brjames1
What version of Premiere Elements are you using and on what computer operating system is it running?
After you have created a project and it has been saved, you should be expected to be able to reopen the project with the
project as before the save/close (some discussion about rendered files remaining rendered, but essentially as written).
When they do not, we can invoke the damaged project syndrome.
The following is an Adobe document on that subject.
Troubleshoot a damaged project file | Adobe Premiere Elements
If you are getting "Where is the file....?" messages when re-opening a saved closed project, typical reasons
a. you have moved, deleted, or renamed files and folders that were imported into the project after the save close...when
you import media into a project, all you get are copies of the originals in the project. But the project needs to trace back
to the originals in the hard drive location where those originals were when first imported into the project.
b. if you store your source media on an external hard drive, the external hard drive may be malfunctioning and/or the
drive letter of the external drive changing for a variety of reasons. Does any of that apply to you.
Please review and consider, and then we can decide what next.
Thanks.
ATR