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Level 2

387 points

Modified File, Why and No Fix For It?

I opened up FCPX and discovered that the test project I created shows the Modified File alert icon for the only media I imported. The clip is red, with the Modified File icon.

I checked the FCPX user manual under "Solutions to common media management issues." There I found the description to the Modified File Alert Icon, but there was no solution. It simply states, "A media file has been changed by an application other than Final Cut Pro." It would be nice to find a "solution" to this issue in the "Solutions" section of the manual. It's interesting that Apple also calls the section "common media management issues." Well, they got half the title to the chapter correct.

First of all, I'm not sure why I have the issue. I didn't move or rename the file. I took the time to view (purchase) the Ripple Training series on FCPX by Steve Martin. So, I know that FCPX does not want you to move or rename media files outside of FCPX.

In FCPX I choose the Reveal in Finder option for the media and it opened up a Finder window showing the file, where it's supposed to be. (Users/Me/Movies/Final Cut Events/Test Project/Original Media) The file is actually an Alias, since I choose to not copy the file from it's location on an external RAID drive. In the Finder window I choose Show Original and it did. It found the file (where I left it) on an external RAID drive.

The definition of the issue states that the file has been changed by an application other than Final Cut Pro. Interesting that it does not say which "version" of FCP. I didn't think I had touched the media file with any other application. (apparently, I had)

So, I attempted to fix the issue. In FCPX, I re-imported the file. That did not fix the issue. I simply wound up with two files, same name, start, end, duration, content created. One version is fine, the other still shows the Modified File Alert Icon. Although, when I look in the FCPX Original Media directory, it now has two Aliases (as expected) but the new one added "(fcp1)" to the end of the file name, as in TestProject(fcp1).mov

Now that I had a new version of the file imported, I tried to see if I could recreate the issue.

I closed FCPX. I opened up FCP7, created a new project, imported the media file, put it in a sequence and did some color correcting on it. I saved the project and quit FCP7. I opened FCPX and everything was as I left it. The original import of the media file still had the issue. But, the newly imported file did not. So, having FCP7 "touch" the file did not create the Modified File issue.

I closed FCPX and tried the exact same thing with Premier Pro. (Hey, it was 50% off since I just became a proud FCPX owner) The result was the same. Importing and color correcting the media file with FCP7 and/or PP did not cause an issue for FCPX. Just for kicks, I opened and closed the media file with Quicktime and as expected it did not create an issue. I'd like to know what caused the issue. I can't avoid an issue if I don't know what caused it.

Even if I will never find out why I have the issue, I'd be more happy to simply fix the issue. As Apple clearly states in the FCPX user manual, this is a common issue. They are correct, as it didn't take me long to experience it. But, they don't list a solution to it, even thought the issue is in the "Solutions" section of the manual. Perhaps the person who wrote the manual (not the SW) realized it's a common issue and therefore should have a Solution.

Not only is the media file missing. But so is all the work I did. I was using this media/Project to test out FCPX. Now that FCPX can't find the media, all the work I did in the Magic (sorry, Magnetic) Timeline is gone. All the work I did on the Timeline has the same Modified File Alert Icon along with the wonderfully soothing bright red color where media should be.

If I can't actually fix this issue (which I have no idea how it happened), then I actually did just loose all my work. (granted on a test project of no real value) No undo, no open up a previous "Saved As.." version. Go directly to FCPX Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. (that was humor, not a rant)

If that's the case, then FCPX is not usable. At all. For anyone. Regardless of whether you make a living using it or not. If iMovie worked like this (maybe it does, I've never used it), I doubt anyone would find iMovie usable either. Same goes for iDVD, iPhoto, iWeb, iTunes, etc.

Therefore, there must be a solution to this issue. I'm sure someone will post the solution that I could not locate myself.

Thanks in advance.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), FCP 7 and FCP X

Posted on Jul 13, 2011 7:38 AM

30 replies

aziwo

Level 1

0 points

Dec 3, 2013 4:25 AM in response to 1 Open Loop

Same here. As soon as the multicam transcoding is 100%, the media turns red with this "Modified file" sign. I have just switched from FCP6 on Snow Leopard to FCPX on Maverick... and I can't work anymore ! This is so frustrating !

Optimized medias do look better than original ones on my project, so I'm not sure I want to sacrifice quality to be able to edit.

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

151,058 points

Dec 3, 2013 4:33 AM in response to aziwo

You're not sacrificing any quality if you export a ProRes master.

aziwo

Level 1

0 points

Dec 3, 2013 4:53 AM in response to 1 Open Loop

So transcoding in ProRes422 at the beggining or at the end of a project does not change the result? I guess that makes sense. I'll try that and hope you're right.

Thanks for your quick answer.

Dec 3, 2013 6:09 PM in response to 1 Open Loop

Same problem here since upgrading to Mavericks. Also get a lot of 'Error occured when creating Master File' which did not happen before.

