Hello:

I've completed three large projects in Avid Xpress (5.2.4) - Avid DVD (5.2.1)

- All projects have been mastered & sent out for duplication in February
- I have not archived or moved any media folders.
- Each projects components reside in a single location (one folder for each project) on external firewire drive. All project components are DVD compliant. [My objective for archival purposes is to have all DVD project pieces in one place.]
- I have three external Firewire drives for media storage 200,300,500G.
    DVD projects components all go to the 200G
- Sonic (Avid DVD) Project files (.dvd-dvi) are located on the C:\Administrator\My Documents\My DVDs folder.

PROBLEM: When I re-open the saved .dvd-dvi project files - the projects open blank, only the default templates/media loads into the project. This is univeral on all three projects I've created on this system. This is a large problem because I need to make variations on one of the three projects & can't open the master project file. I also need to have this completed by tomorrow.

I'm new to Sonic - so I'm trying to determine
- if I'm saving my projects in a detrimental manner- such as Don't Save Project Files to C:/
- if my software is corrupt & needs to be reloaded
- what the best way is to archive existing DVD projects, in order to be able to open them intact
- how Sonic links to source files for its projects. Have I unknowingly damaged the links.

What's changed on my Machine:
There are two things that I've changed on my machine since the last time I've opened any prior work in Sonic.

1. I started a fresh 200G designated solely for a new client. I pulled my 300G from my system for the duration of this DVD project. Instead of saving this DVD project to my C:\ I saved the project file to the new 200G. That project has wrapped & I've re-connected the 300G.

2. In Avid FX preferences I deselected "Auto Open Last Project on Start up"


I appreciate any insight someone might have on this issue.

Solution found:

I re-connected the 200G Firewire where I had saved my last Avid DVD project.
Successfully opened the DVD project from that drive. I then opened a DVD project from my C:\.
The C:\ Avid DVD project opened - prompting me to re-link media files.
I then powered down - disconnected the 200G re-connected my original Firewire - powered up & could open all C:\ projects.

My understanding here is - if I'm going to continue to divide client DVD projects to solo firewire drives - I will need to open a C:\ DVD project in Sonic before powering off or disconnecting an external client drive.

Or would it be better to keep all project master files in one location on C:\

Thank you for your time.

For some reason my last saved project has corrupted. Each time i launch Sonic, it tries (but fails) to open the last saved project and it crashes. How can I launch the programme and ensure it does not try to launch the last project?