Missing (lost?) files

[Michael Spielman]

I'm afraid I know the answer to this, but ... I'm missing some files I worked on before installing the latest version of Audacity. Is there any possibility the two are connected? Is there any way to locate the missing files? I'm using mac OS 10.6.8 and now have Audacity 2.1.1

[Gale Andrews]

I'm afraid I know the answer to this, but ... I'm missing some files I worked on before installing the latest version of Audacity. Is there any possibility the two are connected? Is there any way to locate the missing files? I'm using mac OS 10.6.8 and now have Audacity 2.1.1

If you still need help, please indicate exactly what files you are referring to and what problem symptoms you experience.

Are you talking about third-party plugins that you had in the Audacity "Plug-ins" folder? If you try to merge the new Audacity folder with the old one, Mac will ask you what to do. "Keep newer" or similar will let you keep files that are already in the Audacity Plug-ins folder. "Replace all" or similar will delete all plugins that are not shipped with 2.1.1.

For help with Audacity project structure and recovery please see these links:

Managing Audacity Projects - Audacity Manual

How can I backup my Audacity Projects?

Recovering crashes manually - Audacity Manual.

Gale

[Michael Spielman]

These were not plug-ins; they were aup and data files of interviews I was editing.

[Gale Andrews]

These were not plug-ins; they were aup and data files of interviews I was editing.

OK well then, no 2.1.1 (supplied by us at http://audacityteam.org/download/)
does not delete older AUP files and data_folders - unless of course you had them stored in the installation folder and told Finder to replace the contents.

Be aware if you updated from Audacity 1.2.x, there is a possibility Audacity could corrupt 1.2 projects. Please make a backup copy of the old projects' AUP files and _data folders to a new folder before opening the projects in the current version of Audacity. Once you save a project in Audacity 2.x.x, it cannot be opened again in 1.2.x.


Gale

[Michael Spielman]

Well, thank you. Then this is absolutely stupefying: there is absolutely no way I would have deleted these files and they have just disappeared. No one else has access to my computer. Maybe it's time to start believing in little green men (sob, sob). Back to the drawing board -- I have the unedited source material.

[Michael Spielman]

I've looked further and other files -- which I had copied to CDs or to iTunes -- are also no longer there. That is, the Audacity _data and .aup files. There is just one explanation: In updating Audacity to 2.1 I lost everything that had been worked on in the previous version. Look, I like the program and will continue to use it, but REALLY, there should have been a caveat and a bold-face notice about losing files if you update. I would have burned a few CDs and would not now have to redo many hours of work.

[Gale Andrews]

I've looked further and other files -- which I had copied to CDs or to iTunes -- are also no longer there. That is, the Audacity _data and .aup files. There is just one explanation: In updating Audacity to 2.1 I lost everything that had been worked on in the previous version. Look, I like the program and will continue to use it, but REALLY, there should have been a caveat and a bold-face notice about losing files if you update. I would have burned a few CDs and would not now have to redo many hours of work.

Michael - sorry, but there is no mechanism in Audacity (supplied by us from http://audacityteam.org/download/mac ) that deletes old AUP files and data folders. So the cause lies elsewhere.

Where exactly were these AUP files and _data folders saved? As I explained, if they were in the Audacity installation folder and you instructed Finder to "Replace all", then it did what you asked.

If you stored the files and folders in Audacity's temp folder, then that is cleaned out when Mac reboots. Storing the temp folder where it is cleaned up on reboot is something we should change, but temp folders are not in principle a good place to store files you want to keep.

Do you have Time Machine set up? If so, that will probably have a copy of your files.


Gale