FCP won't import / open any file: "File error: unknown file"

Hi,

I am using FCP 5.1.1. For some reason, today FCP refuses to import new files.

My existing projects work all right, but whenever I try to import any file into any project (even a blank project) I get the infamous "File error: unknown file" error message or a "file error: 1 file(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknown".

My media files are mostly on my external drive, but even media files on my internal drive get the error. Tried restarting FCP / rebooting. I can still open projects, and files already in those projects work fine.

In other words my copy of FCP is pretty much non-functional and I have no clue what to do to solve the issue.

Any hints? Thanks in advance.

Ben

This feels like a time to start the machine from the install CD/DVD (hold C and start with the CD in the drive) and run Disk Utilities, Repair Permissions, and Drive Verify.

Start there.

Are you getting the Spinning Beach Ball Of Death?

Koz

> My existing projects work all right, but whenever I try to import any file into any project
> (even a blank project) I get the infamous "File error: unknown file" error message or a "file
> error: 1 file(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknown".

I get the feeling that there's something wrong with the file itself. What type of file is it? QuickTime movie clip? Audio AIFF or MP3? Still image? Graphics movie?

Take a look at the file. Is it of some ridiculously low file size, like 8KB? 4KB and 8KB files are very often indicative that the file is a dependent QuickTime movie, and the original media it's dependent on may be lost.


www.derekmok.com

Alright folks, thanks for your help!

I verified the drive to no avail. The media file wasn't corrupt, had already been successfully used in FCP & would still play in other players (QT or VLC). Plus, if I generated a brand-new AIF file from GarageBand, it wouldn't load in FCP either.

Found a solution though: turns out the problem was likely caused by a corrupted file, which has to be either a thumbnail, waveform or autosaved document, in one of my "scratch disk" locations. I don't know which one, I erased all of one scratch disk location. Now I can import new files.

Don't ask me how FCP can be incapacitated by a file... that it wrote itself, and that it can't isolate. So much for Mac's "reliability"...

Ben

I'm thinking-- "weird filename punctuation?" <>/{}[], when only an underscore_ should be used, or a dot should be used, and only one...

- Loren
Today's FCP 5 keytip:
Preview effects sections with Option-P or Option-Backslash!

The FCP 5 KeyGuide?: a professional placemat.
Now available at KeyGuide Central:
www.neotrondesign.com

I'm going with Loren on this one...this error is one which typifies the "filename punctuation" anomaly...what he said, with emphasis on the invidious backslash / error.

FE Meek

<<<invidious backslash / error.>>>

Or even the invidious forward slash error which is what that is.

Just to fill in the holes here, those characters have meaning to OSX over and above just being part of the file name. For example: koz/andEffect may look like a filename to you, but to OSX, that looks like the folder "koz" with the file "andEffect" in it. Totally diffferent from what you intended.

Koz