Understanding the file_data folder's audio list sequence

[delicatemelodies]

Here’s what happened:

So the main .AUP file got corrupted. It was a 16 hour audio file and I think it was just too large for my Mac’s Audacity software to ever handle reopening.
First Audacity would freeze & crash when I tried to open the giant audio project, eventually after enough tries (and repeatedly uninstalling and installing Audacity) I eventually got a popup that told me my audio project was damaged and if I wanted the program to attempt repair. I accepted. Than my audio project finally opened without freezing as a completely BLANK project. I have 16 hours of blank nothingness now. So I don’t think the original .AUP project file can ever be restored.

However, to my delight I discovered the file_data folder is filled with fully functional audio recordings. <3 I noticed all these mini audio files are only 6 seconds long. It would be very tedious, but I’m hoping I can piece all these 6 second audio file recordings back together into one project.


*** So I wondering what is the ordering of the file_data files? ***


I.E. First I went to d00 (the first folder) than clicked on the first file (e0000000.au) than I copied that 6sec audio into a project. Than I went to e000000a.au (the second file in its current order in the d00 folder) and pasted it right after the e0000000.au clip in the new project. Than I played the two audio files combined. And well I don’t know, the recorded sentence didn’t sound right. As if these two .au files don’t go next to eachother, like maybe there are a few seconds missing between them?

So I wondering if someone can tell me how these files & folders are sequenced, so I can manually put all audio clips back together in the right order.

[Gale_Andrews]

@delicatemelodies

So the main .AUP file got corrupted. It was a 16 hour audio file

Is this project at 44100 Hz project rate or higher? If so it is too long for 2.0.5 - in that version of Audacity the maximum length per track is just over 13.5 hours at that project rate.

@delicatemelodies

eventually after enough tries (and repeatedly uninstalling and installing Audacity)

Reinstalling Audacity makes no difference to it unless you reset settings as described here: Audacity Manual .

@delicatemelodies

I eventually got a popup that told me my audio project was damaged and if I wanted the program to attempt repair. I accepted. Than my audio project finally opened without freezing as a completely BLANK project. I have 16 hours of blank nothingness now. So I don’t think the original .AUP project file can ever be restored.

However, to my delight I discovered the file_data folder is filled with fully functional audio recordings. <3 I noticed all these mini audio files are only 6 seconds long. It would be very tedious, but I’m hoping I can piece all these 6 second audio file recordings back together into one project.

If you have been editing the project (as opposed to it being an unedited recording) then there is no good way to piece the fragments together using 2.0.5.

I suggest you download the latest 2.0.6-alpha version of Audacity and try recovering the project in that. See Problem with long recordings saved as projects for more explanation. 2.0.6-alpha and 2.0.6 when released will not have the above length limitation.

Note: If you use 2.0.6-alpha you must first force quit Audacity 2.0.5 in /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor. Saving the project silenced or closing it in Audacity without saving it will destroy it. Just make Mac force quit Audacity then the data will be safe and 2.0.6-alpha will ask to recover it.


Gale