It sounds like something from Harry Potter or The Hobbit, but an error that’s been around in Pro Tools since version 7.4 is this one “Could not complete the Open Session command because magic ID does not match”, it may also have additional text.

If you get this then it probably means the session file is corrupted, if it is the case then try the following.

1. Try opening a session file back-up, these are situated in the current session folder in a sub folder called “Session File Backups”

2. If this does not work then try creating a blank session and doing a Session File Import and importing everything back into the new blank session.

3. There are rare occasions when Pro Tools will not start-up, if this is the case then the simplest thing to do is to back-up your plug-in folders and then reinstalling Pro Tools. However, this should not be necessary.

Anyway, no need for a wand or incantation - the answer is far less magic than the the error would suggest.