Unsaved file recovery overwrote my file — any way to save it?

[Sonoretta11]

Hi. I recorded the audio of an interview directly into Audacity all in one go. Towards the end my computer was low battery so I saved the file as an aup3 to my Documents. Then the interviewee started saying something so I clicked the ‘x’ button on top left to delete the track and start a new one, but the interviewee stopped talking before I got to make a new one. So I quit audacity with the file blank, no tracks.

Few hours later I move the file to a desktop folder and open it to listen to it. I get some notification that the last version didn’t save and audacity autorecovered. I don’t think I told it to do that, I think I just closed the notif but it’s possible I clicked an “ok”. I then discovered it autorecovered the file to a blank state — without the track with the interview audio.

I’ve been googling around and am kind of at a loss of what to do. I’ve used audacity a bit before but really don’t know the program well. Audacity is 3.5.1. I’m on a MacBook Pro, on Ventura 13.5.1 (I know, I’ll update it) and don’t have Time Machine activated so I can’t use that. Just tried Disk Drill and it only found a aud3-wal file.

Feel like I’m screwed. Thanks in advance if anyone can help me.

[kozikowski]

@Sonoretta11

I recorded the audio of an interview directly into Audacity all in one go.

And a backup sound file on my phone… No?

@Sonoretta11

Just tried Disk Drill and it only found a aud3-wal file.

That’s the file that Audacity creates before it finishes creating a good, final Project aup3 file. I think you caught Audacity in the middle of saving your work. I don’t think there is a sound file or finished show anywhere. Someone else may post.

@Sonoretta11

I clicked the ‘x’ button on top left to delete the track and start a new one

I think I would have pressed Record again. Best case it will start recording again. It might get upset and say no. It might just ignore you. In all cases I bet the original show would be OK. That’s basic programming.

Pressing Delete, or Stop, or any other command like that is an emergency command. Something is wrong! Flush everything and start over—if you can.

This is a backup recording I made on my iPhone.

Koz