HELP! 20 hour Project opened fine, Opened it 5 minutes later and it cant find any of my .jpg media

MikeB

Newbie Location: Southern California Joined: May 17, 2009 23:05 Messages: 22 Offline

Solved by

May 27, 2010 02:43

Please HELP!

Spent the money for phone support and they don't have a clue!
Spent 2 hours on the phone and gave them all the details and dxdiag file.
Escalated to high level tech support and supervisor with no answers
Waste of $30.00

I have a new install of PD8 on a Dell laptop. I have been creating Slide Show video projects using many .JPG graphics for a few months. All has worked flawlessly and I have been very happy with version 8 and had many other problems with version 7 on a previous install.

Here is the problem:

I have a project that I have spent over 20 hours creating and again I will say that all has worked perfectly.
I have burned DVD's and produced the final video in a high quality AVI file.

I opened the project which was last saved a month ago based on the modified date and simply wanted to make a Snapshot of a slide. It opened fine and I created the snapshot. I then closed the project without saving it because there was no need.

I decided that I wanted another Snapshot of a different slide and re-opened the same file a few minutes later and I get a prompt trying to find the .JPG media with none of the names that are in my media library.
It is trying to find files with date and time naming in the C:\Documents and Settings\MBlaa\Application Data\CyberLink\PowerDirector\8.0\photoTmp folder which is empty.

Here is a sample of the filename it is looking for: 2010-04-22-14-42-34(0).jpg

I have searched my entire computer for a name as this with no results. When I say ingnore all to the errors, the project opens with all of my audio, PIP images, transitions, etc. but every slide that was a .JPG is now black. This is the same problem as if the media is no longer available at the specified location such as deleting files or remaning a directory that the files were in originally. My .JPG files have not changed from there original location!

I have viewed the .PDS file in Notepad and noticed a difference between other files that seem to work fine. This projects .PDS file has a duplicate enrty for every .JPG pointing to the "photoTmp" folder with all of the files named the same as my example above.

Cyberlink says that I have to start over and create this project again!

Is there anyone out there techie enough to help me figure out how to edit my .PDS file and make it work without having to create it all over again?

CubbyHouseFilms

Senior Contributor Location: Melbourne, Australia Joined: Jul 14, 2009 04:23 Messages: 2208 Offline

May 27, 2010 03:30

Hi

I'm not sure how to 'find' the missing JPEGs but can you copy the DVD folders (Audio and Video) back to your computer and take a snapshot of the part that you wanted?

Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
CubbyHouseFilms
My Youtube Channel
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MikeB

Newbie Location: Southern California Joined: May 17, 2009 23:05 Messages: 22 Offline

May 27, 2010 04:01

Thank you for your reply!
The snapshot is the least of my problems and I created one in Photoshop that was pretty close to what I needed.

Hopefully a programmer geek that knows this software can help. Maybe someone from Cyberlink can help if anyone there cares to. Please!

CubbyHouseFilms

Senior Contributor Location: Melbourne, Australia Joined: Jul 14, 2009 04:23 Messages: 2208 Offline

May 27, 2010 04:11

Hi

If you have already "I have burned DVD's and produced the final video in a high quality AVI file. " You can import this into PD and re-do the bit that you need. All is not lost.

Happing editing

Best Regards

Neil
CubbyHouseFilms
My Youtube Channel
My Vimeo Channel
PD3.5, 5, 6 & 7. Computer: Dell Dimension 5150, Intel Pen. 2.80 GHz, 2GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 256MB, Windows XP Pro!!
PD8 Ultra v3022. Computer: Dell Studio 1747, Intel, i7 Q740 1.73 GHz, 8GB RAM, ATI Mob. Radeon HD 560v 1GB, Windows 7 Ult. 64
PD10 Ultra v2023. Computer: HP Pavilion dv7, Intel, i7 2630 2.00 GHz, 8GB RAM, ATI Mob. Radeon HD 6770 2GB, Windows 7 Pre. 64
PD12 Ultra v2930. Computer: HP Pavilion dv7, Intel, i7 2630 2.00 GHz, 8GB RAM, ATI Mob. Radeon HD 6770 2GB, Windows 7 Pre. 64
PD13 Ultim v3516. Computer: HP Pavilion dv7, Intel, i7 2630 2.00 GHz, 8GB RAM, ATI Mob. Radeon HD 6770 2GB, Windows 7 Pre. 64
PD16 Live v2101 Computer: HP Pavilion dv7, Intel, i7 2630 2.00 GHz, 16GB RAM, ATI Mob.Radeon HD 6770 2GB, Windows 7 Pre. 64
Director Suite 6: PowerDirector 16 Live, PhotoDirector 9, ColorDirector 6, AudioDirector 8

