If you get an Operation Not Allowed Message

Oh yes there is... and ithe bug iis well documented in many places. A simple Google search will reveal much.

There are also many reports on it from many experienced editors.

I have 20 years experience working with the BBC and had our own support team trying to fix it too.

Guess what?

.

There is nothing you can do.

Hopefully it won't happen to you.

In this instance It probably resulted from deleting a nest while pribably accidently hitting delete at the same time

Upon quiiting and restart the problem is cleared. But until you do that no amount of throwing away preferences, copying and pasting to a new sequence, reparing disk permissions, switching drives, clearing hard drive space or praying to the deity of your choice is going to do a bloody thing.

You're stuck with it mate. Cry, have a beer/cup of tea then call the significant other and tell them it's going to be a late night.

Good luck and thanlks for chiming in.

I can actually now repeat the problem on demand. If you would like to test it for yourself set up a test sequence with some random clips. Three or four indvidial clips will be enough. Now nest those items and save the sequence - call it "Buggering Test Nest 01."

God - you can tell I'm procastinating can't you (must be on deadline or something).

Now create a second sequence then copy and paste Buggering Test Nest 01 into it. If you prefer you can drag the nest into a bin and then drag it to the timeline (it doesn't matter).

Now say loudly "well I don't like the way these clips are nested I shall delete the sods." Then double click on the nest (which will open the nest as its own sequnce timeline) and delete the clips. Close the now empty nest sequence and look at the new/second sequence we created. You will see the thin strip of remaining empty nest.

Now here is the fiendishly clever part. Accidentally on purpose press shift and delete at the same time ('cos we're human and all make mistakes - except for really snooty gits who are untrustworthy anyway) . The empty nest is deleted. Now try and save the project. Chances are you won't be able to - no matter what you do.

Oh and it also disables the autosave feature - I tell ya it's the work of the devil.

if you can save it - you obviously haven't effed it up properly.

My point all along has been to advise other users who run into this fairly rare but deadly situation is that there is nothing you can do - and don't do as I did - spend hours trying to figure out a workaround when there isn't one to be had. Just bite the bullet, quit and restart. Then cry as you re-do all the work you lost.

I have heard mumblings about maybe finding a slightly more recent saved version in the autosave vault... in the interest of full disclosure I have not tried that.

There are those who say - "well pros don't make mistakes..." My advice is to flee from such people quickly as they are probably verging on the sociopathic." I learned that tip from working with Nic Roeg many years ago. Fabulous mistakes often lead to incredible work - though more often than not to a bucket of poo.

As I mentioned I spaced on checking the autosave. As it turned out I only lost about 30 minutes of work (as I do try and save on the fly) but one forgets when immersed in the work. The point is moot as the issue I was posting about regarded the need to quit and restart after a "Operation Not Allowed" message when trying to save. No work around for that.

Once you have quit you can check the autosave (you might be lucky) or just redo the work lost.

And as for the more snarky variety of media pro - regrettably you come across them all the time in forums (mostly on Creative Cow) who seem delight in hollering "user error..." and "well a pro wouldn't have done this or that..." when some frantic person has just had their system crash and is desperately trying to find a solution. I wish such people would keep their opinions to themselves unless they have an actual solution or practical advice on hand.

Again - the thrust of my post is just to advise anyone who fins themselves in the same situation to save themselves time trying to find a solution to the "Operation Not Allowed" scenario and quit and restart.

Once you have done that you can check your autosave vault (as we have now learned).

Meanwhile, you usually can get here from there. Sometimes you just need a Tardids

Anyway, Michael. nice chatting with you. Good luck with your projects.

Over and out.