Loss of very important project files

[defaulte56lzycyvbhi]

Hi there, a few days ago I changed macs, I had a macbook pro and went for the Mac Mini M1. I used Time Machine to transfer my user's data to my new mac. However, I don't know how, some very important Adobe Premiere project files have disappeared in the process (all other data seem to have been successfully transferred). I already contacted Apple support but we couldn't find them, and they advised me to contact Adobe support, maybe you guys have some kind of server where we can retrieve lost files? Please help as this issue is very important for my work, and it contained hours of editing work...

Best,

Lucas

[Rag and Bone]

Do you have auto backup folders for those projects? If so, they should contain the second last versions of the projects.

If not, do you still have access to the Time Machine drive? You should be able to step back to a saved state with the projects.

[defaulte56lzycyvbhi]

I think I only have auto save, but everything related to this project is gone. It seems that all my project files that I created during the last 2-3 months have dispappeared. Since when I open Premiere Pro, the "recent files" that are presented to me for me to open are from 3 et 5 months ago, nothing more recent...

And strangely enough, I cannot find these files on my time machine, even at dates during which I worked on them.

[Rag and Bone]

Wow! I don't know how that could have happened. They weren't being saved to a different drive, were they?

[defaulte56lzycyvbhi]

Nope not the project files

[Averdahl]

It seems that all my project files that I created during the last 2-3 months have dispappeared. Since when I open Premiere Pro, the "recent files" that are presented to me for me to open are from 3 et 5 months ago, nothing more recent...

By @defaulte56lzycyvbhi

Mind you that Open Recent will only show the recent project files if they are still on the same harrdrive/drive letter/folder. For example, if i create a project on D:\folder and close Premiere Pro i can find the project under Open Recent next time i use Premiere Pro. But, if i move the file to D:\Hemispheres or move it to H:\folder you will not find the project in Open Recent. This is very important to know. Premiere Pro does never delete the project files but they do disappear under some circumstances but the files are still on the dard drive/s.

To find them: Use any file browser such as Explorer or Finder and do a search for *.prproj

All Premiere Pro project files do end with .prproj so that´s what you want to look for.

[defaulte56lzycyvbhi]

Ok thanks for the info I did not know that about Open Recent. I've already looked my files up on finder but will try again with .prproj

Thanks a lot for your help

[Richard van den Boogaard]

Unfortunately, I cannot give you any advise on how to retrieve your assets.

However, I have never ever relied on cloud solutions for backing up / archiving project files or related assets. Although cloud solutions sound great, you're only really relying on storing your valuable files on someone else's computer... (in this case Apple's). But they take no responsibility whatsoever if it ever goes wrong...

Instead, I have used the following system: buy two external HDDs and start copying each project file and all (and I mean ALL) included assets to a dedicated project folder on both your working drive and the external drives. Every night, after finishing your day's work of editing, synchronise the working drive with the external drives (I use Total Commander for PC for this). When the project is finished, you only have to synchronise a final time to both drives and then you can erase the working drive and you have an instant archive.

Why two drives? Because a single drive may fail. The likelihood of two drives failing at the same time is very slim.

I hope you do manage to retrieve your assets somehow, but please, please adopt your own back-up strategies from now on...

[defaulte56lzycyvbhi]

Hi Richard, thanks for your return. Yes that s how I ve been working, with two hard-drives, but I only copied the video and sound rushes not the project files... I guess I ll copy both from now on...

Best,

Lucas

[Michael Grenadier]

have you done a system-wide search for your project name?  sometimes autosaves go to an unexpected location usually the result of operator error (don't get offended, I've been guilty of this).  Gotta disagree with Richard about backing up my projects via the cloud.  I keep my premiere projects in a folder on my startup drive which is automatically backed up to dropbox.  I work on 3 different computers (1 windows and 2 macs) and this way my projects are available on any of these machines.  I keep my autosaves on my media drive so I'm keeping my project file on 3 different locations.  Never had an issue with lost projects...    Can't say it couldn't happen, but this workflow seems pretty secure.

[defaulte56lzycyvbhi]

hi thanks for your answer, yep i ve done a lot of system wide searches; on both macs and on my time machines.

I ll try with .prproj as advised Richard and see if anything pops up..

Thanks for your help anyway 🙂