Unable to read .json files

[JEIA_CORP]

So today I tried to open up my project and it said "Unable to read Skills.json file".
It's not the first time it's happened but I desperately need a solution other than trash the files and start from zero.
I've tried everything I can think of but RPGMV is being a stubborn mule.
I greatly appreciate the help.

 

[Andar]

The main solution is to keep backups to copy the last version over whenever that happens.

However you also need to find out why this happens, especially if it repeats - the RMs are not instable and there is always a reason for this, either a defect or a bad setting on your side.

The usual cause is a power failure while the editor has not yet completed saving. This includes defects or settings that interrupt (or "speed up") the windows shutdown procedure. Because yes, there are hidden setting that can speed up shutdown if you know what you're doing, but they are hidden because wrong use can destroy data.

The second most probable cause is having the projects in a cloudsync'ed folder. For any RM (or any other program that uses databasing file access like Filemaker or MS Access) that is not a backup but a sure way of destroying your files on a mistimed filesync.
Always make your backups manually or timed to when the editor is off, never as a background filesync that might happen while the editor is running.

There are a number of other causes (like your harddrive near the end of its life cycle and in urgent need of replacement) as well, so you need to check on those reasons.

 

[JEIA_CORP]

I did accidentally eject the SD card it was saved on but it was after I had saved and closed the program.

 

[Andar]

but it was after I had saved and closed the program.

unfortunately that is not how windows works.
There is a reason why Windows has a function (and requirement) to tell it to unmount any external drive before it is physically disconnected (it's one of the symbols next to the clock in the taskbar).

When you tell windows to save anything, it is first saved into the cache, not saved physically. That is because physically saving data is slow but don't needs windows attention - the electronics of the drive handle that part of transfering data from its cache to the physical device.
One of the functions of the "shutdown" is actually for windows to wait until all drive electronics tell it "cache transfered" before cutting power to those devices. And it's basically the same with that unmount, a function to wait until the cache is transfered before sending a message to the user "you can now remove the device".

If you remove a device before that timeout has completed, part of the data is still in the cache (which is RAM that requires power) and lost when the power is lost.

Check your SD-card-drive. Its device driver should have a setting to either optimize for load times or for hot-swapping (it might be named differently in your driver). If optimizing for hot-swapping the device cache is disabled and all data directly saved physically - which will take longer (including forcing your programs to wait until that longer savetimes are completed), but it will prevent such data loss even if you eject without unmounting/waiting.
It will not save that data if you get impatient and take the drive before the program is finished however...