Hello there,

 First of all I'd like to thank you for taking the the time to read this. I have been working on this project for many weeks and if I have to start all over again, I won't. I can't do it.

So, my old computer I had Studio 12 running and have been working on my project. I recently started building a new system from scratch and copied all my files to the new system. I then formatted the old system.

I installed Studio 12 on my new computer. In My Documents/Pinnacle Studio/My Projects there is:

folder "sebas" (no filmstrip, although I don't remember ever seeing a filmstripped folder)

and a file "sebas.stx".

In addition there is another smaller test project that has no problems loading.

When I double click "sebas.stx", I am presented with an empty project. However, the "sebas" folder is not empty at all, it is 43.6MB and contains 665 files.

I have tried contacting pinnacle support but they can not help me. What I really need is someone who knows everything about the file structure inside the "sebas" folder and can help me determine what is wrong.

I have added a link to the "sebas" folder and "sebas.stx" in a zip file. I would really hope that someone could try something with my project and try to make it work. What I want is that when I open my project, Pinnacle will ask me for the location of my video files. RIght now, it does not do this and simply present me with an empty timeline.

 Many thanks in advance, I really hope someone can revive my project.

Sebastiaan Bakker

 Link to project: http://www.sebsz.com/sebas.zip

Don't want to sound pesimistic, but its hard to recover projects that go bad like this. See this thread for things you can try.

Welcome to the Forum

folder "sebas" (no filmstrip, although I don't remember ever seeing a filmstripped folder)

The Film-Strip Folder, which can only be Opened by the .stx File into the Timeline, has become corrupted & turmed into a Windows yellow Folder, which can be Opened without the .stx File, but not into the Timeline. That's just a simple explanation of a very complicated process.

I've restored the the yellow Folder to a Film-Strip Folder my end, by Opening the yellow sub Folders & clicking on the Files in those Folders, with S12 Open at the same time. This was a random process. Since the Film-Strip Folder can't be opened, I can't repeat the process, to Post how I did it.

As I don't have the Source Files, the Project won't Open into S12 Timeline, my end. 

Do as I did & keep clicking on all of the Files, to see if you can get the Film-Strip Folder Icon back-again.(There won't be 665 - just click on the 1st Files in each Folder. You won't be able to Open all of those. The purpose is to kick-start the change from yellow to Film-strip Folder).

I've tried to Zip the Film-Strip Folder & .stx File to send to you, but the Film-Strip Folder changes back to a yellow Folder again, when Zipped.

I'm afraid this is a common problem & Pinnacle refuse to help, because IMO, it involves their secret Project File structure, that they don't want divulged to the competitiom. This has been going-on for several years, with no response from pinnacle, despite very many repeated requests.

To prevent this from happening again, Render each Edit, to File DV-AVI. Same Project File Name, but with incremental numbers. Put all of those onto the Timeline, for a final Render. That way you won't lose your Projects.

IMO, Studio's Project Save is unreliable & has been proven to be so & should have been discontinued in S11/12 Versions, after the many problems in S10.

In hindsight, you should have Rendered your Project to File DV-AVI, instead of Copying your Saved Studio Project to your new PC. 

Good luck 

Anyone-else? 

ADDED - Typing while Marc P was Posting

 

 

 

 

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Hi all,

Thanks for trying to help.

What I want to get clear though, is like I said in my first post, is that I don't recall EVER seeing filmstripped folders. In fact, when I create a new project in Pinnacle Studio, and save it. I can see the folder of that as well, without any problems. If I click on its .stx file, it all works just fine, no problems, but I don't see a film-strip folder - I see a windows explorer type folder that I can click on.

This is what I want to get clear before giving up - the fact that I'm having WIndows Explorer type folders, but they work - except for my sebas.stx.

 Now perhaps this is a WIndows Vista or WIndows 7 beta problem - or maybe a 64 bit problem. Just to get clear, did you manage to get Pinnacle to ask for my source files with my project? If so, that means there is hope.

Finally, can you clarify clicking on the VFO files? There is no program on my computer registered to open those files, so what should I be opening these with?

 THanks alot, looking really forward to your reply,

Sebas

I don't see a film-strip folder - I see a windows explorer type folder that I can click on.

You should be seeing a Film-Strip Folder every-time. However you've been lucky so far, in that the .stx File will sometimes Open a Windows Yellow Folder, provided that none of the Files are either missing or corrupted. These are not your Source Files, but Studio generated Data Files which are generated in conjunction with & from what appears to be a Studio System Programme Grey Film-Strip Folder, containing the Programme instructions for Studio Projects. I'm not a Programmer. IMO, the only people who would understand Studio's Project File Format/System, would be Studio's Programme Development Team.

If you attempt to Open a Film Strip Folder, you get the international symbol for "No Home", to prevent your from interfering with the Sub-Folders & Files. Since you have yellow Sub-Folders Opened, you'll see that you have a text File, warning you not to Open the Folder.

did you manage to get Pinnacle to ask for my source files with my project?

