Premiere Pro no longer can open a multi-year project file

[jerryf7739771]

I have lost almost a week of work and may have lost MANY MONTHS of work because the app no longer can load up my project that was working up until 8 days ago.

Adobe created a NEW project, comprised of XML files exported from the old project (which cannot be opened in Premiere Pro). So, I've lost transitions, many effects, and other decisions.

I find this infuriating. I have used virtually all editing software, starting as a ~1983 Beta tester for Montage, George Lukas' attempt at a NLE, which had multiple Betamax machines playing back shots from multiple complete copies of footage. I have recently used Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve and, of course, Premiere Pro. NEVER have I had a problem of this magnitude. And yet, I pay my Adobe bill each month.

Can Adobe fix its own problem? At this point, I am not encouraged.

[R Neil Haugen]

Sadly, after reading your post, I have no idea what happened. You're unhappy, but as to what happened, no clue.

[jerryf7739771]

A complex project with many effects, sequences, and source files, cannot be opened or used. Only a NEW project, in which many settings are no longer the same, CAN be opened, but I am left having to diagnose for myself what the changes may be. Adobe tech support gave me a "report" which lists the changes but without information about where the changes are in the project. Suffice to say, it is not easy to diagnose a problem with a clip in a sequence when the source clip itself is OK.

I

[R Neil Haugen]

You didn't have a backup of that all-important project file? Recent saves, save-as, save-a-copy, even auto-saves?

[jerryf7739771]

I have many backup files but none of the recent ones can be opened. I suppose I could go back in time and I will find one that can, but this wouldn't get me back to my current project.

[R Neil Haugen]

No recent ones open, wow. Wonder what the hay why?

[MyerPj]

I have a 2017 project I've been opening in each new addition of PP. It's a multicam project with proxies, ae links, etc, it keeps opening and working fine. The only issue I seem to be happening recently, is all projects take a long time to open. PP gets to the home screen, then I pick a project and wait... (and wait...). But for this thread, they do keep opening (and saving as a new version when they do, etc...)

I'm not sure what you are saying about the xml's? Are you sure you are opening a .prproj? Did you try opening premiere alone, (by using the normal pp icon, ie: not a .prproj file) and then file open and pick your .prproj.

Any other hints you can give us now that the emotional stuff is ebbing.. 🙂

[jerryf7739771]

Based on literally hours of tech support calls and conversations, I am convinced that the current version of premiere has issues with very slow opening of projects and that there are others who have had my issue of a project that simply cannot be opened. The Adobe technician who was able to finally open the project and then subsequently export all of the bins by creating XML files used A beta version of premiere to open the file as an interim step. Presumably, he was able to edit the actual PRPROJ file using Textedit. I was also told that a foreth coming version of premiere pro to be released in the next month or two should prevent the issue from happening again.