Files won't open and why do I have both mscx and mscz files.

• Jul 25, 2023 - 15:14

Ok, first things first: I'm using MuseScore Version 4.1.0.231921401, Rev. 2e3a93a, and I'm on a iMacPro (2017) running Ventura 13.4.1 (c).

So my problem, described below, has happened a few times now with different files. The first time I thought it probably just a glitch and I ignored it. But now it's happened with an entirely different composition / file, so I'm wondering what's going on. Basically, I stopped working on this composition back in March of this year. Now I'm trying to open it so I can do minor updates and print parts for a recording session coming up in two days. There is an *.mscx version as well as a *.mscz version. I have no idea why I have two different formats - I didn't specify a format when saving. In any event, neither will open. When I select a file in Finder, Musescore opens and then shuts down. Same thing if I have Musescore already running and I try to open the file: Musescore looks like it's going to open the file, then shuts down. I found only one backup file, and it started with a . and ended with a ~. I removed both of those but cannot open that file either. I've attached the compressed file - unfortunately the uncompressed file is too big (7.2 MB).

I know this problem has sort of been addressed in other topics but nothing seemed to be right on point.

Thanks!


Comments

The mscx version would be there is you explicitly chose to save in that format at some point - MuseScore never does that on its own. If you can't remember why you did and it doesn't seem to contain anything interesting, just delete it. Although I guess it's also possible you've reconfigured Finder to open MSCZ files in a ZIP editor instead of MuseScore, and that's what is then in turn showing your the MSCX file contained within the MSCZ file?

Anyhow, aside from a corruption message that you definitely want to deal with - see https://musescore.org/en/node/54721 0 your file opens normally for me. So if you are having issues with Finder, just open your score normally from within MuseScore.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Mark, thanks for the quick reply. I don't know why I would have explicitly chosen the mscx format, but anything's possible. I haven't intentionally reconfigured Finder.
I'm not getting a corruption message. I'm not getting any message. If I try to open the file (either format) from the Finder, Musescore starts up, looks like it's going to open a file, and then Musescore just goes away (stops running - the window just disappears). No message. If I open Musescore first and try to open a file from within Musescore, same thing -- it looks like it's going to open the file, and then Musescore just goes away. Are you saying that the score opened up for you just fine? I'm tempted to try reloading Musescore.

Your file crashes MuseScore for me, too. (Windows 10, MuseScore 4.1)
There seems to be a problem with the drums.
Here's your score without the drums:
I See You 031523x Clean Score Transposed4.mscz
(I changed the paper size so I could see all the staves. You may have to adjust.)
Also, here's a pdf of the corrupted drum part:
Drums.pdf
It shows some notation which may be useful for transcribing back into your score.

Sounds from what I'm hearing is that the file crashes in 4.1 but not in the release candidate for 4.1.1. So I recommend simply installing that (see Announcements forum).

In reply to by ytsejam

Sorry for my delayed response. We recorded trumpets pretty much al day last Thursday (fortunately I had pdfs of all the trumpet parts), and have been catching up on other stuff. Ok, so I've upgraded to 4.1.1. As you've said, 4.1.0 just crashes, but 4.1.1 opens the file and provides a notice that the file is corrupted, specifically at m139 in the score and the drum part, just as ytsejam indicated. So my question now is how did you figure out what the problem in m139 was (unexpected measureRepeatCount) and how did you remove it? Or do you need to know MuseScore's guts to be able to do that?

In reply to by ytsejam

I've tried resetting the drum part. I even deleted the contents of the measure in question. That didn't change anything. Then I put a whole note into the measure. Still says it's corrupted when I save it. And again when I reopen it. Even after quitting MuseScore and starting it up again. I'm going to try the MuseScore -> MusicXML -> MuseScore method. I'll let you know if it works.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Marc, I did look at that article. First, in step 3, at least in my copy of Musescore 4.1, there is no File->Parts and therefore no File->Parts->Delete. If instead I open the Parts dialogue, there's no Delete there either. When I click on the 3 dots, there are only three options: Duplicate; Rename; and Reset. There's no Delete. In fact I saw a whole other thread about that issue. I tried Reset but that didn't make a difference.

That article references another article, https://musescore.org/en/node/335842 which discusses using RepairAssistant, which I downloaded, but I'm not sure how to install. Musescore says it's an unknown file type.

Fyi, my first pass at trying to edit the MusicXML file didn't work. I merely copied everything from m138 to m139 (except for the measure number) in the drums but when I tried to open it, Musescore just hung.

In reply to by gbluhm

Some of the details have changed, but overall the process is the same. Parts is now a button on the main toolbar instead of an item in the File menu. Instead of needing to delete andrecreate the part, it's not just Reset from the "..." menu. So same basic idea, but simpler.

Still, most corruptions are fixed by the other things discussed, which haven't changed at all - deleting measures, changing voices, etc. So if the reset didn't work - and most of the time it won't unless the corruption reports as being in the part only - then time to move on the the real meat of the article.

I haven't found repair assistant useful myself - it fixes some things but lots it doesn't, and I'm not sure I trust what it does fix.

In reply to by 1000mellie

There are a number of different issues being discussed here. Can you be more specific about the problem you are encountering? Also be sure to say what OS and which version of MuseScore.

The original problem discussed was a simple user misunderstanding about how saving files works, but my guess is whatever you are experiencing isn't that. Maybe it's that you have a specific score that is corrupt and thus won't open unless you ignore the corruption, and you need help fixing the corruption? If so, best to start a new thread and attach the score. But also see https://musescore.org/en/node/54721

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