CWP and wave files empty

Any thoughts at all?

Were your back-ups empty also?? Try your back ups.
 
I've never seen that happen before. I'm betting that they were discarded by mistake somehow, some way. Some sort of auto clean up program on your pc or something or maybe you just mistakenly hit the wrong key or keys. Who knows, but I do know that Sonar will not delete your audio files, unless you tell it to.
 
Anyhow, don't be nervous to start editing again.
 
Cj

CJaysMusic
Were your back-ups empty also?? Try your back ups.
 
I've never seen that happen before. I'm betting that they were discarded by mistake somehow, some way. Some sort of auto clean up program on your pc or something or maybe you just mistakenly hit the wrong key or keys. Who knows, but I do know that Sonar will not delete your audio files, unless you tell it to.
 
Anyhow, don't be nervous to start editing again.
 
Cj

Hi CJ.  Yep, auto backups are there but the files say "0kb".  If the files were accidentally discarded they should be missing but they're not.  Both CWP files and all the audio files that were created during the editing are there, they're just empty, (file size = 0kb).

Here's how this went down:
 
I always create a new version of a project each day that I work on it and label it accordingly.  I worked on this project on Sat, Jan 18, 2014, again on Sunday the 19th and again on Wednesday the 22nd.  On Sunday I opened the file created on Sat, 1/18/14 and saved it as 1/19/14.  When I worked on it Wednesday, I opened the project file dated 1/19/14 and saved it as 1/22/14.  I know that the files were there on Wed. because I opened and worked on the project from Sun. (1/19/14).
 
On Wed. the computer was acting funny, glitchy but I was still able to work.  Somehow during that session or when I saved the project at the end of the session all the associated files were vacated.  They're all still there, they're just empty!  I had touched two CWP project files.  One, (1/19/14) to get started and two, (1/22/14) to save that days work.  If everything was being vacated on the HD, I would not have noticed as all the associated files were in RAM.
 
I'm nervous about starting on the project again until I do a complete backup to another drive.  Somethings wrong and I have no guarantee at this point that when I open the most recent CWP that opens to the project and begin editing, I might loose those audio files as well.  That would mean back to tracking.
 
I'll let you all know what I find out tonight.
 
Thanks.
 
Paul

I've witnessed Generative Variant Katzy virus turn a whole laptop "empty" in ten seconds.
The files were there, I could restore most of them with a Linux-based software called Knoppix.
Luckily it wasn't my own laptop :o/.
 
My virus scanner spotted the same virus in a compressed file I downloaded from a plugin vendor last year.
 
Assuming something similar has happened to you, then, if your backup HDDs are connected to the machine all the time, they're contaminated as well, obviously. They should be connected only, when doing backups, if you want to avoid destruction like that.

rebel007
Have you done a virus scan, there are not that a lot of viruses around nowadays that delete file contents as you open and work on them, but they do exist. Try your own virus scanner and then get a second opinion from an online virus scanner. This does sound like nasty virus work. It's the only explanation, apart from shoddy workflow, that I can think of, and I get the feeling you are not the shoddy workflow kind of person.

Hi Wayne.  Thanks for the reply.  That's on my list of things to try although my DAW is not connected the web so I've never installed an AV and I have Windows' AV disabled.  Everything that goes onto the DAW drive is scanned by Norton's when it's downloaded to my main computer.


Paul

Sir Les
Hello Paul G
 
Could be you are being under, or over powered?...LOL.
 
But seriously...Think about power surges, PSU being weak?, Power surge bar being taxed?, Brown outs when the heating comes on?, or you are doing laundry?, or the old Fridge and freezer kicks on?...all at the same time?, or here and there, when you are mixing and mashing things in Sonar?.
 
Some times the little things Get over looked...and some line noise on electrical can cause issues as well...
 
Just saying I found that out last night...but had it in mind to redo the electrical , and move all 220 lines to a new service line and electrical box....Because Just making electrical runs from the box exclusive for my Studio, does not eliminate the surges of the house...and the Power surge bar I use, is not sufficiently reducing those spikes, or drops in voltages.
 
Second.
Marvell 91xx controllers on some motherboards are buggy.
Might want to google that.
 
Third
The one I Like most, is get yourself a favorite beverage, and some munchies..and do a good read up on things here in the forums .
I believe some people posted missing tracks/corruption of project files, when saving...I know I have....Wink.
 
Yes run a virus check..
 
Four
Do the math, and add up the voltages of your devices in the system and that connected to the system.(including usb/firewire/add on cards)..and make sure your power supply is over specified for them...
 
Try turning off the heating system, and house hold electrical hogs that start and stop natively in house.
Just to be safer than sorry...while this is being routed...Save your files to a few mediums...check The Data through MY COMPUTER , before closing Sonar, to make sure your data is counted as more than Zero.
And some times just to make sure...there is a box you can tick when saving, to save all audio with the CWP file.
So you can make backups...
 
I think that is the first rule of computers...But if the OS or Software or Hardware is not doing that right...it seems pointless!
 
 
Just trying to help...more mead is needed all around the table!
 
Cheers!
 
 
 

Hi Les.  Thanks for all the great ideas.  My computer is custom built and less that three years old.  I have a 750W power supply and a big UPS as well.  I have had power supply issues before but that would manifest itself on both computers, (see my previous reply).  The most recent problems I've had were mouse and keyboard related.
 
