Project Database gone after update

[Michael Gissing]

What version did you go from and what is the new version? Did you backup your database or project files before install?

[Tim Neighbors]

I just installed version 16.2.7 today. I don’t know what version I had before. It seemed to just disappear from my computer with the latest windows update. I’m running Windows 10 pro 64bit. I may have backed up the database at some point but I’m not sure where it is. Does this software delete your database and all of your projects every time you upgrade??

[Tim Neighbors]

Looking at my previous install files, I think the previous version I had installed was 16.2.2

[Michael Gissing]

No it never deletes. It sometimes updates the database. It might corrupt but that is far more likely going to a totally new version not a point update.

[Tim Neighbors]

Ok, so what can I do? Should I uninstall and reinstall the old version? I do have a folder that it looks like I was saving project backups to … Just not database files. Can I open those old project files or does davinci just periodically self destruct and delete everything it’s users have done?

[Michael Gissing]

Firstly did you install the new version over the old or change the path so you might possibly have two versions installed. Check your icons and see if you can launch the old version. If so then backup your database and import that backup into the new install.

If not then import the backed up project files into the new database.

And please stop asking if Resolve ‘self destructs’ and deletes work. I’ve already told you it doesn’t. I’ve never experienced what you have. Blackmagic always advises users to backup because it’s a computer and shit happens. Sometimes operator error and sometime who knows.

[Dean Baker]

Tim did you at any stage install DaVinci Resolve Project Server? You may simply need to reconnect to your database.

[Dwaine Maggart]

As Michael mentioned, when there is a major version update, as from 15 to 16, or 16 to 17, any existing databases need to be Upgraded to work with the new version. Because an Upgraded database will no longer work with a previous version, we STRONGLY recommend you Backup the database(s) before allowing them to be Upgraded. That way, if the new version does something weird with your existing projects, you can always go back to the previous version, and Restore the database for that version. At no time do we delete a database. But, if you Upgrade it without backing it up, there is no way back to the previous version with the existing projects.

None of that applies in your case. There are no database changes in any 16 version.

So a couple of helpful things to know:

What platform are you on? Mac or Windows? What OS version?

By default, Resolve uses a Disk database. Do you know if that’s what you were using? Or had you created any PostgreSQL databases? Dean mentioned the Project Server app. That’s automatically installed when you install Resolve. But that is only used with PostgreSQL databases.

Once I know what platform you are on, I can suggest some things to check.

This is my first time back on the Cow in years. So I don’t know what the current deal is with attachments. It would be very helpful if you could provide a Resolve Diagnostics log, which you can generate from the Resolve Help menu: Create Diagnostics Log on Desktop.

[Tim Neighbors]

Thanks to everyone for your help with this. It turns out it was my fault. After the last Windows update, I was logged in as Admin and not under my personal profile. This made it so I couldn’t see my install of Davinci (I’m still not very clear on how those things work). Prior to this, I had a friend who lost (at least temporarily) all of his projects after upgrading Davinci, so I thought that was what had happened to me and naturally I was a little freaked out.

[Michael Gissing]

Glad you figured it out Tim. The database approach might seem odd if you are used to the single project file approach. There are advantages in a database approach to share assets like sound effects libraries, powergrades etc across numerous projects. I’m sure once you get used to it and the wisdom of backing up both database and project files, it won’t trouble you.