Identify the missing source
Mac: open File → Project Media → Project Status… or Manage Media…. iPhone/iPad: open Project Options → Project Health or Media Management. Check the source name, expected location, and representation that is unavailable.
Reconnect an external drive first. For cloud or Files providers, confirm the file is fully downloaded. An unavailable volume or placeholder does not mean a movie is corrupt. See project storage to distinguish linked originals from managed copies.
Locate the expected original
Choose Locate Original… in media management and point to the intended source. Relinking checks expected content and can reject a lookalike; similar filenames alone do not establish identity.
After relinking, play an interval used in the sequence. Check picture, sound, and both boundaries. Repeat for each reported missing source. One successful relink does not repair the whole library automatically.
Do not treat replacement as a relink
Reimporting a file creates a library item; it does not automatically repair older timeline references. Deliberate media or clip-source replacement changes content and needs a fresh review of timing, framing, sound, and every affected edit.
Keep the original and a project version before replacing a source. Do not offer a proxy as an original merely to suppress a warning. Original-quality output needs the verified originals required by its selected source policy.
If a portable project is incomplete
Transfer the complete collected folder. On iOS, expand a shared archive and choose its enclosing folder through Open from Files. A standalone .meridian file can open while its relative movies remain missing.
Check inactive sequences and saved versions you need as well as the current timeline. After repair, collect again and verify on the destination. Keep the original working project until the new package's playback and a short delivery check are complete.