Cameras: Sony(s) HXR-NX5P, HXR-NX70P, NEX-VG10E, a6300 4k, HDR TG5E, GoPro 4 Black, Canon 6D DSLR

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MikeB

Newbie Location: Southern California Joined: May 17, 2009 23:05 Messages: 22 Offline

May 27, 2010 04:45

Hi Neil

You are correct that you can import the AVI video into a project and all is not lost.

However, I have 88 .JPG slides, some with Magic Motion and transitions between each slide and text that corresponds to the audio track with effects on the text.

What if I just want to change the text and maybe I dont like that motion on a slide. Maybe I need to replace/change just the .JPG with another, and so on.

It would be nice if I could use my original file and then make a new high quality AVI file or burn another DVD again after a few quick changes.

Does anyone have a concern as to why this problem has occoured and if it can happen to your project?

vn800rider

Senior Contributor Location: Darwen, UK Joined: May 15, 2008 04:32 Messages: 1949 Offline

May 27, 2010 05:00

It is possible to edit your .pds file using a plain text editor - however you should take one or more backups of the original for security.

Such editing has variable success in that I have successfully tried it but another user could not get the file edited successfully.

In essence the .pds uses hard address referencing, so as you have surmised it now appears to reference one or more non existing files.

The key will be to replace the wrong file reference with the right one - theoretically fairly straightforward but the last user to have a similar problem did not manage to get a successful outcome, I am not 100% sure why.

PM me if you need to discuss it further.

Cheers
Adrian Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
Confucius
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Cap'n Kevin

Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline

May 27, 2010 07:46

Adrian,

Would the Auto Save folder be a potential location for salvaging an useable pds file for his recovery efforts?
I attached the location of the folder where the auto save files are stored and the preference setting location for others that might be interested.
Clickable Thumbnail

Regards,

Kevin

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 27. 2010 07:48

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MikeB

Newbie Location: Southern California Joined: May 17, 2009 23:05 Messages: 22 Offline

May 27, 2010 13:23

Hi Kevin and Adrian,

I have located 7 of the same named files in the backup folder with different dates ranging a few days apart for about a month. I also backup my drive to 2 external backup drives regularly.

Every one of the backup files error in this way when I open them. Every one of the files has coding in them pointing to C:\Documents and Settings\MBlaa\Application Data\CyberLink\PowerDirector\8.0\photoTmp.

The .PDS files seems to have coding pointing to the correct location for all of my .JPGs and then the same amount of coding lines pointing to the folder shown above.

I am not sure why the program decided to start erroring when opening my project but they all seem to have these incorrect code lines in them.

I took the latest file and made a copy of it. Opened it in Notepad and removed all of the code that points to this incorrect folder. It now has approx 88 lines of code that appear to have all of the .JPGs pointing to the correct folder locations.

When I open the file now it no longer errors. It also ignores all of the code that has the correct file locations and opend up with all of the slides black just like it did when it was erroring.

A very important question here is why are those incorrect entries in the file in the first place and how in the world was I able to work on this file over and over for 2 months if they all have this bad code.
What changed in the program to make it now decide to error with the same files it has been opening all along?

Regards,

Mike

Cap'n Kevin

Senior Contributor Location: Chebeague Island, Maine Joined: Dec 26, 2008 20:22 Messages: 2011 Offline

May 27, 2010 14:51

Hi MikeB,

I was having a little conversation with a Wales born friend regarding your problem...and I am sure that Adrian is putting his brain to work out a solution....

