PD "hard codes " the file addresses so, say if you imported from an external drive G: and now that is unavailable or has been assigned a drive letter H: then PDcannot find the resources you originally used and replaces them with black.

You "should" (but not always!!) get a "browse, ignore, ignore all" message when the .pds file is opened. Choose browse and then manually point to the appropriate file location for each/all files and the .pds file should then find them.

Cheers
Adrian Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
Confucius
AMD Phenom IIX6 1055T, win10, 5 internal drives, 7 usb drives, struggling power supply.

GrampyPeter: As Adrien has pointed out, PD9 can't place source media files it can't find in the Media Library. A good practice is to place all of your media files in a folder on your primary hard drive where PD9 is located. In fact, I use its default location: C:\USERS\NAME\MY DOCUMENTS\CYBERLINK\POWERDIRECTOR\9.0.

You will avoid all kinds of problems, like "sleeping" external hard drives and other issues, by keeping your media files nice and safe and together on the primary hard drive. Once you are done your project for good, you can move them to a storage drive, but if you later decide you want to work on your project, copy all your files back to the PD9 working directory.

Alternately, you can, at the end of your project, File, Export, Pack Your Project and PD9 will place all of the files associated to that project into a folder that you can move to an external drive if you want for long term storage. Just bring back that folder when you want to work on the project again.

Hope this helps and have a great day.

Regards,
-Phil Windows 10 Pro x64
Dell XPS 8930
Intel CoreT i7 (4.6 GHz)
32 GB DDR4-2666 RAM
1 TB PCIe -x4 SSD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
PD14 Ultimate x64, 4207
CD4 Ultra and AD6 Ultra
Bleeping Computer Malware Response Instructor

When you get this.... don't panic unless you have deleted the pictures/video you originally used.

All it is telling you that it did not find the file in the location you last used it. If you know that your video/pic still is on your system somewhere, all you have to do is select the browse button, go find it. (or them however many it has lost.)

After you have found everything and are back in the edit window, save your project and it will set all your file locations again.

I go through this all the time as I am constantly moving things around. The only time it will bite you is if you have deleted that file, then guess what.....

I NEVER keep any data on my C drive, it is all on my D and other drives. A sleeping hard drive will bring the same error as pointed out earlier.

But the safest way to make sure your "stuff" does not go away is to Pack your project materials, then everything you used is saved in it's own folder. That's everything that was in your library whether you actually made it a part of your timeline project or not. Including all your edit stuff as it keeps the pds file there too.
Go to file.... export...... pack project file.... and tell it where you want to save it, and it will always be there. But you need to pack everything before you exit PD9 to maintain it.


__________________________________________
Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

CyberLink PowerDirector 10 Tutorials
PDtoots PowerDirector Tutorials

**NOTICE**
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DXDIAG Link

Thanks for replies.
I have all my source images in a folder on my C drive. I don't think I moved the source image folder but I could be wrong...old age I guess.

I now have them all in my Media Room.
I no longer get the message "An error occurred trying to open this media file" but it still does not open the images to my timeline.
My timeline is black (see screen shot) and all timing info is shown for each image.
I had edited the length of virtually all of my images.
If I drag one of the images froom the Media Room to it's place on the timeline it does not fit. It is it's original size.
Is there a way to tell where the timeline image locations are looking for the missing images? i.e. what folder location on the C drive. If I have to manually reinsert and adjust the images I'll chalk this video up as a learning experience and move on. I have a DVD of the video, I just wanted to tweek some things.

I fixed it.
The error message had the answer.
I had the wrong folder name that contained my images.
Don't know how that happened but as I said earlier....old age is scaring me.
BUT, thanks for the info you gave me about packing a finished project. I was not aware of that.
AND, I will be sure to bring all images in to the Media Room, not left in a stray folder.
Blessings to the experts on the Forum.