Error opening .aup file

Hi folks. thanks in advance for any assistance you can lend:

OS: Windows 10
Audacity version: 2.1.2

What happens:
Have Jake.aup and jake_data folder on desktop. attempt to double-click Jake.aup, get error: Error importing “C:\Users\Desktop\jake.aup” is an Audacity Project file. Use the ‘File > Open’ command to open Audacity Projects.

Inside of Audicty: File → Open, select jake.aup. Same error message.

Data folder is not empty: Contains 2.59 GB across 2630 files and 12 folders.

The log file will show entries from attempting to double-click the .aup file, and then using file/open to do the same.

thank you for any assistance you can lend.
Log contents:

12:45:41: Audacity 2.1.2
12:45:41: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries...
12:45:41: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries from system paths. File name is 'avformat-55.dll'.
12:45:41: Looking up PATH environment variable...
12:45:41: PATH = 'C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\Program Files\Dell\DW WLAN Card;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\iCLS Client\;C:\Program Files\Intel\iCLS Client\;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Shared;;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\OpenCL SDK\2.0\bin\x86;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\OpenCL SDK\2.0\bin\x64;c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\;c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Network Monitor 3\;C:\Program Files (x86)\EMC\Navisphere CLI;C:\WINDOWS\idmu\common;C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google Apps Sync\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\DAL;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\DAL;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\IPT;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\IPT;C:\Users\craig\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;'
12:45:41: Checking that '' is in PATH...
12:45:41: FFmpeg directory is in PATH.
12:45:41: Checking for monolithic avformat from 'avformat-55.dll'.
12:45:41: Error: Failed to load shared library 'avformat-55.dll' (error 126: the specified module could not be found.)
12:45:41: Loading avutil from ''.
12:45:41: Error: Failed to load shared library '.dll' (error 126: the specified module could not be found.)
12:45:41: Loading avcodec from ''.
12:45:41: Error: Failed to load shared library '.dll' (error 126: the specified module could not be found.)
12:45:41: Loading avformat from 'avformat-55.dll'.
12:45:41: Error: Failed to load shared library 'avformat-55.dll' (error 126: the specified module could not be found.)
12:45:41: Error: Failed to load FFmpeg libraries.
12:45:41: Error: Failed to find compatible FFmpeg libraries.
12:45:41: File name is C:\Users\craig\Desktop\jake.aup
12:45:41: Mime type is *
12:45:41: Opening with libsndfile
12:45:41: Opening with liboggvorbis
12:45:41: Opening with libflac
12:45:41: Opening with lof
12:45:41: Opening with libav
12:45:41: Error: Importer::Import: Opening failed.
12:46:39: File name is C:\Users\craig\Desktop\jake.aup
12:46:39: Mime type is *
12:46:39: Opening with libsndfile
12:46:39: Opening with liboggvorbis
12:46:39: Opening with libflac
12:46:39: Opening with lof
12:46:39: Opening with libav
12:46:39: Error: Importer::Import: Opening failed.

Is the AUP file blank? Open in a text editor.

Koz

Just noticed it is. No backup copy.

Right then. That puts us in Disaster Recovery.

If it’s a fresh, clean, mono recording, there’s some chance of recovering it with tools and utilities.

If it’s a fresh, clean stereo recording, you may get a recovered show with Left and Right out of order, or flipping in and out of order.

If it’s a cut and edited show, that’s probably the end of the world. There is no graceful, logical, simple order to the files in the _DATA folder.

http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/recovering_crashes_manually.html

Koz

Recorded in stereo, but I always output in mono, so no worries about flipping. Thanks. I’ll go through the article you linked