{"id":8783,"date":"2020-01-09T00:58:54","date_gmt":"2020-01-09T00:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/?p=8783"},"modified":"2022-03-15T18:01:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-15T18:01:59","slug":"need-know-fcp-file-format","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/recover-deleted-fcp.html","title":{"rendered":"What is an FCP File and How to Recover Deleted FCP"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are missing an FCP file, you might find yourself stuck with an unfinished project. You may have accidentally deleted them, formatted your drive, experienced disk corruption, or even got attacked by a virus \u2013 if this is the case, stop using your drive until you finish reading this article. Otherwise, you may overwrite the data.<\/p>\r\n

Act fast, and you can still recover FCP files intact and continue working on your project. This article provides information that explores FCP files, how to recover them, and the different ways to open them.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>What is an FCP File?<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

FCP files are used by the video-editing software Final Cut Pro<\/a>, which was initially developed by Macromedia Inc. and later by Apple Inc. The most recent version is Final Cut Pro X 10.6 (El Capitan or later), which uses .fcp. Other recent versions of Final Cut Pro use .fcpx or FCPX files \u2013\u00a0 however, all recovery methods below are applicable to both FCP and FCPX files.<\/p>\r\n

FCP files carry video editing data such as video clips, timecodes, composition nesting, filters, and more. These make up a Final Cut Pro project. You can usually find these files in the Home > Movies folder on a Mac.<\/p>\r\n

💡 While the latest Final Cut Pro is \u201ctechnically\u201d Final Cut Pro X to differentiate it from the 2009 Final Cut Pro release, you can find it on the Apple website and App Store as \u201cFinal Cut Pro.\u201d<\/div>\r\n

<\/span>How to Recover Deleted FCP Files<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

If an FCP file goes missing, certain effects may be missing from your project, or your project may not even open at all. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to recover deleted FCP files \u2013 and even if your project was unsaved, you can resume it once the files have been replaced in the source folder.\u00a0 Below, we guide you step-by-step through 3 of the most effective methods. Read on.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>Method #1: Recover FCP Files with Software<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

Data recovery software is, hands down, the best solution to recover FCP files. Even if you deleted them, or the drive you used to store them is totally dead \u2013 it\u2019s an easy job for the right tool. We\u2019ll be demonstrating this method with the software Disk Drill<\/a>, as it\u2019s highly effective at data recovery while being easy to use even for the least tech-savvy user out there. Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\t
  1. If your files were located on an external drive, plug them into your computer. Otherwise, skip to step 2.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Download and install Disk Drill.
    \r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n \"Disk \r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
    \r\n download-block-title<\/b>
    \r\n download-block-text\r\n <\/div>\r\n
    \r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/svg>\r\ndownload-block-button-text\r\n<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Launch Disk Drill by opening Finder > Applications > Disk Drill.
    \r\n\"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Select the drive that contained your missing FCP files, then click \u201cSearch for lost data.\u201d
    \r\n\"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Wait for Disk Drill to complete the scan process, then click \u201cReview found items.\u201d
    \r\n\"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
  6. Type \u201c.fcp\u201d on the search bar in the top-right corner of the screen to hasten your search.
    \r\n\"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
  7. Use the checkboxes on the left-most column of the window to select the FCP files you want to retrieve, then click \u201cRecover.\u201d
    \r\n\"Disk<\/li>\r\n\t
  8. Select a location where Disk Drill can save your recovered files, then click \u201cOK.\u201d Remember not to save them to the same drive you just scanned \u2013 you might overwrite the files in the queue.
    \r\n\"Disk<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
    ⚠️ Disk Drill\u2019s Basic plan does not offer free data recovery for Mac, but it offers 500MB worth of free data recovery for Windows.<\/div>\r\n

    <\/span>Method #2: Recover FCP Files from Windows Recycle Bin or Mac Trash (Even for External Drives)<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

    If you just recently deleted your FCP files from your computer, you can likely retrieve them from the Recycle Bin on Windows or the Trash folder on Mac. On Windows, the Recycle Bin is usually located on your desktop. On Mac, you can find the Trash folder on the right-most side of your dock.<\/p>\r\n

    \"Mac<\/p>\r\n

    If you right-click the files located inside, you can hit \u201cRestore\u201d for Windows or \u201cPut Back\u201d for Mac to restore them to their last original location.<\/p>\r\n

    \"Right-click<\/p>\r\n

    But did you know that external storage devices also have their own deleted items folder? If you plug in your drive to a computer and hit (CMD + Shift + .) on Mac, you should be able to see the hidden .Trash folder. Right-click your files and click \u201cPut Back.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    \"External<\/p>\r\n

    On Windows, click \u201cView\u201d > \u201cOptions > \u201cView tab, select \u201cShow Hidden Items\u201d and untick \u201cHide protected operating system files.\u201d Click \u201cApply\u201d, then close the window. You should now see the external drive\u2019s Recycle Bin folder. Right-click your deleted FCP files and click \u201cRestore.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    \"Windows<\/p>\r\n

    <\/span>Method #3: Restore From a Recent Files Folder<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

    It\u2019s also possible that your FCP files aren\u2019t actually gone \u2013 maybe they\u2019re just lost. Both macOS and Windows have their own versions of a \u201cRecents\u201d folder that contains files that you recently created, opened, or moved.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

    On macOS, you can usually locate the Recents folder on Finder\u2019s left sidebar. If it\u2019s not there, click Finder on the Apple Menu Bar, then click Preferences > Sidebar tab > and tick \u201cRecents\u201d under the \u201cFavorites\u201d category. Once you\u2019re in the Recents folder, type \u201c.fcp\u201d on the search bar to only see files related to Final Cut Pro.<\/p>\r\n

    \"Finder<\/p>\r\n

    On Windows, the recents folder is called \u201cQuick Access\u201d and is also located on the left sidebar of the File Explorer window.<\/p>\r\n

    \"Windows<\/p>\r\n

    Another way to access your recent files on Windows is to hit (Windows + R) and type \u201crecents\u201d on the search bar. Hit \u201cOK\u201d to open a list of your recent files.<\/p>\r\n

    \"Opening<\/p>\r\n

    <\/span>How to Open FCP Files on macOS and Windows<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

    If you don\u2019t have the right software, you won\u2019t be able to open files with the .fcpx or .fcp extensions. Given how many types of files are present in a Final Cut Pro project, there are just as many software that can open and even edit certain files. These range from simple file viewers to video editing suites.<\/p>\r\n

    <\/span>Programs That Open FCP\/FCPX Files<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

    Here is a list of the most commonly available tools you can download to open, view, and edit FCP and FCPX files for macOS and Windows:<\/p>\r\n