need help - DP 4.5 won't open old project files from PC drive

[penna]

Hi, I have some projects I did back in 2006 in DP 3 on a tangerine iMac with OS9. At the time I knew very little about Macs and needed to make room on the hard drive, so I moved the project folders to a USB drive and then to a Win98 PC. I'd like to access those projects on my "current" setup in DP 4.52 on a G4 with OSX. I copied the project folders from the PC drive, but the files show as disabled when I try to open them from within DP. When I browse them in Finder, the Kinds say Unix Executable File with modified dates in 1935 (!) I used Info to set one to open with DP 4.52, and it changed the Kind to Digital Performer 4.52 Document, but if I double-click it, only the DP program opens, not the project. I also see within the project folder there is a FINDER.DAT file with correct 2006 modified date, and a RESOURCE.FRK folder which contains a smaller size file of the same name as the project, also with correct 2006 modified date, and Unix Executable File type. Any way to rescue these files?

[mikehalloran]

Is there any chance that you can access the original drive?

If not, install OS 9.1 onto that G4 and make it a dual-boot machine and move the project files into the Documents folder. There are some things to try in 9 that should make them open right up in 4.5. Unfortunately, my wife threw away the G4 where I had this set up so my memory is a little hazy on the subject.

[penna]

Is there any chance that you can access the original drive?

If not, install OS 9.1 onto that G4 and make it a dual-boot machine and move the project files into the Documents folder. There are some things to try in 9 that should make them open right up in 4.5. Unfortunately, my wife threw away the G4 where I had this set up so my memory is a little hazy on the subject.

Thank you for the idea! Although the original files were deleted, the original drive itself is already in the G4 and can be booted, although I believe it's OS 9 not 9.1, will that work? Anyway let me see if I can get that far and report back. Thanks again!

[James Steele]

Yeah... I think you walked into one of those common problems where you put Mac files onto a DOS/Windows formatted media, which nukes certain Mac-specific info. There used to be back then a data fork and a resource fork for files, and putting the file on a drive that wasn't formatted for Mac deleted the resource fork... so you'd get generic icons. Probably also killed the file type / creator info. Mike would know better than I. If you ever put Mac files on media formatted for Windows, you had to zip it first or that would happen. Don't know if it's still a thing now. Probably not.

[James Steele]

I probably still have a G5 cheesegrater in my closet. No idea if those ran OS 9 or not?

[mikehalloran]

I probably still have a G5 cheesegrater in my closet. No idea if those ran OS 9 or not?

Nope. It can run some OS 9 apps in Classic Mode through OS 10.4.x Tiger.

If you ever put Mac files on media formatted for Windows, you had to zip it first or that would happen. Don't know if it's still a thing now. Probably not.

Yes and no. Failure to zip now is not the disaster it was then. It may be difficult to grant necessary Permissions but it is doable. Zip before copying is a good rule.

the original drive itself is already in the G4 and can be booted, although I believe it's OS 9 not 9.1, will that work?

Updating to OS 9.1 and 9.2 makes files on that drive more accessible to being opened in OS X. The updaters should still be available.

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/mac-os-91-91-update

[James Steele]

If you ever put Mac files on media formatted for Windows, you had to zip it first or that would happen. Don't know if it's still a thing now. Probably not.

Yes and no. Failure to zip now is not the disaster it was then. It may be difficult to grant necessary Permissions but it is doable. Zip before copying is a good rule.

Thanks. I wasn't sure if Macs had gone to total reliance on filename extensions for differentiation?

[mikehalloran]

Thanks. I wasn't sure if Macs had gone to total reliance on filename extensions for differentiation?

It's more complicated than that being a Permissions issue. DP 7.0 doesn't care while 7.2 freaks out in a major way. 7.1 allowed me to see the process and figure out the problem. Microsoft Office can have that problem, too. Nowadays, you can usually grant Permissions in GetInfo on a remote drive but not always if not formatted APFS. Unzipping a Project folder or Office doc onto your System drive always grants the correct Permissions.

