damaged .aep file

david walsh · #1 (**permalink**) 02-24-2007, 12:49 PM

After a computer crash yestarday I had to do a bit of re-installing. I then tried to open up an ae project in progress to find the .aep file is damaged.

I get these messages on attempting to start up.

After effects error: file is damaged.

and

After effects warning: Unable to read project color settings, color settings reset to factory default.

Then the project wont open up, does anyone know if it's possible for me to repair this file?

David.

Alan Mills · #2 (**permalink**) 02-25-2007, 10:14 AM

It sometimes is possible to salvage a file like this.

Start a new project and import the 'corrupted' one into it. There is a good chance that you can salvage an awful lot but maybe not all.

david walsh · #3 (**permalink**) 02-25-2007, 12:50 PM

Thanks Alan, I hadn't thought of that. I gave it a try and sadly got nothing from it, thanks for the idea though.

It's been a few months work and I'm sure that I backed up to disk a few weeks back, I just need to find the disk, I have my fingers crossed that I have it, I also binned a lot of old disks last week.

David.

irishmark · #4 (**permalink**) 02-26-2007, 12:34 AM

If Alans suggestion didnt work then its lost. Once and AE file is corrupted its gone.

Its a b*tch but thats life.

When I'm working on important projects in AFX i generally save the project under diff names - "Project_name_12may06.aep" / "Project_name_13may06.aep" and so on.

With in my project folder i end up with lots aep files but it means that if I loose one due to a crash i can at least go back loosing no more than a days work.

Even if its a small project i generally save a second versoion of the project just in case.

david walsh · #5 (**permalink**) 02-26-2007, 02:24 PM

That's exactly what I have started to do now, I just wish I never had to learn the hard way.

David.

Alan Mills · #6 (**permalink**) 02-26-2007, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by david walsh

That's exactly what I have started to do now, I just wish I never had to learn the hard way.

David.

We all have to learn this lesson the hard way I'm afraid. I admit it's been a while since I've done it but as a software developer I've manage to delete my source code any number of times. Sometimes it's available from a previous server backup and sometimes not. Either way it's a pain.

The importance of backups is a lesson we all only seem to learn or take seriously when we've suffered from not having had one.

I hope you recover your work and get back back to where you were previously quite soon. Good luck.

irishmark · #7 (**permalink**) 02-26-2007, 04:36 PM

I'm a culprit too. Ive even been so stupid that when tidying up old project files i've deleted the current version!

We are only human!

Its generally the fuming and swearing at oneself that makes you learn!