Here is an explanation regarding those files that had a pointer referencing them in the pds file:

If you were editing High Defintion video with Shadow editing files, Power Director generates and places a lower resolution working file in a specific folder for later use by your project.

Similarly, when using High resolution Pictures, Power Director creates a lower resolution copy of them and places them in the directory you said that PD8 made reference to. These are referenced in the pds file used by Power Director. So they are not an error...they are correctly referenced.

Every one of the files has coding in them pointing to C:\Documents and Settings\MBlaa\Application Data\CyberLink\PowerDirector\8.0\photoTmp.

There are other similar occurances of these "other" shadow files....Sound Wave creation files is another. These files are used to avoid having to regenerate the sound wave displayed on the timeline.

So I don't have an answer as to what the solution is to your current problem, but the reason that the file pointed to these files in the other folder were because they should have been all along. It wasn't an error that happened a couple of months ago. They were merely referencing the smaller working picture files needed by Power Director.

This is how I understand the information as it was discussed. I may not have all the facts correct but this is basically correct.

Kevin

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 27. 2010 14:52

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vn800rider

Senior Contributor Location: Darwen, UK Joined: May 15, 2008 04:32 Messages: 1949 Offline

May 27, 2010 14:59

I think you are probably right Kevin, I think that the previous user also had the shadows enabled but he couldn't find how the .pds file referenced that (to correct it) even when the shadows were switched off.

Without having the complete project, .pds and assets it's difficult to advise on editing the .pds. I tried editing the .pds for the other user but of course I can't test it so....

I seem to recall discussing the possibility of removing all the file address paths and just leaving the file names, altering the Pack= flag to "true" and placing the edited.pds and all the assets in a single folder to try to emulate a packed project but it proved not worthwhile for the other user and he redid his project - I think.

As to why PD fell over like this was not solved.

Cheers
Adrian

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 27. 2010 14:59

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
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James W

Senior Contributor Location: Lakeland, FL USA Joined: Aug 18, 2008 10:36 Messages: 911 Offline

May 27, 2010 16:14

Have you ever tried opening the pds.bak file which PD creates in case the original pds file gets corrupted? I think you will have to rename the .bak file for it to open.

When working with projects do you perform a pack project when completed?

Edit-----------

It was brought to my attention that PD8 may not make these .bak files like PD7 did. I've never had to use them so I just assumed that PD8 did. Someone with more experience with the .bak files will have to confirm one way or another.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at May 27. 2010 17:17

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MikeB

Newbie Location: Southern California Joined: May 17, 2009 23:05 Messages: 22 Offline

May 28, 2010 12:47

Hi All,

A quick update as to what I have tried.

Maybe the other entries in the .PDS that have the code looking for the .JPG files in the photoTmp folder is normal but it still doesnt explain why the folder is empty. No files have ever been created in the folder that I can tell.

James, the backup files in PD8 are not created the same location as PD7. They are in the folder C:\Documents and Settings\MBlaa\Application Data\CyberLink\PowerDirector\8.0\AutoSave. And yes I have tried to open every one of the backups for this project and the all do the same thing.

I usually pack the project when I am done with it but I never got a chance to with the project before it crashed.
Actually the project didn't crash because PD8 won't open any of them. PD8 seems to have changed some how.

Thanks for the help guys! This problem really needs to be answered by a Cyberlink programmer.

Mike

Dafydd B

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline

May 28, 2010 15:54

I realise this is a very basic question.

What happens when you:
Open a new project and with all your data on one internal drive import all the files again?
Use Ctrl+Shift+S and then save the project to a new pds.
Close PD8 down.
Reopen PD by clicking on the new pds file.
What displays?
Next, use the Ctrl+Shift+S (which locates your Export address, you've set in Preferences), and save the project to a new pds.
Make some changes to you project.
Now to change the option, go click on the Save icon in PD.
Close down PD afterwards.
Go find the new pds and reopen.
What's displayed?

Dafydd