Help-Can't open some files... getting error id=108

[RenaissanceMan]

This has started happening out of the blue... I haven't changed anything on my system that I know of. Running DP 5.13 on a PowerBook G4 Titanium (PPC) using OS X 10.4.11. Connected to an M-Audio Firewire 410 with the latest drivers, etc.

Some of my tunes will not load anymore. When I try to load them, the screen goes through its window draws for the project, pauses for a moment, and then a window pops up informing me:

Cannot load file "songname". Error ID=108

I frequently load these songs to work on them, and only a couple of them are giving me this problem. As I mentioned earlier, it appears to have started out of the blue... Does anyone know how I can fix this? Thanks in advance-

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Start by repairing permissions.

[RenaissanceMan]

Start by repairing permissions.

thanks for the reply. i just repaired permissions. unfortunately, still having the same problem. now i don't even get an error code... the program just crashes and closes when i try to load the problem tune...

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Step 2:

Delete the plst

[RenaissanceMan]

Step 2:

Delete the plst

sorry, please forgive my ignorance here. what is the plst? is that a patch list of some sort?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Step 2:

Delete the plst

sorry, please forgive my ignorance here. what is the plst? is that a patch list of some sort?

Would make sense given the name, but it is actually the preference file for DP. You'll loose some custom settings and the factory default will prevail, but it might help. Might not.

Quit DP.

Location: User>Library>Preferences>Digital Performer (folder)>Preferences

Move the bolded file to the trash. Empty the trash and restart DP.

Unless others chime in, you might want to talk to MOTU tech support or open a tech link with them if the above doesn't work.

You might also start a new project and load the chunks and save a new file. The error is related to a corruption of the DP file itself (I think) and how it was saved on the HD.

[rcannonp]

Move the bolded file to the trash. Empty the trash and restart DP.

You don't really have to move it to the trash and empty the trash. You just have to move it out of the Preferences folder. Whenever I think that a plist may have become corrupted, I move it to the desktop. That way if "trashing" the prefs doesn't fix the problem, I can put that file back and restore my custom settings.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Move the bolded file to the trash. Empty the trash and restart DP.

You don't really have to move it to the trash and empty the trash. You just have to move it out of the Preferences folder. Whenever I think that a plist may have become corrupted, I move it to the desktop. That way if "trashing" the prefs doesn't fix the problem, I can put that file back and restore my custom settings.

Actually, I keep a "clean" backup in a separate place so if the file IS corrupted I can copy the good one. BUt yes, you are correct. Given the level of the users experience with such matters, I didn't want to confuse the issue.

[pencilina]

The same thing happened to me and it was a AU plugin that DP didn't like all of a sudden.

[RenaissanceMan]

UGH... still not getting anywhere with this.

i trashed preferences and audio system prefs, to no avail. i also tried creating a new file and loading the chunks. whenever it tried to load the soundbites related to the chunk, dp crashed again, just as if i'm trying to load the original file! i also had a backup of this file on another hard drive. even the backup file crashes. this is so weird! i just opened this file a couple weeks ago with no probs whatsoever.

i did start a techlink with motu earlier today, but was hoping i'd find a solution here. thanks to everyone who has replied so far! any other ideas or suggestions??? i'm starting to get a little freaked out now...

[edit...] i should also add that this is not the first time this has happened to me with DP. i've had this same problem creep up in the past without having a resolution as to what caused it. in the past, however, i was able to recover by trashing prefs or running DP MIDI only and then loading the file that way. i don't know what i'm doing wrong... i always save files religiously, never disconnect firewire cables w/o ejecting first, etc, etc. i haven't don't any upgrades or changes to my system, either. i wish there was at least a clue as to what causes this.

[rcannonp]

Move the bolded file to the trash. Empty the trash and restart DP.

You don't really have to move it to the trash and empty the trash. You just have to move it out of the Preferences folder. Whenever I think that a plist may have become corrupted, I move it to the desktop. That way if "trashing" the prefs doesn't fix the problem, I can put that file back and restore my custom settings.

Actually, I keep a "clean" backup in a separate place so if the file IS corrupted I can copy the good one. BUt yes, you are correct. Given the level of the users experience with such matters, I didn't want to confuse the issue.

I was pretty sure that you already knew that, but I figured that I would throw it out there to maybe save someone a couple of hours worth of redoing their settings. Sorry that I don't have anything to offer towards solving this.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

i wish there was at least a clue as to what causes this.

You might start to suspect your computer. Maybe your RAM went bad (it happens) or your HD is about to go south? Or your processor could be going? OR some combination of things.

Could be a corrupted DP App file (reinstalling might help). But [usually] once a file is corrupted it's corrupted. Not to be too negative about this, but a PowerBook G4 Titanium is fairly old technology. Depending on your machine, you might be running as slow as 400mHz, which would be WAY too slow for DP and the OS. Sure, the specs might say it should work, but a much faster machine is highly recommended, especially for any audio work.

From what I can see from my limited perch point, I would suggest you start to look at a new computer very soon or stick to MIDI only files. There are some good used bargains on G5's (PPC) around and even a new machine is not too terribly high priced.

[hammerman]

Sometimes I've had cantankerous files with lots of edits in them that won't open because of a corrupted audio file somewhere. This is what I do. I first go to the project folder and delete the Analysis Files folder. You can also delete the Undo and Fades folders as well as fades will be recalculated. You need to empty the trash first though. DP's very good at knowing where files are even when moved. Now try to open that file. Also, you could try to start a new file and use load, but if it's really corrupted, that usually will not work.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

...you could try to start a new file and use load, but if it's really corrupted, that usually will not work.

He tried that (I know, it's tough to read thru these threads when they start to get involved). But the audio file suggestion is a great one! Definitely worth a try!

Another thing you might do (if you're ambitious) is rebuild the headers in your audio files for the project.

In Quicktime Pro ($30 from Apple) you might be able to load the audio files and resave them as SD II files. You might also try to import your audio files into DP to a new project. If the files won't load you might need a third party program (and that might not work if they're really trashed). But if DP will load them, export them to disk as SD II files and see if you can trick DP into "finding" them after you delete the originals from your project audio folder.

I doubt MOTU will have much better suggestions, but you never know.

[pencilina]

I remember a similar file crisis (but on PT) where the tech opened them as raw in Audacity (freeware) then exported them back in PT. Might work??? Good luck.