Premiere won't reference original files

[Pacview]

Hello
My computer was hit by malicious software. After exuastive attemps to reinstate the operating system I took the hard drive to a local technician to have important data salvaged. A fresh OS was installed and the files/folders reinstated.
A sigh of releif was heard when all the files that I needed were present, that was quickly deflated when I went to open the Premiere V6 project that was needed. The dialouge box asks where is file xxxx so I guide it to the new location and it wont recognise the file because they have been somehow converted from AVI to MPEG???????? all the base files make up about 20GB or there abouts. Would anyone know how to get Premiere to recognise the reference files as the new MPEG. At the moment the only thing on the timeline are the transitions! I have tried MPEG2AVI, is this the only way? and is there going to be a loss in quality when I burn the DVD's?

[Megahurts]

Why are the AVIs converted to Mpegs?

Are the original AVI files still on the hard drive?

[Cornucopia]

If you've got premiere set up like I used to have it (v6 also), you're probably using "Reference AVI" types of files.

What this does is Save:

1. MYVIDEOFILENAME.AVI (up to a certain #, usually 1 or 2 GB), plus
2. MYVIDEOFILENAME.000 (up to ~4GB), and continuing...
3. MYVIDEOFILENAME.001
4. MYVIDEOFILENAME.002 , etc.

There is a pointer/link in the *.AVI that references the other files (keeping track of the "overflow").
This kind of link is an ABSOLUTE reference, meaning it keeps track of the original Drive letter and path. If the files aren't at that reference, it won't open (even the 1st part).

If you originally had your files in: "E:\VideoMedia\Project001\AVIfiles", and you resurrected and copied your media to your new drive "H:\RecoveredFiles\001", you'll have to either re-assign the drive letters and rename the folder(s), getting it back to what looks like its original storage place, or you'll have to get a special videofile conversion utility that understands reference AVI's and can "reconstruct" them and convert them to standard, huge single AVI/OpenDML files. Ones I can think of are Canopus' DVFileConvert and FocusEnhancements DVConverter and (defunct) Boabab DV converter (I think). Or your files can be considered LOST.

Good luck,

Scott

[Pacview]

Thanks Scott, D_E_V_O is what u got...............I will tke your advice and post the result.