Audacity Forum

I checked the FAQ's and tired searching the board for this topic, but to no avail.

I thought I was going crazy and that I was accidentally deleting all my .aup files, but now I've found that after recording an LP in a project and the saving it, I'll open Audacity the next day only to discover that my .aup files are gone. I've searched the whole computer to make sure they weren't being saved to some other directory than the one I've designated.

The data is still there in separate files but the .aup files aren't there to link all the data back together. I know there's a convoluted way of using the data to string together the album, but that's a pain.

Any help would be appreciated.

My first reaction is to start ripping the computer apart with various tests and inspection programs, but there might be a simpler explanation. You can make a Windows machine crazy if you use illegal filenames.

Upper and lower case letters, numbers, underscore, and dash. That's the whole list of characters that are allowed in a filename. I don't use spaces, either. If you put a slash mark in a filename, you could get an unstable project.

You could also have accidentally told Windows what an AUP file was and that Windows needed to hide it from you as a System File.

In addition to all the other more conventional problems. Are you filling up your hard drive? When was the last time you did the Big Virus Scan (not the little wimpy one that runs in the background).

I think a hard drive error check is in order, too. My Computer > Explore > C: > Properties > Tools > Error Check (I may have the order wrong).

Koz

Well, the computer is only 6 months old; I did a virus scan last week; and I'm using all the valid characters that are allowed in a file name.

Perhaps windows IS hiding the files from me.

These audacity projects are the only ones that disappear. This hasn't happened to any other files (that I know of at least). Also, my hard drive has plenty of space on it.

Besides, like I said, the hundreds of data files are still there, it's just the .aup files that do the disappearing act.

I'll do a hard drive error check.

Thanks for the input.

Any other suggestions are welcomed.

<<<my hard drive has plenty of space on it.>>>

We hear that from people who have no space left on their hard drive. All others give us actual numbers.


<<<Perhaps windows IS hiding the files from me.>>>

Wouldn't be the first time. From memory...

My Computer > Explore > Folder Options > Show Hidden Files, Show System Files, Show File Extensions.

You can put all that back later, but most serious users find seeing the file extensions to be valuable all the time. That hidden files thing is why most Windows users think all sound files are MP3.

While Audacity is still open, open up another window and drill down to the location where you put your AUP file. Make sure it's really there. You might also make two projects of the same show and call them different names. See if both vanish. While Audacity is open, open the AUP file in NotePad and save it as another name.

Do something Windows is not expecting. See if all three vanish.

When you close Audacity right after the Export, can you see the AUP file in Windows Explorer? Do you need the overnight gap for the destruction to occure? Anybody else have access to your machine?

Koz

OK, I have 160g of hard drive space.

I checked my hard drive for errors. It's fine.

The .aup files are not hidden.

Not only are the .aup files disappearing, exported wavs are disappearing too.

Maybe I should try importing my vinyl with another program.

poseidun wrote:Not only are the .aup files disappearing, exported wavs are disappearing too.

Where are they disappearing from? What location are you saving the projects to and what location are you exporting the WAV files to?

poseidun wrote:I'll open Audacity the next day only to discover that my .aup files are gone.

How is it that you do not notice they are missing before you open Audacity?
The usual way to save work then open it again in Audacity is to Save the project (and Export a backup WAV) in a location that you have full access to (such as "My Documents"). Then to open the project again you open "My Documents" and double click on the AUP file.

Steve,

They're disappearing FROM the folder I save them TO...ie., my designated temp directory where ALL my audacity projects go. And they're not going anywhere else because a full search of my computer for .aup files is fruitless.

You ask how I don't notice the files are gone BEFORE opening audacity. The files exist when I first create the project. Sometimes I won't immediately export them to wav...sometimes I'll wait till another day. It is then that they have disappeared.

I understand how to access the folder that my audacity projects are save to and I understand how to open an AUP file

poseidun wrote:.ie., my designated temp directory where ALL my audacity projects go.

That wouldn't happen to be the same temp folder that Audacity uses as ITS temp folder would it?

Oh, right. The one Audacity cleans out at the end.

Koz

Why yes, the place where I save my projects and Audacity's temp folder are probably one in the same.

I'm guessing from your posts that this could be the problem.

This is good news. I will try saving in a different place than the audacity temp folder and see if this helps.

Thank you gentlemen.