Final Cut Pro guides
Start with the exact symptom and the last change. Separate a file-location problem from a playback, caption or export problem, then take the smallest useful diagnostic step.
A missing-file alert, choppy playback and an export failure need different investigations. Write down the exact message, what you were doing and the last thing that changed. Then ask whether the problem follows one clip, one project, one library or the whole application.
| What you see | First useful distinction | Where to go next |
|---|---|---|
| Missing media | Is the required file on an available drive, and does Final Cut Pro still know its location? | Use the media-management hub to separate location, storage and transfer questions. |
| Missing Proxy File | Does the selected playback mode require a proxy that does not exist? | Check playback media before assuming the camera originals have disappeared. |
| Playback is slow or interrupted | Does it affect one section or continue in another library with different media? | Separate the media/playback question from an application-wide fault. |
| Sharing fails, or the saved file looks wrong | Did the export fail to finish, or did it finish with the wrong picture, sound or captions? | Use the export hub to identify the delivery settings and the failed stage. |
| The app will not open, or several libraries fail | Did the problem begin after an app, macOS, plug-in or device change? | Check version and Mac compatibility, then follow Apple's ordered diagnostics. |
Apple documents a specific case: Proxy Only shows a Missing Proxy File alert when no proxy exists. That message alone does not establish that the originals are lost. Confirm which media representation is missing before relinking or recreating anything.
For a file-location problem, the missing-media guide walks through the checks and relinking decisions in detail.
Before recovery work, keep a separate copy of the affected material and note the installed app and macOS versions, media location, free storage and any third-party effects involved. A useful diagnostic result tells you what changed the behavior; several simultaneous changes make that harder to establish.
Do not mistake an automatic library backup for a complete footage backup. Apple's automatic library backups cover the database portion; source media needs its own backup.
Apple's troubleshooting sequence checks compatibility, media, devices and third-party software before moving through a new user account, a new library and project, preferences reset and reinstall. A problem confined to one library or its media calls for a different investigation from a problem that persists elsewhere. Follow the documented isolation steps without overwriting the affected library.