I rebuilt the electrical system in this house 10-12 years ago and have never had any supply problems that I'm aware of, (although transformers up line from us seem to blow more often that I think they should, LOL).  My UPS should handle any surges that may occur and I do have as whole house surge protector as well.
 
It's always possible that something in the computer is starting to go but again, that should manifest itself on both systems.
 
Paul

Paul G

Sir Les
Hello Paul G
 
Could be you are being under, or over powered?...LOL.
 
But seriously...Think about power surges, PSU being weak?, Power surge bar being taxed?, Brown outs when the heating comes on?, or you are doing laundry?, or the old Fridge and freezer kicks on?...all at the same time?, or here and there, when you are mixing and mashing things in Sonar?.
 
Some times the little things Get over looked...and some line noise on electrical can cause issues as well...
 
Just saying I found that out last night...but had it in mind to redo the electrical , and move all 220 lines to a new service line and electrical box....Because Just making electrical runs from the box exclusive for my Studio, does not eliminate the surges of the house...and the Power surge bar I use, is not sufficiently reducing those spikes, or drops in voltages.
 
Second.
Marvell 91xx controllers on some motherboards are buggy.
Might want to google that.
 
Third
The one I Like most, is get yourself a favorite beverage, and some munchies..and do a good read up on things here in the forums .
I believe some people posted missing tracks/corruption of project files, when saving...I know I have....Wink.
 
Yes run a virus check..
 
Four
Do the math, and add up the voltages of your devices in the system and that connected to the system.(including usb/firewire/add on cards)..and make sure your power supply is over specified for them...
 
Try turning off the heating system, and house hold electrical hogs that start and stop natively in house.
Just to be safer than sorry...while this is being routed...Save your files to a few mediums...check The Data through MY COMPUTER , before closing Sonar, to make sure your data is counted as more than Zero.
And some times just to make sure...there is a box you can tick when saving, to save all audio with the CWP file.
So you can make backups...
 
I think that is the first rule of computers...But if the OS or Software or Hardware is not doing that right...it seems pointless!
 
 
Just trying to help...more mead is needed all around the table!
 
Cheers!
 
 
 

Hi Les.  Thanks for all the great ideas.  My computer is custom built and less that three years old.  I have a 750W power supply and a big UPS as well.  I have had power supply issues before but that would manifest itself on both computers, (see my previous reply).  The most recent problems I've had were mouse and keyboard related.
 
I rebuilt the electrical system in this house 10-12 years ago and have never had any supply problems that I'm aware of, (although transformers up line from us seem to blow more often that I think they should, LOL).  My UPS should handle any surges that may occur and I do have as whole house surge protector as well.
 
It's always possible that something in the computer is starting to go but again, that should manifest itself on both systems.
 
Paul

Hay Paul..
If something of Power spikes was happening on the audio drive setup, it would or could only effect what was running at the time or event of it happening...let us say you were writing to a drive,(Spike Surge) perhaps the other office.internet drive was idle?...And you say you have had issues with electrical...Some times when transformers blow on the pole...if you have UPS connected, if the surge goes beyond that of the rating, it deteriorates the Unit...some units have to be replaced once they trip.
And with those kind of things being noted , you say you may have...
 
Surges blow lightbulbs slowly but surely!
You have bad sectors...well something may be linked.
 
Just saying...3 years old...not enough time to make bad sectors on drives here...I say, and if you have WD, and you see things failing...they should have you covered.
 
Surge on the house box panel ?...I think that is surge arrest, which trips or cuts all power in the event of lightning striking your house....it does not condition the power...from what I am told.
 
Good thing you have that UPS hooked up...but it may be slowly warring down in performance, if dealing with surges and dirty electricity....as you know all things do.
 
Not trying to mislead you Paul...Just trying to help....
 
if you are swapping Drives, some viruses can hid in memory once they deploy....If something went undetected by Norton's, and I have seen it get infiltrated with out the virus.torgan being detected, it could infect the hole ball of wax.
again not trying to mislead, better to be safe than sorry...
 
and check out the controller on your Motherboard for HDD sata...this is one reason bad sectors and missing data occur....
 
Just saying nothing is fool proof.., some things are broken before you buy them....and surges do not make that any better in standing righted ever.
 
I bought two very good power bars with high jewel ratings, ran exclusive lines to the control room, from my box panel....and I see issues still....and most houses only have one service line to the house....the real solution for my problem in house surges caused by appliances in the home or heating / cooling systems...is to put all that on a second incoming line and metering service.
No more of that from inside the house, once done.
 
So...even though we take some precautions...sometimes they are not enough....Sip.
That is why Murphy's Law plays out so well with all things.
 
Wish I could be of more help...But IRQs and such are not for this thread.
 
Bad sector is a bite?...block of how much size?...one sector should not turn all files and audio to zero should it?
What do I know about bad sectors?...
Just saying, there should be some data truncated ...meaning it is more than zero, but not fully written, or some is missing.
Not sure but when a disk writes data , it is not always done in one sector...thus the need to Defrag the drive, to put all those bits and bites together in a nice neat way....Right?
 
Sir Les