Missing file error message, cannot open project [SOLVED]

Why is the screen flashing every time I undo or re-do in Logic? This hasn't happened before... it's important because I'm undoing/redoing often. There's also a little lag along with the flash... It takes longer than usual to undo/redo.

I'm also getting an error message upon opening the project, which I wouldn't otherwise care about if it weren't for this undo issue, and I'm sure it's related... It's pretty crazy with Chinese characters all over...

Thanks!

Thanks for the reply, David.

The audio files were recorded on that Hitachi HD. It's an internal hard drive I installed in one of the drive bays, in addition to Mac HD, for my project files. Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

I don't think there would be a file titled "sy To Love..." because the project is titled "Easy To Love" and I wouldn't have titled any files "sy To Love".

I did transfer the project folder to a laptop and worked on it there some, mainly just "comping" some audio files. I've done this before with no problems, transferring between machines. And I didn't create any new audio files on the laptop.

Shoot... OK, I ran Disk Utility (Verify and Repair Disk)... "The volume Hitachi HD appears to be OK"

Just now after doing about an hour of comping on my mac pro, and immediately after trying "Export Active Comp to New Track", I was prompted/forced to restart Logic (it crashed) and now the project won't even open.

I get that exact same error message upon trying to open the project. Then, when I click past it, after about 95% of the audio files have loaded, I get the following message (see attachment).

I also tried locating the file whose name it was mangling, "Easy To Love New_31#17", with the same result.

When I try and open any previous versions of the project, I get the error, but I can still click "skip" or "skip all" and get to the project...

The scenario is exactly the same on my laptop.

I have a deadline tonight... A quick reply would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I also wanted to add that I'm pretty sure I know what's causing this...

I'd mainly work on the project on my mac pro. (mixing instruments, comping audio, etc) I transferred the project folder to my laptop, and did some comping there. Then, I transferred this take folder back to the project on my mac pro by copying and pasting it in (instead of replacing the entire project or project folder) and continued to work.

I thought it would be OK, but apparently there's a discrepancy here... I sometimes split and slightly move parts of regions in a take folder, which doesn't create new audio files. The "comping" I do on the laptop transfers over fine with the copy and paste, and things were going well until I attempted to "export active comp to new track".

There aren't any files that are created from comping that should also be transferred, are there?

OK, what you should probably do now is transfer the whole project folder from your laptop to your pMac, and work from that one. Any needed tracks in your 'newer' project (the one that won't open) you can import into Logic via the File Browsers' import feature. Just avoid importing the track with the faulty audio file. Create a new track for it, put it on there.

But, as soon as you finish your project, get Diskwarrior, back up both your laptops' and the pMacs' system disks and use DW on each of 'm. Beej is absolutely right, all these misplaced characters indicate that something is wrong with the (invisible) directories or catalog tree or B-tree of either disk, and this may point to impending diskfailure. DW can at least repair the aforementioned structures.

Couple of questions...

1) did you create any markers in that project? If so, have they become corrupted as well (i.e., chinese or other garbage characters)?

2) how many windows do you have open in the project? More than just the arrangement?

3) do you have a backup (time machine, etc.) of any of the files prior to the corruption occurring?

4) I may have missed something in your posts, but do the file names appear normal on the HD's in either of your computers?

Thank you... This is really important right now and I appreciate all of your help.

Eriksimon, There is just one needed track in my 'newer' project that I would need to retrieve... but it's a 'comped' take folder, and I don't know how or if it's possible to access those from the browser window...

If I can get that ONE take folder, then I'll be good to go, as long as I bounce all these other tracks and start a brand new project... I did a lot of work on that one take folder, and it was inspired.

However, the file most closely related to the "missing file" is a region in that take folder... what's verbatim written in the error message "sy To Love NEW_31#17.aif" does not really exist ... rather it's "Easy To Love NEW_31#17.aif"

I actually copied the entire project folder and tried deleting every single audio file that wasn't being used in the project at its current stage, and I still got the same error message upon opening.

As a matter of fact, after I deleted the files, and opened the project, they all re-appeared in the audio files folder! And the project folder became even bigger in size by a couple GBs...

By the way, I was getting (and still do) the error message in the previous project, right before this 'newer' one, but I was able to "skip" past it and open the project. When I "save as" from that project on, it's the same with the following projects. It's like they got corrupted at a certain point. In all previous projects before that, I didn't and still don't get the error message.

ski, I do have a few markers, but they were there from the beginning. Nothing appears out of the ordinary with those.

The arrange window and the mixer open, same as usual..

I do have a backup.

File names appear normal.

Ojan, did you try to first disable the audio engine (in Logic's preferences) and then to open the project?

