Projects disappeared upon reinstalling

I was having major crashing issues with the latest version of Resolve (as of 3/25/24) so I deleted the app and reinstalled an earlier version. After reinstalling the app, none of my projects are on the homepage. I have all the project backups but can't see the original projects, how can I restore my projects?

What happens if you right-click on the empty Project screen and choose, "Restore Project Archives"? There's also a Restore icon in the top left menu bar of the Project screen, and you can restore Project Libraries that way.

I have a message elsewhere that explains how to prepare for changing over to a new version of Resolve, just some cautionary steps you can take (like manually backing up each individual project). In general, you can just install a new version of Resolve on top of the old one, and "it just works." I think in 8-9 years, I've almost never seen it not work, except in cases where we changed the project drive (and that was easily remedied).

A lot of this is covered in the first chapter of the manual: Chapter 3, "Managing Projects and Project Libraries" starting on p. 69. It's not exciting reading, but this is the kind of thing that's necessary to understanding how Resolve works internally.

If you installed an earlier version, it may be incompatible with the projects created with a later one.

And when you say "deleted the app", do you mean you used the uninstall feature, or you manually deleted any or all folders and files yourself?

You'll need to provide more information, including what type of backups you have, with what version you created them, and what version is installed now..

[Dwaine Maggart]

In addition to John's questions, is the Apple App Store version of Resolve involved at all?

App Store Studio and App Store free Resolve store projects in different locations. From themselves and from the BMD versions of Resolve.

If you installed an earlier version, it may be incompatible with the projects created with a later one.

And when you say "deleted the app", do you mean you used the uninstall feature, or you manually deleted any or all folders and files yourself?

You'll need to provide more information, including what type of backups you have, with what version you created them, and what version is installed now..

I deleted only the DaVinci Resolve app from my computer, no folders with it. It was downloaded from the Blackmagic website.

The backups were created overtime from the auto Project backups feature in the prefrences

I created the projects in the version "DaVinci Resolve 18.6.6 Update - Last Wednesday", and have "DaVinci Resolve 18.6.4 Update - 05 Dec 2023" installed now.

In addition to John's questions, is the Apple App Store version of Resolve involved at all?

App Store Studio and App Store free Resolve store projects in different locations. From themselves and from the BMD versions of Resolve.

No, I installed through the Blackmagic website

What happens if you right-click on the empty Project screen and choose, "Restore Project Archives"? There's also a Restore icon in the top left menu bar of the Project screen, and you can restore Project Libraries that way.

I have a message elsewhere that explains how to prepare for changing over to a new version of Resolve, just some cautionary steps you can take (like manually backing up each individual project). In general, you can just install a new version of Resolve on top of the old one, and "it just works." I think in 8-9 years, I've almost never seen it not work, except in cases where we changed the project drive (and that was easily remedied).

A lot of this is covered in the first chapter of the manual: Chapter 3, "Managing Projects and Project Libraries" starting on p. 69. It's not exciting reading, but this is the kind of thing that's necessary to understanding how Resolve works internally.

When I click "Restore Project Archives" it brought me to my finder showing my old project backups from the previous version I was using

[Dwaine Maggart]

Please generate a Resolve diagnostics log from the Resolve Help menu and provide that.

When you say: "I deleted only the DaVinci Resolve app from my computer, no folders with it." what exactly does that mean? Deleted the app from where on the system?

The BMD version of Resolve installs in the Mac Applications folder, in a DaVinci Resolve folder. Did you delete the DaVinci Resolve.app file from inside that folder? Or what, exactly?

In the DaVinci Resolve folder is an Uninstall Resolve.app app. Not sure why you wouldn't have used that, if you were in that folder. So that makes me wonder what you really did.

In the DaVinci Resolve folder is an Uninstall Resolve.app app. Not sure why you wouldn't have used that, if you were in that folder. So that makes me wonder what you really did.

Yeah, Dwaine is absolutely correct (as always). I believe it's an Apple requirement to always have an "uninstall" method for all their approved applications, including ones you get elsewhere. I've never tried to just delete the BMD files -- I've only used the Uninstall app (and rarely at that).

Please generate a Resolve diagnostics log from the Resolve Help menu and provide that.

When you say: "I deleted only the DaVinci Resolve app from my computer, no folders with it." what exactly does that mean? Deleted the app from where on the system?

The BMD version of Resolve installs in the Mac Applications folder, in a DaVinci Resolve folder. Did you delete the DaVinci Resolve.app file from inside that folder? Or what, exactly?

In the DaVinci Resolve folder is an Uninstall Resolve.app app. Not sure why you wouldn't have used that, if you were in that folder. So that makes me wonder what you really did.

I'm using a MacBook Pro. I revealed the DaVinci Resolve application in finder. I deleted the DaVinci Resolve application. I'm not sure that there's anyway else to say it, sorry.

I would've used the uninstall feature but for some reason it wasn't there in the folder when I revealed the application in finder. I've used the uninstall feature for other applications, did not see one for this one. And yes I dowloaded Resolve from the Blackmagic website.

[Dwaine Maggart]

If you look in the /Applications/DaVinci Resolve folder now, do you see the Uninstall app?

If you look in the /Applications/DaVinci Resolve folder now, do you see the Uninstall app?

Yes I have it now

[Dwaine Maggart]

If all you did was delete the DaVinci Resolve.app in that folder previously, that would not have impacted your existing project libraries or project data at all. Thus the confusion.

Are you still missing your project data? If so, I'd still like to see a Resolve diagnostics log.

Also, do a search on your system for Project.db

Resolve projects are stored in Project.db files enclosed within a folder that has the project name.

If you find a bunch of Project.db files on your system, the path to those files would indicate where they are located and would help in reconnecting to them.

If you find Project.db files, in the Finder View menu, enable Show Path Bar, then make sure the Finder window is large enough to show the complete path at the bottom, then select one of the Project.db files in the search list, so that it's path shows at the bottom of the Finder window, then grab a screen shot of that and send it.