I'm afraid not. All I got was a yellow Obj(ect) Sub-Folder, in the Edit Album. On Opening that, all I got were the Files contained in that Folder, in the Edit Album & no Project Open in the Timeline.

I've spent approx 3 hours trying to get your Project to Open via trial & error, without success.

One last thing you could try, is to Rename your Project Folder from sebas to SEBAS, which is what it should be & then do a "Repair" of the Studio Prog: Insert S12 Prog Disk & choose "Repair" in the "Pop-Up" following the initial Installer . Just "Repair" the Prog. Don't bother with the 3rd Party Plug-in Disk if you have S12 Ultimate.

You could also try a Reinstall (Not Repair) of S12 only & don't Update to S12.1 Patch, but do the above 1st.

If you still can't Open your Project, then IMO, it's irrecoverable. You could spend weeks, as others have done, in attempting to Open your Project by trial & error, with a nil result at the end of the day.

Finally, can you clarify clicking on the VFO files? There is no program on my computer registered to open those files, so what should I be opening these with?

The only Folders & Files I'm familiar with in my workflow, are TS Folders & VOB Files related to Disk Images, which are not related to Studio Projects. You would need to Post a New Thread, for that question.. 

   

 

  

You said in an earlier post:

"Do as I did & keep clicking on all of the Files, to see if you can get the Film-Strip Folder Icon back-again.(There won't be 665 - just click on the 1st Files in each Folder. You won't be able to Open all of those. The purpose is to kick-start the change from yellow to Film-strip Folder)."

That's what I meant by "Can you clarify clicking on these files". Which files are you clicking on, and with what program are you opening them?

Which files are you clicking on,

Confirming my previous Posts in this Thread: You have a Windows Yellow Project Folder, instead of a Grey "Film-strip Folder", which can be Opened. That contains a number of Sub-Folders, that can also be opened. Those contain Files that are generated by Studio Programme, which can only be Opened by Studio & not Windows. These Files have no bearing upon what you see in the Timeline when you Open your Project (The Folder contains over 600 Files. Your Timeline Project only has facsimilies of the Spurce Files you've used) . . Are part of Studio's Project File System & are of no use to the User. Clicking on any of those Files won't Open your Project into the Timeline.

There are now several recent Posts with the same problem, for which there is no known solution on the Forum, apart from the suggestions I've already made, I'm afraid.

I'm afraid you've got to accept, like very many others, over the  years, that you're Ptoject is irrecoverable, if the suggestions already Posted don't work.

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Colour:

It is any explanation how or why Grey "Film-Strip Folders" become corrupted and transformed into "Windows Yellow Folders".

It happened to several of my projects in a PC dedicated only to video editing, after a long fight trying to get back or restore to normal all those many projects I gave up, the strange thing was that happened at the same time with all of them.

In my case I was not moving files around or something like that. I remember that I created a new project and the next time I opened Studio I saw that was not Film-Strip folders anymore only Windows File Folders.

It is any explanation how or why Grey "Film-Strip Folders" become corrupted and transformed into "Windows Yellow Folders".

If there was, presumably Pinnacle would have fixed it by now, but they haven't.

One theoretical fix was provided by Culpanar? well Richard, anyway, which he Posted in a Thread I'd started, which was originally pinned, but now gone AWOL.

It involved replacing a possibly  corrupt Prog  File in the Grey Project Folder, which is Copied? from a Root? Grey Studio Sytem Folder, when you Open a New Project. 

Anyway, it's all Academic. The only Fix that works IMO (& poss everyone-else), is to Ignore Save & do a Save As, instead. 

Thank you Colour:

That is exactly the way I always saved my projects (File/Save Project As...).

But somehow I lost them all, I have not deleted anything still having the .stx files and the Windows File folders (it was a big project) and when I have some spare time I follow the forum new ideas and keep playing with them to see if I can get some positive results.

fidel47:

Thank you Colour:

That is exactly the way I always saved my projects (File/Save Project As...).

But somehow I lost them all, I have not deleted anything still having the .stx files and the Windows File folders (it was a big project) and when I have some spare time I follow the forum new ideas and keep playing with them to see if I can get some positive results.

Since there's no Rhym or Reason as to why this happems, any trick is worth trying; If you still have your "Saved As" Projects showing as Windows Yellow Folders, they can sometimes be Opened in to the TimeLine, via the .stx File. If not Exiting Studio & immediately Re-booting has worked.

As previously Posted in other Threads, I've seen a Grey Project Folder change into a Windows Yellow Folder & back-again to a Grey Folder, in a split secomd. Go figure. 

 If you want a "Belt & Braces" job, to prevent it from happenning again, do as a lot of us do & that is to Render each Edit to File DV-AVI. That way, you don't lose anything. The only draw-back being that you would have extra fiddly work, if you need to Re-Edit any of the AVIs.

BTW - There's a common misconception that the Grey Folder contains what you see on the Timeline. The Folder contains many more & small Studio generated meaningless Files, than what you have on the TimeLine. If you Open the Yellow Folders, you'll see what I mean.