Just tried the work around as described previously - it's transcoding right now... fingers crossed

Migento

Level 1

0 points

Dec 16, 2013 8:12 PM in response to 1 Open Loop

Yep same problem here. It appears that a common denominator is optimized media and multi cam clips. Can we get a comment from Apple on an actual fix. This is a big software bug and I'm sure many professionals do not have the time for subversive finder workarounds.

rbfilms

Level 1

4 points

Dec 17, 2013 2:14 AM in response to Migento

Yes Apple we are in need of a fix - this issue is a major flaw in a great piece of software. Can we get a comment please.

Jan 6, 2014 7:24 PM in response to rbfilms

I've been trying to work this out for weeks. I found a post about deleting high qulaity media from the Event folder and initially it worked....hoorar! But after going back to the project later on the same problem was back again!

I have wasted days trying to work this out, days that I wont get back, days I can ill afford to waste and I'm as sure as ***** I wont get apple to reimburse me for the lost time!

So Apple...can you please lsiten to your customers and the problems here for so many of us and do something about it. Or at the very least acknowledge that there is a problem rather than leaving us all hanging here like idiots wondering if it will ever get addressed...or dare I say even resolved!

MartsMac

Level 1

9 points

Feb 16, 2014 12:56 PM in response to 1 Open Loop

Had this happen just now but to a proxy file. Found it in [library}> show package contents, then transcoded media/proxy media.

Mar 30, 2014 12:56 PM in response to 1 Open Loop

I've got this now. Not sure I understand the proposed solution - and am a little mystified as to where FCPX is putting things! Will go search for a video that explains it....

...actually think I just figured it out:

In the <Username>/Movies director is a file with an icon of 4 purple squares with stars on that's tilted. Probably called "untitled"

You can ctrl-click to show package contents

Then navigate to the name of your project. This seems to hold various project resources

One of these is "Transcoded Media"

This contains "High Quality Media", the contents of which can be dragged to trash.

I did the above, but it made no difference to my Modified file!

Apr 10, 2014 5:09 AM in response to 1 Open Loop

This worked for me:

Go to Preferences and uncheck: "Create optimized media for multicam clips"

Then I deleted the related files from:

Final Cut events / "ProjectName" / Trancoded Media / High Quality Media (these had the same red thumbnail saying "modified file"

When I got back in FCPx, I had one file that refused to be fixed, So I deleted that file from the event. When I tried to re-import that file, it wouldn't work.

So I changed the file name of the "bad" file in finder, then re-imported it and replaced it on the multicam project.

Now everyhting seems okay. A bit of a silly work around though.

MrTwYsT

Level 1

0 points

Jun 2, 2014 1:28 PM in response to Markid182

Just had this happen to me.

Reveal clip in finder (mine pops up in the high quality folder)

Delete corresponding high quality clip(s) [not the original files]

Problem solved!

Worked for me. Hope it works for you all 🙂

JCVela

Level 1

5 points

Jun 15, 2015 9:36 AM in response to 1 Open Loop

Ok I have a few variants on the error. First, Ive been using Mavericks for a while now, and fcpx 10.1.4 with no errors of this type. Until... I started working with RED RAW. This modified file error just happened a few weeks into working with RED RAW, out of the blue one day I come to the office to see the RED clips 'modified'. I tried to reimport them but just some of them got fixed. I tried the 'delete proxy and 422 prores' from within the library package contents and it fixed the remaining RED files. So I dont think it is Mavericks 100% the culprit. I think it has to do with external drives and routes to the linked files. I think I changed the drives USB port order and then I had that error.

Well, thanks for the solution!

Jul 31, 2015 12:27 AM in response to JCVela

Hi all,

So I am working with a collection of different libraries and events in FCPX, and I experienced the dreaded Modified File warning today.

I produce a weekly YouTube show on cars, so have about 2TB now of FCPX b-roll libraries. Each car has its own Event within the B-Roll Library, and then I have a separate 'Furniture' Library where I store all the things we use every week, such as the 3d set, lower-thirds, bug etc.

Obviously, to keep file size down, I set FCPX to leave media in its original location when dragging and dropping it into a new weekly show.

When importing, I always import pro res and proxy, but for some reason my virtual set only ever imported itself as pro res. When I switched to Proxy this morning to save on CPU cycles during the rough edit, I got the dreaded message about modified files.

That, as it turned out is because the background I use for the show is a looped, modified version of the 3d set -- and because the 3d set didn't have a proxy media version of itself in the library, FCPX couldn't display a proxy media version.

I dug back through my library, found the original 3d background, and then made a proxy media version of it. Back in the timeline for today's show, I now have a proxy version of my file, and the warning has gone. Hazza!

So, if you're getting this message, do double-check to see if you're using Proxy or optimized. If you're set to proxy, there's a potential that for some reason you either forgot to or didn't create proxy for the project.

I should also note here that I've had problems with FCPX 'forgetting' that I had made proxy media, which I'm going to put down to a corrupt database?

Joliva2

Level 1

4 points

Jul 27, 2016 3:34 AM in response to joellm

Thanks, this helped me a lot! You just made my day 🙂

Oct 16, 2017 12:48 PM in response to joellm

7 Years later, and this literally saved my life.

I am editing off a NAS as well. What are the chances! Thanks a million!!!

Modified File, Why and No Fix For It?