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whatevoh
Participating Frequently
October 27, 2018
Question

Missing Media Files for These Clips

  • October 27, 2018
  • 5 replies
  • 4480 views

After 2 days of editing and my video at 99% completion, most of my audio files have gone missing.

I'm a constant 'saver'. Saved my project repeatedly. Upon re-opening my project I get this message:

Now, I've closed and opened Premiere many times during the last 48 hours and NOT had this happen. I have NOT deleted any files or renamed any folders so I can't fathom why these audio files would suddenly go missing. I did a search for the missing files and they are not to be found anywhere.

If I can't somehow figure out what went wrong and fix it, my only choice is to waste an entire day re-editing the video. The scary thing is I could do that and this could happen again.

I did a search for one of the files on my entire computer and the only reference that came up was a matching.pek in the P:\Premiere Cache\Peak Files folder. This gives me a worrying suspicion that my audio files were living in a temporary Premiere cache which maybe auto deletes after a set period.

Can anyone save me from jumping off a bridge?

Thanks in advance

Gavin

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    5 replies

    S
    Shipra38435319a6i9
    Participant
    July 5, 2024

    Hi guys. It just worked for me. Not sure if you tried this. I tried clicking on "Offline all" and it just opened my files. Also not sure if this works for you.  Hope it works for you. Good luck. 

    S
    Shipra38435319a6i9
    Participant
    July 5, 2024

    What a timing on this post. I am facing this since I got back and subscribed for CC cloud. Earlier I had locally installed Premier that never ever had any issue. I always loved premier and had been using for ages. But now this is shocking me that everytime time I save a project file, save it, close and when try opening it I get the same message.  My only solution is that I can't close premier. But sometimes I need to work on other mini projects finish and get back to my previous. In that case accidently if I close the current one. Thats it. I have lost it. 

    T
    Todd Carnley
    Participant
    February 11, 2020

    Same thing happened to me today.  I really wish I could figure out what happened because this is killing me

      jchapoteau
      jchapoteau
      Participant
      August 18, 2023

      Same here. Like, all of the raw footage is just gone. The folder is completely empty. Did Premiere delete my files? That's what it's looking like. 

      R Neil Haugen
      R Neil Haugen
      Legend
      August 18, 2023

      Is this in Finder or Explorer? Or looking for them within Premiere's Project panel or MediaBrowser?

       

      As it has rarely deleted clips on disc. That was only one version a couple years back.

       

      But Premiere has a "hide files" capability and keyboard shortcut, which people have at times invoked without knowing and/or intending to do. And at times, it's had tussles with the OS, and suddenly some files within or touched by Premiere get 'hidden' by the OS.

       

      Both are really, really annoying.

       

      So ... if this in a Premiere project panel, try ... right-click/Show Hidden ... and this is just a guessin' hope.

      Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      M
      Meg The Dog
      Inspiring
      October 27, 2018

      The Link Media window shows a column with File Path, this is where Premiere expected to find the files and did not. If you navigate to that destination, what files are there?

      MtD

      W
      whatevohAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      October 27, 2018

      The files that live there are the original source MP4 files and a few wav files that survived the mystery purge. The actual files that the Missing Media window are looking for and completely vanished without my permission.

      M
      Meg The Dog
      Inspiring
      October 28, 2018

      Open an earlier autosave of the project. Do the files appear linked in that earlier version of the project?

      MtD

      R Neil Haugen
      R Neil Haugen
      Legend
      October 27, 2018

      Premiere only references the original file locations ... it never moves or changes the original files.

      This kind of thing can happen when there's a bit of corruption in the project file or cache/cache database files.

      First thing ... check in your preferences and project settings dialogs for where the cache and media cache database files 'live' on disc. Close PrPro. Use Finder/Explorer to go to those folders, and delete everything in them.

      Reboot ... launch PrPro to this project. Give it a few minutes to rebuild cache files as needed, and see if that fixes the problem.

      Neil

      Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      W
      whatevohAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      October 27, 2018

      Hi Neil,

      I'm afraid that failed. I've done this before and it worked in one other project but not with this.

      I wonder if repeatedly editing a file in Audition (via Premiere) moves the audio file to some other cache location? Regardless, those audio files no longer exist. I've scoured my hard drive, recycle bin, even memory card in case I did something stupid like import the file from there and not the copy on my HD. Those files are GONE and I did not move, edit or delete them.

      If you look at this file name 'GOPR1711-hiding-from-lightening-copy Audio Extracted Audio Extracted Audio Extracted Audio Extracted.wav' is shows 'Extracted Audio' mentioned 3 times.

      I'm now terrified of spending more time working with Premiere if this happens again.

      It seems my only option now is to re-edit from scratch. Is there a way to rebuild the audio from the original source MP4 clip like Premiere did in the first place?

      The bridge is calling. I may jump.

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