Have you tried to import the tracks into a new project using the file browser? (EDIT: Just noticed that ErikSimon is already helping you out with that)

Thank you... This is really important right now and I appreciate all of your help.

 

Eriksimon, There is just one needed track in my 'newer' project that I would need to retrieve... but it's a 'comped' take folder, and I don't know how to access that from the browser window, much less import it.

Yeah, I forgot the link. You should be able to access the other project from the file browser, or at least get another error message, which may (or may not at all) shed light on this issue. Curious.

The error message you showed earlier I have never seen before, and definitely goes into the category 'utterly useless information', namely information that informs you of a complete absence of information, except for the fact that if there are or were any facts, these are not available. Neener neener.

http://documentation.apple.com/en/logicpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=7%26section=6%26hash=apple_ref:doc:uid:TempBookID-ReplacedWhenAssociatingWithMessierRevision-43984PRO_SC_1002-SW9

Only import the content of the track, onto a newly created one.

David, Are you talking about unchecking Enable under Core Audio Prefs? I tried it.

Eriksimon, Should I be attempting this in a new project or the same one? I'm having trouble figuring out how to import content from the browser window...

I also edited my last post (sorry) but there's some more description of the issue there

David, Are you talking about unchecking Enable under Core Audio Prefs? I tried it.

Yes that's what I meant: then close the pref window, then open your project. The project still won't open?

Eriksimon, Should I be attempting this in a new project or the same one? I'm having trouble figuring out how to import content from the browser window...

It shouldn't matter... try both. See what works? In the browser window, the first step is to locate the Logic file that has the tracks you want to import. Then double-click it, and the File Browser should present you with all the tracks inside that project, giving you options of what you want to import. Is that not working for you? What kind of trouble are you running into?

David, I got it, thanks. Can't believe you guys just helped me pull this off, i thought i was doomed!!

Eriksimon, David, jordito, camillo jr, thank you all very much. Eriksimon, I did get another error message, but the comp pulled up fine and played fine. Except for a missing lyric, literally two words that are mysteriously not there on the file "Easy To Love NEW_31#17.aif" ... apparently that's what has been causing all of this...

And, just now, a couple of minutes later, that little piece of audio re-appeared.. pretty wild...

I'm bouncing everything into a new project now because this one might not want to re-open now that I have this file in here.

Great! Very glad to hear that you ended up getting this to work somehow.

Except for a missing lyric, literally two words that are mysteriously not there on the file "Easy To Love NEW_31#17.aif" ... apparently that's what has been causing all of this...

 

And, just now, a couple of minutes later, that little piece of audio re-appeared.. pretty wild...

The only situation where I've personally seen this in the past is when I had two different audio files that had the same name. Then Logic can (obviously) get confused...

David, I see...

I wouldn't have named two audio files 31#17. (Those are names they get by default.) There seems to be no definite culprit, but I'm pretty sure it resulted from comping a take folder on a different machine and copying and pasting the take folder back into the original project (rather than replacing the project, because I'd been working on it)

So is there potentially something wrong with my HD? It had good reviews, it's been well taken care of and is only a couple years old... This project is the only one I've had any issues with, but anyway please let me know based on all I've described if this is a bad sign...

lagerfeldt, Hahah it's funny you say that because when I sent you the PM I was thinking that that's probably something you do, because of your username!

How do you get rid of the "missing audio file message?" Like, don't show again. Every project I work on eventually shows this message on start up. Logic doesn't locate the file, because it doesn't exist, and it takes for ever looking for it, and the message always still re-appears when you open project again. I'm thinking I should create an audio file with the same name Logic is looking for and make it find that. A "Don't Show Again" check box option is needed here. I'm smart enough to know when an audio file is gone from my project.

To the Poster: Try never to work on projects on your main operating system. Always on a separate partition or external hard drive. I always create about 15 partitions on externals: one for each project. After a while when a project gets bigger and starts to crack up, use Diskwarrior on it. When you feel you made it from point A to point B on your song, back it up to another hard drive before moving on to point C, and so on. Also, getting on the internet with the same computer, applications you use gets attacked by corporations or evil hackers to infect them. The Pro Tools hackers won over the Logic hackers on my computer. However, Diskwarrior fixes it all.

How do you get rid of the "missing audio file message?"

Open the Audio Bin aka Project Audio Browser, select Select Unused from the local Edit dropdown, and hit the delete key. Then Save. If the missing file was indeed unused, its reference will now be gone, as will the Missing Audio Files alert on the next startup of that project. If it is not unused (=used), you should delete any regions using it first. These can also reside on folder tracks, trackstacks or hidden tracks.

http://help.apple.com/logicpro/mac/10/#lgcp1bb0ad7d