File Type problems Sending over Intenet.....

I sent a full Pro Tools session to a friend via my FTP site. He got all the audio files, but the session itself wouldn't open. It opens fine here. In the past, this KIND of thing has been solved by just ZIPPING the file so the internet doesn't mess with it. I sent just the session file, ZIPPED, and it still won't open on his side. I'm on PT6, and he's still using OS 9. But they are supposedly compatible. Any ideas? Thanks

Are the computers sending and receiving the same? ie. both Macs? I've found PCs can screw up Mac files and the problem solved by avoiding them. I know you said he's on OS9, but did he download the files on a Mac? I've had clients who use their PC for internet download on PC and then copy via CDR to their Macs, which at least in my experience, hasn't worked.

Try saving a copy of your session as a 5.x. If the file is 'zipped' or 'stuffed' the '.wav or .pts' extensions should be unnecessary. The .wav,.pts or .whatever is needed when a file is sent by itself because they pass through UNIX or Windows servers that need that information in the file name to handle the file properly. Hope this helps.

Here's what's weird. I tied ZIPPING the session file (The audio files went over fine) and he STILL couldn't read it. So on a hunch, I did TWO things, and I don't know which solved it. I saved the session with a new name. I uploaded the session to him without compression via EMAIL, and it worked. So I don't know if saving the session with a new name did anything (the original session opend fine on my Mac) or if EMAILing it just bypassed whatever the site was doing. Still don't know how the site messed with a file that was ZIPPED.

I am a computing dunce so take this with a sackfull of salt. FTP is not supposed to dig Mac to PC transfer of SDII files I was told SDII files are a "no no" for FTP Use AIFF instead (or make that session into WAV's, not too hard to do) Sound hack a freeware software can rebuild files that have come out "messed up" via FTP. It works! Half baked, supersticious, misinformation loaded message ends.....

Was he trying to open it by double clicking it from the finder? If so it was probably due to the resource fork being missing, and he may have been able to open it just fine from within Protools from the File menu. I'm not sure (as I never really email from my Mac), but I think that emailing an attachment from one Mac to another might retain the resource fork. ftp definately won't unless its archived (hqx or whatever) which packs the data and resource forks in one file. The two things that tend to cause problems with ftp are generally: Lost resource fork (when coming from Mac OS) or The ftp client being set to ASCII mode rather than binary. This causes linefeed character translation which will much up binary files big time. This would corrupt audio files for sure. I'm not certain (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but I don't think Protools requires the resource fork for anything, but the Finder simply won't know what app to open the session file with. Tom

Also, one thing that we discovered with our PC based backup server, it's VERY important to make sure the file extension is there. If it's not there, ADD IT! This solved every problem we had after restoring backups and the session wouldn't open. .sd2, .aif, .wav, .pts, etc.