lost PDS file

BillHansen

Senior Member Joined: Jan 03, 2012 12:43 Messages: 178 Offline

Solved by

Mar 02, 2012 08:17

I think I've permanently lost an edited video, but maybe someone here knows how to recover it.

Several days ago I completed a short video and made both AVCHD and DVD versions. Somehow the finished versions, along with the original mts files, have been deleted from the computer's HD. However, there's a .pds backup file from one of the last versions of the edited clip (I know it's a version of the missing video because the title is correct and when I import it into PD 10 all the clips appear in the time line - but they're all blank black spaces].

I thought I could open that backup lds file - but when I go to File/Open Project and choose the pds in question, I get the error message "an error occurred trying to open this file". The error message identifies the file is identified as an .MTS file. I get the choice to "Ignore all", which appears to bring up the edited clips in the time line of PD 10 I remember the number of clips and their approximate length, so I'm sure they once were a version of the lost video. But when I try to view or play any of the clips, all that's available is a blank screen with white dots at the edges, as if the clip were going to be cropped. If I click the preview playback arrow, the white dots go away but playback is only a blank black screen.

FWIW, other .pds files open and play normally.

None of the missing clips appear in the Win 7 Recycle bin. I think I've lost that video. Does anyone have some magic for me?

Bill Hansen - with a very embarrassed red face right now Bill Hansen

BarryTheCrab

Senior Contributor Location: USA Joined: Nov 06, 2008 22:18 Messages: 6240 Offline

Mar 02, 2012 10:59

Did you move the original images/video/content?
The black-box is a classic sign of moving files around mid-project.
The pds is actually just a notepad file of instructions telling PowerDirector where to find your files on your harddrives, where to place them in the timeline, and any fx, titles, etc you may have added. It neither moves nor deletes the actual files.
So, did you move the original content? HP Envy Phoenix/4thGen i7-4770(4@3.4GHz~turbo>3.9)
Nvidia GTX 960(4GB)/16GB DDR3/
Canon Vixia HV30/HF-M40/HF-M41/HF-G20/Olympus E-PL5.
Tape capture using 6 VCR, TBC-1000, Elite BVP4+, Sony D8 camcorder with TBC.
https://www.facebook.com/BarryAFTT

BillHansen

Senior Member Joined: Jan 03, 2012 12:43 Messages: 178 Offline

Mar 02, 2012 11:51

Barry -

Once the video was produced, I didn't move any of the files. The only explanation I can think of for why they would have disappeared is that I might have recorded over them when doing a subsequent video.

Unfortunately, I've had the habit of *moving* the original MTS files from the camcorder to the computer HD, rather than copying them - so the originals are gone from the camcorder too.

I keep two incremental backups of all image files, but they are done every night, so even the backups are gone.

It seemed strange that the backup pds file came into the time line and looked like all the clips were there, until I tried to view or play the content.

Looks like I'm out of luck. It's not a tragedy, but I hate to be so careless.

Bill Bill Hansen

Bubba in TX

Senior Contributor Location: Central Texas Joined: Dec 12, 2009 21:32 Messages: 1332 Offline

Mar 02, 2012 12:44

Your conundrum has been visited many times in these forums. Normally your saved pds file would not be overwritten. If you move or delete anything form your saved project you will get the situation you encounter. Here is just but one of many threads about the "missing stuff" situation.

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/21619.page __________________________________________
Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

CyberLink PowerDirector 10 Tutorials
PDtoots PowerDirector Tutorials

**NOTICE**
When you are asked to provide a DXDIAG you go the following link and do part "B". Your posted specs are NOT what we are looking for as they tell us nothing. The specs on the box of your computer mean nothing. The DXDIAG shows us how your computer is configured as it runs.

DXDIAG Link

BillHansen

Senior Member Joined: Jan 03, 2012 12:43 Messages: 178 Offline

Mar 02, 2012 15:30

Bubba -

Thanks for the link to that thread. I have been packing projects, and I think I must have overwritten the packed project that I lost.

The other thread also reminded me to keep all current projects on the C drive, a very helpful tip. I had planned to move all video folders to an external drive, but I'll only move those which I don't think I'll work on any time soon. When I want to use parts of those projects again, I'll save myself some trouble if I move them back to the C drive again. Good tips!!

Bill Bill Hansen

Bubba in TX

Senior Contributor Location: Central Texas Joined: Dec 12, 2009 21:32 Messages: 1332 Offline

Mar 03, 2012 14:36

Bill....

All of my project files are always on drives other then my C drive.... I never have a problem with that.... I even use USB drive docking stations (2 of them) that lets me use all my old IDE drives and my newer SATA drives and it hot swappable... both docking stations will do 3.5 and 5 inch IDE/SATA drives. I have a few 3,5 drives laying around too... No need to toss them....

I have 5 SATA drives always connected two internal, 3 USB 3.0), and with the docking stations I have another 15 hard drives I can use. Some as little as 80 gig (older IDE) , but that will still hold a lot of backup files...

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 03. 2012 14:39

__________________________________________
Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

CyberLink PowerDirector 10 Tutorials
PDtoots PowerDirector Tutorials

**NOTICE**
When you are asked to provide a DXDIAG you go the following link and do part "B". Your posted specs are NOT what we are looking for as they tell us nothing. The specs on the box of your computer mean nothing. The DXDIAG shows us how your computer is configured as it runs.

DXDIAG Link