It is possible that the loaded projects were saved with the same name of the previous project by using save as… instead of save in a rush. The project is gone forever. There is a default autosave that you can go to the folder using windows file explorer, sort by date, and recover it, and then save it to the normal location with the correct unique name you choose. You have to remember the dates and times for this to work.

Quote It is possible that the loaded projects were saved with the same name of the previous project by using save as… instead of save in a rush. The project is gone forever. There is a default autosave that you can go to the folder using windows file explorer, sort by date, and recover it, and then save it to the normal location with the correct unique name you choose. You have to remember the dates and times for this to work.

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated Tomasc.
As recommended by Cyberlink Youtube tutorial, I use Save Project As. I do use the same name but add a number as I save.
Tried the Autosave folder but couldn't find it. As it was edited over 3 weeks I don't actually have dates and times. Would it not still be there if I didn't have this information?
I've never used any back up before but looks like that is what I'll do now to lessen the risk of losing Projects.
Thanks
Mike

The default PD19 autosave folder location is C:\Users\[your_username]\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\19.0\AutoSave.

Open Windows File explorer. Click the View tab. You may need to check Hidden items, File name extensions, and choose Details to make it easier to find all this.

Quote The default PD19 autosave folder location is C:\Users\[your_username]\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\19.0\AutoSave.

Open Windows File explorer. Click the View tab. You may need to check Hidden items, File name extensions, and choose Details to make it easier to find all this.

Hi Tomasc.
Thanks again for reply.
I've tried this a good few times to no avail. The only difference is when I do it, after PowerDirector\19 there is Cache before Autosave, but I'm sure there's no difference.
It looks very much like I will have to do it all over again.
Could you recommend the best way to back-up my Projects?
Thanks
Mike

Quote
Hi Tomasc.
Thanks again for reply.
I've tried this a good few times to no avail. The only difference is when I do it, after PowerDirector\19 there is Cache before Autosave, but I'm sure there's no difference.
It looks very much like I will have to do it all over again.
Could you recommend the best way to back-up my Projects?
Thanks
Mike

Post the exact full path that you are saving your pds projects in. To me, it almost sounds like you are using a volatile area that gets cleaned, PD can do that at date intervals.

Cache areas especially can be very volatile.

Jeff

Quote

Post the exact full path that you are saving your pds projects in. To me, it almost sounds like you are using a volatile area that gets cleaned, PD can do that at date intervals.

Cache areas especially can be very volatile.

Jeff

Hi Jeff.
Thanks for reply. The path is -

C:\Users\Big Wullie\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\19.0\Cashe\AutoSave

I save my projects to an external drive, 4TB Seagate - D:\ - with my AutoSave changed yesterday to D:\VIV Wed folder 1.2.3.
as I read on these forums to have the SaveProjectAs in a different folder.



Hope this helps.
Thanks
Mike

Quote I save my projects to an external drive, 4TB Seagate - D:\ - with my AutoSave changed yesterday to D:\VIV Wed folder 1.2.3.
as I read on these forums to have the SaveProjectAs in a different folder.

In original post,
"I finished the first 2 and started on the third. As I finished the third I went to put the other two onto DVDs. They had gone. They were there when I looked and when I went to load them they disappeared."

If you claim your pds project disappears and is no longer saved and available on your external 4TB drive to read back into PD, I find that hard to believe a PD issue.

Jeff

Quote

In original post,
"I finished the first 2 and started on the third. As I finished the third I went to put the other two onto DVDs. They had gone. They were there when I looked and when I went to load them they disappeared."

If you claim your pds project disappears and is no longer saved and available on your external 4TB drive to read back into PD, I find that hard to believe a PD issue.

Jeff

I have over 10 years video editing experience in Adobe Premiere 6.5. Never had any problems with missing Projects.
I saved regular onto the external drive. The projects were there when I started the last one.
When I had finished and went to load the early ones which I could see. They then disappeared.
I re-edited them and made a couple of adjustments recommended on here. The same happened to the third project.
Yes I should have archived them. But I would say that usually I would expect a 'professional' video editing software to at least delete them to the Recycle bin.
It is most definitely a PD issue. I admit some ignorance in my achive method (which I have now rectified).
I save everything meticulously.

Mike

It is possible for the external hard drive letter to change from D to E or F when accessing a flash or other external optical drives and then connecting that external hard drive. PD19 then may want to write to the wrong or nonexistent drive or folder location. I have never tried this possibility. That lost pds file may exist on a usb flash drive.

Quote


I have over 10 years video editing experience in Adobe Premiere 6.5. Never had any problems with missing Projects.
I saved regular onto the external drive. The projects were there when I started the last one.
When I had finished and went to load the early ones which I could see. They then disappeared.
I re-edited them and made a couple of adjustments recommended on here. The same happened to the third project.
Yes I should have archived them. But I would say that usually I would expect a 'professional' video editing software to at least delete them to the Recycle bin.
It is most definitely a PD issue. I admit some ignorance in my achive method (which I have now rectified).
I save everything meticulously.

Mike

Hi,

Just to try an approach from a diffreent direction - what happens if you File>Open Recent Projects? Are your projects listed there? You can also check the contents of the Recentfiles.ini [C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\19.0\UserConfigure]

The list can be extended to a maximum of 20 via Preferences>Project

You don't say exactly how you are calling up the recent projects, so trying to narrow down if they may be there but not visible for whatever reason?

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

For customer support related issues, please contact:
- Customer service: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/customer-services.do
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Quote It is possible for the external hard drive letter to change from D to E or F when accessing a flash or other external optical drives and then connecting that external hard drive. PD19 then may want to write to the wrong or nonexistent drive or folder location. I have never tried this possibility. That lost pds file may exist on a usb flash drive.

