How to See My Pro Tools Files When Not Hooked to the Mbox

Pro Tools is one of the industry standard audio recording software packages.

Pro Tools software prohibits users from opening Pro Tools when their proprietary hardware, such as the Mbox audio interface, is not attached to the computer. That makes it difficult for users to access audio files if they did not make a note of where the files were located when saved from within the Pro Tools program. Thankfully, the files are easy to find for users who have a basic knowledge of the computer’s file system.

Instructions

Locating Pro Tools Session Files

1. Open Windows Explorer. Click “Computer.” Type “Cntl-F.” Type “*.ptx” and hit enter to search for Pro Tools session files.

2. Right-click one of the .ptx files and click “Open File Location.” Open the “Audio Files” folder to view the audio files. Open any of the other folders to see other associated Pro Tools session files.

3. Repeat all steps to locate Pro Tools session files that may be stored in other locations on your computer.

Locating Pro Tools Program Files

1. Open Windows Explorer. Double-click “Computer.” Double-click “C:.” Double-click “Program Files.”

2. Double-click the “Avid” folder to locate the primary Pro Tools program files.

3. Double-click the “Common” folder, then double-click the “Avid” folder to locate other associated program files.

Tips & Warnings

• Older versions of Pro Tools use a .ptf or .pts suffix for session files.

• Pro Tools automatically creates many different folders for audio files, fade files, rendered files, clip groups, session file backups and more. The audio files are the only files that have a universal format that can be easily recognized by programs other than Pro Tools.

References

• Pro Tools: Reference Guide