i9). Upon opening the Pr24 project file in Pr25, there is the standard requirement to save a new version, but there is never an option to reconnect to missing render files. Why should there be? Everything should point to the same place.

I had this issue when upgrading to Pr24, but temporarily moving the project (proj) file over to my desktop from my external editing drive fixed that. Subsequent projects retained links to render files, even if the .proj file was within the external drive's project folder with the Adobe files.

I've been on chat for nearly three hours now, walking two separate agents through the problem. Alas, just confusion and requests to access my computer which is just not an option after my last experience with that, plus being in violation of this client's NDA. They asked me to open an autosave file, resulting in Pr25 asking me to reconnect the render files. Perfect! But when the project fully opens, it's still a yellow bar. Maybe that will work for others.

I'm no software engineer, but an option in the Sequence menu to 'reconnect render files' would be mighty fine. I'm strongly considering moving over to Resolve for future projects. Time is money.

Anyone have a simple fix? Keep in mind that I'm not talking about thumbnail images. I'm talking about the rendered .mov files that magically turn that yellow timeline bar to green.

[MyerPj]

That would be a welcome feature to have a relink render files. Or even a try again to find them, if the first pass doesn't. 

What format are the render files in? There's another thread here that's been ongoing, dealing with ProRes files. Mostly it works for me, but there has been issues. PP wants to work on local drives, do you have drive letters mapped for your external drives? PC or Mac?

[ghpictures]

Mine are also ProRes 422 4K files. I do not have drive letters mapped -- at least I don't think so. Isn't that more of a Windows tactic? I'm on a Mac.

 

The other thread mentions render settings in Sequence Settings window. These are mine:

[MyerPj]

 I upvoted here, but suggest you put in a post over at  that thread, since @Kevin-Monahan has noted the bug report and is following it.

[MyerPj]

Here's another thread, it's got some upvotes already, but upvote both these, it's the big number up top left, near the thread title.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-bugs/some-prores-422-video-preview-files-lost-on-closing...

[PaulMurphy]

It sounds like using proxies might be a better approach for your workflow compared to relying on preview render files.

Proxies are much more stable and can save time since you only need to create them once, regardless of updates or file relocations.

Proxies are low-resolution versions of your media that make editing faster and smoother, especially with high-resolution footage.

For more information on setting up a proxy workflow, check out Adobe’s guide here: https://helpx.adobe.com/au/premiere-pro

[ghpictures]

Will do, Paul. Probably time I started doing that. Thanks.

[JonesVid]

With a fast PC and GPU, this should not be necessary surely?

Its another step in the 'Smart Rendering approach'.

I'm not saying Proxies shouldn't be used - BUT - Adobe need to solve this losing 'Pro Res render files' issue.

Its a bug in code that needs resolving.

[MyerPj]

Yes, proxies are needed. Sooner or later the video files overwhelm the hardware. Proxies are a way to circumvent that, and are a pleasure to work with in Premiere. ProRes proxies, or even Cineform are very good. The 'render files' issue should be fixed, it's what makes smart rendering possible, which is also very nice to work with. I think it's a timing issue. When pp is looking for the preview files, somethings not ready and causes it to miss files that are there and waiting, just waaitting... to be used. 🙂 There's a lot happening when a project is being loaded. Perhaps a manual button to look for missing render files could be added, thus used when things have calmed down? 

[JonesVid]

I think a mechanism to 're-link' lost Pro Res previews would be welcomed.

So frustrating when you can see the file there in Video Previews but can't relink it.

I can understand the logic of using proxies but at some point you have to render to Full resolution Pro Res Export - so all those previews have to be rendered so a longer wait?.

I tend to render small sections of the timeline as I go along so the final export is very quick....unless the previews are lost of course !!! 😞

No word or comment from Kevin Monahan ?? - I know he has limited influence on what Engineering are doing on this but we have no Adobe feedback at all. Support have gone quiet on me and don't respond.

Has anyone else raised an official support ticket on this lost Previews issue?

[PaulMurphy]

If you are working with preview files, I recommend disabling the 'Restore open sequences when opening projects' option. This can be done by navigating to Settings > Timeline. Turning this off may help preserve the links to render files when reopening your project.

[JonesVid]

Hi @PaulMurphy - thanks for this. In fact a few days ago I spotted a comment by Ann Bens to try disabling 'Restore open sequences when opening projects' . It does help reduce lost previews, which makes me think there is a timing issue on loading the project?.

I still have a high chance of losing Previews which involve Text and maybe some motion control, maybe using an MOGRT template.

I also lose regularly overlayed Transition Previews on Clip cuts, they are only short so easier to re-render but nonetheless it is irritating.

I'm now on Premiere Pro Version 25.0

[PaulMurphy]

Where are your previews saved?

[JonesVid]

I have a dedicated internal fast NVMe ssd 2TB which holds projects.

i store all previews and Auto saves plus Mogrt for the project in the project folder assigned.

I have experimented putting previews on other internal drives including C system NVMe drive which I didn't like anyway as all my C drive does is Windows 11 and Apps.

Previews get lost wherever they are placed.

Media Cache is on another separate internal NVMe ssd.

[PaulMurphy]

I’m not sure what’s causing the issue, but perhaps using Clip > Render and Replace could be a more dependable workaround?

[JonesVid]

I'll give the Clip>Render & Replace a go, but doesn't this amount to the same thing as rendering part of the timeline I have finished and having the 'flat' ProRes files stored in Video in Previews folder?.

You can save Clip>Render & Replace renders in a specific folder ( as I understand it) but I am not sure what this will gain thinking of how it works now.

The main thrust has to be for Adobe to fix the core problem. How long do they expect fee paying customers to put up with this ?.

An interim fix (as discussed above) would be to allow any 'missing links' to be re-linked.

The program start up must see the files missing as it gives the dreaded red line in the timeline.

I feel as if I am banging my head against the wall on this one.

Adobe engineering claim they cannot reproduce the problem. There are enough users logging the fact they have the issue and Senior Adobe support did 2 remote sessions on my PC and saw this happening.

[PaulMurphy]

Clip > Render and Replace generates a new media file that is added to the Project panel, allowing you to relink it if it becomes offline.

[JonesVid]

Thanks for that.

OK - this makes more sense now. Its basically what I have been doing manually for preview files that get consistently lost where I turn the preview into a media project asset.

i must admit, I'd never looked into Render and Replace so this might ease some pain.

in the meantime I am chasing support on the case I opened on lost previews months ago.

I've never had any follow up on the lost previews files they observed in real time during remote log in sessions.

More users need to open official support cases if they experience lost previews. Adobe will not take any notice of what gets said on this user to user community - you need to raise it officially and get a case reference.

[aeilea]

Not all the time, but some of the time, it is possible to go back to the most recent autosaves when the render files were connected. 

[MyerPj]

Does the 'most recent autosave' have significantly more connected render files? What I've seen is it's not the same missing render files each time I load a project, it's more at random.

[ghpictures]

My experiences have been all or nothing.

[MyerPj]

Oh, that's surprising. That's would be a total drag.

[JonesVid]

My experience has generally been random as per MyerPJ comments.

I did have one or two previews  that were consistently lost. One was a stock text title I used which had to keep being re-rendered

However, updating Premiere from 25.0 to 25.1 did lose all render file connections so had to render all the project again, even though all the preview files are still there. 

This problem will haunt me forever 🥹.