I have copied an avid project and mxf files from my mac to a PC formatted drive over a network connection. I found that I was not able to consolidate straight onto the PC drive, so I tried two alternatives: just copying all the mxf files, and also consolidating the sequences I need to transfer onto the mac before copying the corresponding mxf files over to the pc. 

Both methods do not appear to have worked - the files still seem to be linked to the original location on the mac where I edited them and everything's offline. But they're all clearly there I just can't work out how to access them. 

I have tried refreshing the media directories and reloading the databases, to no avail.

I am sure there must be a way to do this!! I can't be the first person to have needed to crack the mac-pc compatability puzzle. It's pretty urgent for a client who runs avid on a pc - I (stupidly it would seem) - run it on a mac...

Any advice very gratefully received - thank you.

On the media drive, the media must be in this folder structure:

x:\Avid MediaFiles\MXF\1 (or any other number)

Where "x" is your media volume drive letter.  This folder must be at the top level (or root level) of the volume.  It cannot be inside any other folders.  It must be named exactly as above.

What does your folder structure look like?  If you haven't already done so, delete the two media database files (msm*.*) in the numbered folder(s).  When you launch Avid the media will automatically be scanned & indexed, and new databases will be written.

Moving projects and media between Mac and PC is a common requirement and works well.

It maybe worth looking at the software to allow you to write to NTFS drives and make it all much easier.

Thank you, I followed this procedure to the letter, have moved projects successfully before this way within the mac platform, but just having problems with the pc! 

The database folders have been deleted too, and still offline.

Just had a thought though. 

I am currently accessing the copied project on the pc drive using my mac via the network connection (because I'm using an old pc which I can't install avid on). Could this be why? Maybe if I attached it to a pc with avid installed on it, it might work?

Sorry this message is like a stream of consciousness!

Thanks for your post, can you recommend any software that can do this please? ou're right, it would save me a lot of time and effort!

Thanks for your post, can you recommend any software that can do this please? You're right, it would save me a lot of time and effort!

As Pat suggests, check your media directory structure first.  On a PC it should be Avid MediaFiles\MXF\1 (or any other number).  If that's OK, check that you don't have drive filtering turned on inside Avid.  If Avid thinks your drive is too slow and drive filtering is on Avid won't read that drive.

I have MacDrive on my PC and Paragon on the Mac.  However I also often format my interchange drives as exFAT.  You are able to read and write to exFAT drives on current Macs, and with Vista or better, you can read and write to them on any PC.  If you only have Windows XP you can download a free exFAT driver for it at Microsoft.

[EDIT] It wasn't Pat's suggestion, it was Randall's!  Sorry Randall. [END EDIT]

I was writing my post as you were posting yours above.  You do really need to check your PC media on a PC-based Avid.  If you've followed the instructions above it should be right anyway.

Thank you, I'm hoping I'll be able to check it on a pc tomorrow, so will post an update when I know more...

Thanks to all for your advice, I am pleased to say that I've finally been able to plug the drive into a pc running avid, and it works! What a relief.