How to identify corrupt projects/events?

I have had the problem of Projects and Events disappearing as FCPX is loading up for 10 months now. I have read lots of forum posts which suggest you make sure no folders are called Video/Audio/DCIM etc But its just not working properly.

For eg: I use 'event mgr X' to move events and projects. FCPX opens, you see the projects and events then it disappears... BUT if you do this 5 or 6 times eventually FCPX recognises the drive (external FW drive) and works fine..

I did a test this morning on loading 1 project and 1 event and it worked great, so I'm wondering if I have a corrupt event or Project causing me problem.

Any ideas how I can identify corrupt events or projects (its a process of elimination here to a long standing problem)

PS I have 2 usb 2 drives (no fcpx work on them although one is being used for time machine) and 2 WD firewire 800 externals (1 is used solely and only for events and projects)

The backups are the problem I think. FCP will not load events and projects with identical IDs, which clone backups are.

Hi Tom

I have tried removing the Time machine drive and I still have the same problem.. more recently, FCPX quits saying there was a problem.

I have noticed an error message in Event mgr X stating it can't move a certain event as another is already there with the same name (looking at that now)

Hi Phil,

You are correct, and that's exactly what Tom said. You must have one or more Events with the same identifier on your system. That's why Event Manager X tells you there is a conflict. Duplicating Events by copying them in the Finder creates duplicate Events with exactly the same identifier. When FCPX sees two Events with the same identifier it will not allow you to open either one of these Events and it will quit.

- Ronny

Thanks Ronny

Yes, it looks like somehow I have events and projects on my hard drive, my dedicated external, another portable drive and probably my time machine backup (assuming its a copy of my internal HD)

Am I best moving the events and projects from inside FCPX to the one drive or move them via Finder?

Hey Tom,

Moving can be done with the Finder or within FCPX, duplicating should always be done within FCPX.

The best workflow is to NOT have any Events or Projects on your system drive, and especially with Time Machine connected. Time Machine creates backups using the Finder, so any FCPX folders backed up by TM can cause problems when you launch FCPX with TM connected because the Events on your system drive will have the same identifiers as the backups of the Events on your TM drive.

Keep all the Events on Projects you currently work with on one or more fast external drives (don't use USB2 drives for editing!), and move the Events and Projects to a backup drive when they are finished.

- Ronny

Moving should really not be done a the Finder level. The filepath for project to event can get lost this way.

Theoretically I agree. But if FC Events and all their related FC Projects folders are moved to the same drive and are placed at the same level of the drive I have never found nor have I heard of any issues with this.

- Ronny

Thanks Gents

So to be safe, File>move project (and referenced events is the correct route?

I will purchase a Raid storage soon so do I have to do the same again if I want to move all my events and projects? Do i do this one by one or all at once?

Thanks again

As Tom said, moving Projects and referenced Events inside FCPX is the safest route. You will have to do the same again when you get your RAID, and it is indeed better do this one by one.

- Ronny