Studio14 HD Ultimate, can't open project files from ext. HDD!!!

[rivrbyte]

This is so crazy! ....and I will apologize beforehand. So confusing, when I get these error windows telling me studio does not support AVI or MPG files! Warning...I don't meant to ramble on, but trying to give a lot of info, so someone may relate.

I have Studio 14 Ultimate HD and had a chance to get the new 15HD with rebates, but they all sold out and they did not issue any rain checks. I was told the newer 15 HD has a better archiving system than 14. I am in the process of backing up all my project files to the Ext. hard drive before I upgrade to Windows7 Pro 64 bit.
On my External HDD, I created a folder called " MY STUDIO PROJECTS GALLERY", in that I transferred what I thought was all I needed to grab them from the drive for furtere DVD burns. They have two files, ans all in this same folder. Studio profram files,with a pinnacle colerful icon with mostly 1KB size for all, then I have (in the same folder) those black video clip looking icons, that don't realy have an extension on them,but they are big sized.
After I open Studio, I try to import these two different files, relating to a particular video project, all together in a temp folder on my computer, so I can import from.
grab sum coffee-and try to follow...This looks like crazy talk below, but I have no other way to explain it. sorry frustrated.

My path> Studio> open project>Ext. HDD>My Studio project gallery>click on a particular studio project,all I see here are those colorful studio squares icon, click on one, and in the FILES F TYPE,I see STUDIO PROJECT,(stx,stu,sdu,and sdc) Open> FIND MEDIA > a window opens up and I see both the black video clip looing icons,which are only about 1KB each no more, and also I see those Studio colorful icons. When I click on the black video icons,nothing happens, when I click on the colorful icons, I see "FILE NOT FOUND", the ext. of this looks like a AVI, when I click on a few different projects to try to open something up, all I see on the timeline are exclamation points. When I try to open previous MPG and AVI files in Studio, it says they are not supported?? WHAT? I thought studio could handle any file thrown at it....are they settings in set up I did not enable?
BEFORE I try to install 14HD back onto the new Operating System Win7, or get the new Studio 15, I surely would like to know EXACTLY what files, and which folder they all should be together in, so I can get back in here and edit.
I deleted all Auxiliary files because someone told me they were safe to delete, prior to moving projects to the EXT.HDD. So all I have on my Ext. HDD are BOTH the studio project icons and those black video clip icons (of which, when you click on any one in the explorer folder, it shows a circle with cross out line through it.

Someone mentioned once you save your project,you can't go back and change transitions or background music.What files are these that enable you to do this for future DVD burns?

Is there list on order of once making a video project, where to save important project files,on what Drive, so they are not all over the place on my puter? In other words, I installed Studio program on my 74GB Raptor HDD to boot from, but placed or saved finished projects on my secondary storage Internal 500GB HDD.
Well, not only did the program install on my boot drive, but also placed HUGE files that ate up space on that small drive. Maybe after the format and install of WIN7, I should use my 500Gb storage drive as my new BOOT DRIVE, then use an new 1TB internal for video and other storage until I move to the EXTERNAL HDD.

Then to save precious HDD space, I just bought a 2TB Ext. HDD to save these projects to, but as you all know by now, that did not work so well, and now I think all is lost.
Go ahead laugh. I'm sure all of you also went through the same frustrations when you started with how this studio program works.

[aedipuss]

to see the file extensions in the folders click on tools/folder options/tools go to where it says hide known file extensions and uncheck it. click on apply to all folders.

i'd guess the project files have references to the paths of the files needed. by moving them they are no longer where it wants to find them.