When all my audio is in a dedicated folder on D: which is what I have selected as the Audio Path?

Clean Audio Folder is something everybody tries once and then gives up on.
It was designed in the Win3.1 days when there was no recycling bin yet.
It had a bugfix in Newburyport, but the concept has never been updated.
 
The generally accepted workaround - GAW(R) - is to use "Save As", ensure you have "Copy All Audio with Project" selected, then save to a new directory.
 
You now have a new directory containing only those audio files you really use.
 
Unfortunately you now need to delete (or better rename) your original directory, then name your new directory to the original name.

I 100% agree. I haven't tried using that in years for those reasons. I like your work around.

The last time I attempted to use Clean Audio, it deleted literally all my audio files. Fortunately I had backups.
 
Mind you, it was probably my mistake. But then I've been using Cakewalk / SONAR for 26 years, so it's not a rookie error.
 
Don't use Clean Audio Files. The described workaround works well.
 

But to be fair, it's invaluable for those still running Windows 3.1 

Yeah I have never used it before (after about 15 years of CW use) but I am wanting to use projects on a laptop and thought I could reduce size a bit. I use the Per Project audio folders, but when I look at those, some have up to 15 different wav files when all the project has is three tracks. This makes the size of the folder huge. It was these files I was hoping could be cleared but using the Clean Audio Tool...but going by the derisory comments (not much constructive!!)  here, it is something CW should probably write OUT of the software!!

I use "Clean Audio Folder". And to be honest I never have a problem.
As the post says I never understand why it explores all my drive! And the time it takes, as the years pass it takes more time because we have more capacity drives !
Bue well, meanwhile Sonar looks all my files I go to prepare another round of "Mate" ;)
 
Very Interesting method "jpetersen" I never realized of that option!

jpetersen
Clean Audio Folder is something everybody tries once and then gives up on.
It was designed in the Win3.1 days when there was no recycling bin yet.
It had a bugfix in Newburyport, but the concept has never been updated.
 
The generally accepted workaround - GAW(R) - is to use "Save As", ensure you have "Copy All Audio with Project" selected, then save to a new directory.
 
You now have a new directory containing only those audio files you really use.
 
Unfortunately you now need to delete (or better rename) your original directory, then name your new directory to the original name.

 
Just tried that, but it does not really work all that well. Yes it reduces a little bit (in the example one I tried it reduced from 132MB to 101MB) but there are still multiple wav files for the same part.

FYI when it searches all your drives it is not looking for audio files, it is looking for all possible project files so it doesn't delete audio that is in some project somewhere else.

jpetersen
The generally accepted workaround - GAW(R) - is to use "Save As", ensure you have "Copy All Audio with Project" selected, then save to a new directory.
 
You now have a new directory containing only those audio files you really use.

You can slim things down even further if you also check "Create One File Per Clip." This trims any audio not explicitly referenced by the clips in your project. 
 
Also check out my "Friday's Tip of the Week" for Week 70 about "The Third Way to Back Up Your Files." This splits the difference between minimum size and retaining portions of files not explicitly referenced by the clips themselves.
 
Finally, remember that one track may reference more than one file unless you bounce all your clips and flatten any processing. Additional files are generated for undo as well.