None of this is an issue with Time Machine and Migration Assistant. Email always zips/unzips attachments. Dropbox has been changing but GoogleDrive drives me nuts with this.

[penna]

Is there any chance that you can access the original drive? If not, install OS 9.1 onto that G4 and make it a dual-boot machine and move the project files into the Documents folder. There are some things to try in 9 that should make them open right up in 4.5. Unfortunately, my wife threw away the G4 where I had this set up so my memory is a little hazy on the subject.

Yeah... I think you walked into one of those common problems where you put Mac files onto a DOS/Windows formatted media, which nukes certain Mac-specific info. There used to be back then a data fork and a resource fork for files, and putting the file on a drive that wasn't formatted for Mac deleted the resource fork... so you'd get generic icons. Probably also killed the file type / creator info. Mike would know better than I. If you ever put Mac files on media formatted for Windows, you had to zip it first or that would happen. Don't know if it's still a thing now. Probably not.

Thank you both, and sorry for the radio silence here. Definitely didn't know much about Mac vs. PC files as I didn't zip anything before moving to Windows formatted discs, and am hoping I can repair them somehow. As I said, my Mac is already setup for dual-boot with OS 9 drive, and I have copied the project files onto that drive's Documents folder. Unfortunately I'm having an issue where my G4's VGA output is delayed on regular startup, and never arrives with option+startup, so I'm unable to boot into OS 9. I tried zapping the PRAM several times, changing monitor cables... I've read some tips like removing & reseating the SDRAM or video card, but I'm always nervous about tinkering around in there especially if I don't need to... but I'll have to do some more research and get that issue sorted out before I can return here for further instruction on hopefully restoring the project files.

[penna]

Is there any chance that you can access the original drive?
If not, install OS 9.1 onto that G4 and make it a dual-boot machine and move the project files into the Documents folder. There are some things to try in 9 that should make them open right up in 4.5. Unfortunately, my wife threw away the G4 where I had this set up so my memory is a little hazy on the subject.

Hi again, I FINALLY I found a solution for my dual-boot issue and I am able to get into OS 9 (9.2 actually)! Here is a shot of the project folder & files after copying from the Windows drive (that's the only remaining copy I have unfortunately) into OS 9 Documents:



Regarding the dates -- 9/23/06 is when I originally moved them from the original Mac drive to the Windows drive; I think 12/27/22 is when I copied them from the Windows drive to a USB stick, and 12/28/22 is when I copied them from the USB stick to the OS 9 drive; I have no idea where 1/1/04 or 7/22/48 came from!

Please let me know any suggestions you have at this point. I can reinstall DP 3 in this OS 9.2 if needed. Thanks in advance!

[James Steele]

I don't have anything too helpful to add, other than you CAN now add attachments to post and set them to display inline if you wish. That will save you from having to find an image hosting service.

[penna]

So I went ahead and installed DP3 in my OS 9.2, and it doesn't see the project files either. I even tried adding .dp3 to the filename and using File Exchange control panel to add a PC extension mapping to DP3, but nothing doing. I guess whatever the Windows formatting removed from those files must've been really integral, and is now gone gone gone. Maybe if I understood more about the original Mac file format and if there was a way to manually edit the project file, I could figure it out. Anyway if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears.

[mikehalloran]

Unfortunately, my wife "recycled" my G4 that I had dual-booting into Tiger and 9.2. I had DP 4.1 installed in the OS 9 partition (4.5 required OS x IIRC or was that 4.6?).

Per MOTU, DP 11 will open

Digital Performer (Version 10.1, 10.0, 7-9, 6.0, 5.12, 5.1, 4.6, 4.5, 4.1, 3.1)

Have you sent this to them? If you do not have 10 or 11, phrase it in the form of a pre-sales question. Anyway, you should be able to submit a TechLink.

Hmmm... I know that my 2.7 files were converted to DP5, then 7.24 years ago but I'm going to have to find one and see if 11.2 will open it.