Once again Tomasc thanks for your patience.
I tried my flash drives as I use them to transfer files from my many tapes. But I knew it was a lost cause as I only transfer then remove them.
My 4TB Seagate is always hooked to the laptop. There is one thing I noticed and don't know if it is relevent or not, but some files are D:\D: rather than D; although they still load ok.
After watching a clip on Youtube I have now archived the other two projects to the internal hard drive and feel a lot more secure with that. I will do the same with the latest one I lost and continue in this manner.
I will search for the missing ones for a few days and if not found will carry on knowing that my Projects will be safe.

Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated and I thank you for your efforts.


Mike
Aberdeen
Scotland

Simply use windows file explorer (slow) or any other proper utility (fast) to search for all *.pds files on all your attached media. If PD pds file is available, it will be found by search.

Your path appears troubling, any chance you have used network UNC reference vs basic drive letter access?

Jeff

Quote


Hi,

Just to try an approach from a diffreent direction - what happens if you File>Open Recent Projects? Are your projects listed there? You can also check the contents of the Recentfiles.ini [C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\19.0\UserConfigure]

The list can be extended to a maximum of 20 via Preferences>Project

You don't say exactly how you are calling up the recent projects, so trying to narrow down if they may be there but not visible for whatever reason?

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

Hi Moderator.

File>Open Recent Projects - when I clicked on this the missing Project was listed in the middle of the rest. When I clicked on it, it disappeared and a box came up saying it had been moved, changed etc. It was there!!

Also tried over and over to find it in C:\User . . . . . It's not there.
I've been trying Open Recent Projects and Open Projects to no avail. Stumped.

If you can think of any other alternative I would be very grateful.

Thanks Moderator.

Mike
Aberdeen
Scotland

Quote


Hi Moderator.

File>Open Recent Projects - when I clicked on this the missing Project was listed in the middle of the rest. When I clicked on it, it disappeared and a box came up saying it had been moved, changed etc. It was there!!

Also tried over and over to find it in C:\User . . . . . It's not there.
I've been trying Open Recent Projects and Open Projects to no avail. Stumped.

If you can think of any other alternative I would be very grateful.

Thanks Moderator.

Mike
Aberdeen
Scotland

So the missing project was held in the Recent Project list - what was the exact file address listed?
Can you examine that exact location using Windows File Explorer?

I agree with Jeff that there is perhaps something odd in the file address you reported, and coupled with the use of an external HDD, perhaps the file addressing has changed so that PDR can no longer find it.
As Jeff said, searching for any .pds file on your system should give you a list to look through and see if your project exists in another location.

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

For customer support related issues, please contact:
- Customer service: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/customer-services.do
- Technical support: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/service/technical-support.do

Quote Simply use windows file explorer (slow) or any other proper utility (fast) to search for all *.pds files on all your attached media. If PD pds file is available, it will be found by search.

Your path appears troubling, any chance you have used network UNC reference vs basic drive letter access?

Jeff

Thanks for the suggestions Jeff.

No luck with search for *.pds files. I've tried this a good few times and no luck.
When I first got the D: drive it's never been changed since then. Wouldn't know how to use network UNC reference.

Thank you for your time Jeff.
I'll persevere for a while but doesn't look good.

Quote


So the missing project was held in the Recent Project list - what was the exact file address listed?
Can you examine that exact location using Windows File Explorer?

I agree with Jeff that there is perhaps something odd in the file address you reported, and coupled with the use of an external HDD, perhaps the file addressing has changed so that PDR can no longer find it.
As Jeff said, searching for any .pds file on your system should give you a list to look through and see if your project exists in another location.

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

Hi Moderator,

The file address was ''D:\VIV Finale Plus Goonans.pds''
Found this in ProjectCache.xml - Notepad that may be very telling.
CACHEDATE PROJECTPATH=''D:\VIV Finale plus Goonans.pds'' THUMBNAILPATH=''C\Users\Big Wullie\App Data\Roaming\CyberLink\PowerDirector\19.0\Cache\ProjectThumbCache\5878396eJPG''FILESIZE= It then goes on with other data.

The thing that I noticed was that half-way down in the Notebook listing the File changes to start with
''D:\D-VIV Finale plus Goonans_20210323201339.pds

''D:\VIV Finale plus Goonans.pds - why this is I don't know as I wasn't aware of any difference in my way of Saving.

Seems very complicated to me but hope this helps in some way.

There are dozens if reference to this path in notebook.


Thanks
Moderator

Mike
Aberdeen
Scotland

Quote



The thing that I noticed was that half-way down in the Notebook listing the File changes to start with
''D:\D-VIV Finale plus Goonans_20210323201339.pds

''D:\VIV Finale plus Goonans.pds - why this is I don't know as I wasn't aware of any difference in my way of Saving.

So what you are saying is that the project path location seems to have changed from D:\VIV Finale plus Goonans.pds to D:\D-VIV Finale plus Goonans_20210323201339.pds?

That file address is an unusual change and looks like some form of perhaps temporary file with a timestamp, but why it has happened I cannot say. I presume that there is no file named D-VIV Finale plus Goonans_20210323201339.pds anywhere on drive D:\?

I suppose the situation is that if you cannot find the missing projects, then so be it. Why your situation has arisen I'm not sure, but I think that you should perhaps also check out your ext HDD to ensure it performs correctly and is not showing any signs of failure?

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator

For customer support related issues, please contact:
- Customer service: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/customer-services.do
- Technical support: https://membership.cyberlink.com/support/service/technical-support.do