Final Cut Pro update caused library of over 55 projects to only open 5! Event still exists in library package but won't open with new update. How Do I Fix this?

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Level 1

4 points

Final Cut Pro update caused library of over 55 projects to only open 5! Event still exists in library package but won't open with new update. How Do I Fix this?

High profile program, high profile problems. Gosh I'm so tired of using this forum for the numerous issues this program cooks up. The FCP program has (Despite years of using it and dealing with its odd issues) given me more trouble than any other Apple Program I've ever used. That being said, I had a library I'd been working on for two years, full of projects. It always had a yellow exclamation mark beside it when up in FCP library tab, indicating that there was a corrupt file. The thing is, that file didn't exist ( you couldn't relink media, attempt to fix or locate). It wasn't even in the projects list, it was an old project who's library had already been deleted- a ghost project if you will. So, despite knowing it was still somehow there- I just kept on working, it told me the file was a problem, I'd search for it to delete it and couldn't find it, I'd ignore it. Fast forward a year and all of the sudden I get the "Final cut pro needs to close to avoid damages to library" while I'm in the middle of a project. So I close it and try to reopen it, it would open briefly load and then crash again with the same message. Through opening it repeatedly I'm able to export the two most important projects to XML. I then update Final Cut Pro, delete my preferences, duplicate my full library and delete the original. When I open up the program it wants to tap into the duplicated library, but then says that library needs to be updated. I update it, load it in, and bam, over 55 projects gone, just five remaining. So I say, that's fine, I don't need all of them, just the two important ones. Only here's the kicker, one of the XML's, the slightly newer of the two, opens, loads, all fine. The other, exported in the same way, at the same time, has its DTD unrecognizable. I open it in a text editor and attempt to rewrite the code to no avail. I export it to an older computer running an older version of FCP with the same result, incompatible. Now, when I attempt to open the library it was apart of at all, it gives me the same five projects, none of which are important or needed. If I open the FCP Library package contents I can see the event for the project I need there, named and labeled, and the library is like 800 GB's large. It's storing library memory, but somehow my program can't access it. I need to trash the entire library to free up space but desperately need this ONE project off of it before that, everything else can go. My internal drive is only a terabyte, so it's running wonky because of this large library- it has to go. But if I can't get the project I need off of it I can't delete it yet. I considered backing it up to an external drive and then trying to open it on my older computer but don't have an external drive with enough memory on it for that sort of a huge transfer + all the media I'd need to duplicate. I'm ready to break things over this. Anyone have any advice?

iMac 21.5″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Jul 1, 2025 8:02 PM

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Answer 1

totaltech777 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 5, 2025 1:49 PM in response to totaltech777

Via tech support: if you've tried all the things that I've tried and still can't get the event, correct library, exported XML file etc to open, it won't- ever. If your backups aren't working and you didn't zip the application contents before you updated, you're up a creek with no paddle. Sad but true. So the answer to this one is that there is no answer- nothing you can do, delete your library, the work is lost, cry about it, get over it, continue on with life. Sorry to anyone else who has to deal with this. Perks of the program I guess. It's very touchy. Best of luck to all. . .

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Answer 2

RPM46

Level 1

56 points

Jul 5, 2025 3:09 PM in response to totaltech777

You should never - EVER - store video files, libraries, events, projects, images, data, etc. on the system drive! That's a huge "no-no" on ANY computer, Mac or PC. The System Drive should be used ONLY for the operating system and your apps, but should never be used to store data...especially 800 Gigs of data on a 1 TB drive. Yikes!

I'm sorry to have to say this, but I don't think your issue is a Final Cut problem. I think the issue is poor data management and your workflow processes. As you go forward with your work, I offer these suggestions that have worked well for me in my small studio.

Store ALL your video and image data on external USB drives, never on the system drive.

When you import data into a Final Cut event or project, leave the files in place. DO NOT copy them to the library. As Luis said above, always keep your video files outside the library.

When you finish work on a given day, delete all the generated library (render) files.

Close the library.

Close Final Cut.

The only disadvantage to using this shut-down process is that the next time you open FCP, you have to choose a library to open. That's a small price to pay for smooth and reliable work flow.

I used to have an occasional FCP crash, as many users have experienced. However, since adopting this work flow, the crashing issue has all but disappeared and I've never had any data loss or library corruption.

I hope you can figure things out and get back to work soon.

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Answer 3

Jul 2, 2025 8:39 AM in response to totaltech777

A 800 GB library is never a good idea - especially on the system drive.

Your library probably has a lot of generated files, making up the bulk of those 800 GB.

If you can open the library long enough to delete the generated files, it will relieve the pressure significantly.

You absolutely need to have an external drive, or three, when dealing with a lot of video files; and keep these files outside the library would help, too. An external drive is much less expensive than losing your data.

Your terminology is all over the place, making it hard to follow - you use words like file, project, library in a mix that is not clear.

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Answer 4

Jul 5, 2025 6:34 PM in response to RPM46

I think the issue is poor data management and your workflow processes.

I agree with RPM46. I felt that the OP was not good at data management.

・When you import data into a Final Cut event or project, leave the files in place. DO NOT copy them to the library. As Luis said above, always keep your video files outside the library.

・When you finish work on a given day, delete all the generated library (render) files

I have a similar workflow, but I add one thing: "Make a copy of the project and library" between the second and third steps. I don't rely on automatic backups, I create a copy-only event folder and copy the project myself.

Separating the folders helps prevent project corruption. This method has helped me many times!

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Answer 5

totaltech777 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 2, 2025 7:15 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Yeah, I have (3) external drives to back up everything else (Just went down from three working computers to one) and leave media on the internal drive, usually the video back ups get full, I delete them because I no longer need them and move on. I was able to, before, open the library in FCP long enough to export two XML's of the projects that were most important. One worked when opened individually, the other did not- resulting in the DTD error. The library (Backup) will open but it prompts me to update before doing so now. Then, when it 'updates' it will only open an updated version of the original library containing five projects and their media. When I'm speaking about a 'file' I'm talking about event file folders within the library's backup package. When I'm speaking about projects, I'm talking about full video projects that will open up in a library on FCP. When I'm speaking about the library, I'm referring to the back up library that FCP automatically places in your "Movies" folder, updating it every now and again. I can see the event for the project I need and it's file inside the library back up when I search its package contents, but the library itself won't open in final cut pro without updating. It just prompts you to update and then opens a library under the same name only containing five workable, full scale projects and their media. Hope this helps.

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