What is your method for keeping Sonar projects organized and backed up? 
 
I have about 3-4 external drives around that I've collected over the past few years. Some are permanently connected to my system and essentially used the same as internal drives, while others are sitting unused, and of course there are the actual internal drives which are partitioned. I have a default folder for new projects, backup folders on other drives, archive folders, something I call the Boneyard for abandoned projects, but in truth, I can never remember what I put where, and don't really feel I have a usable backup or storage system. Not to mention there's the drive with all my PLAY and other samples on it, and the drive that Sonar itself runs on, which is supposed to be separate, or is it supposed to be the same? I forget. I have on occasion decided to put a system in place, but then will forget what it was soon after. 
 
The trouble is that the drives and backups and everything are essentially abstractions. If I were a butterfly collector it would be easy to keep track of because I would physically see butterflies stored in different places. But this stuff is so out of sight out of mind that it goes directly out of mind at the earliest opportunity. When I come down to do music I'm thinking "Change the ritard in the middle section and put more energy into the castanets", not "The backup for the exported audio bounce down is on the G drive".
 
So I'm asking what kinds of solutions other people have, and how do you keep it straight for the long haul?

Hi. I have separate disks for os, samples and libraries (one for each). I have an external HD that I do backups to regularly. Have not had any problems with that.
Best of luck.

Big picture, data that is not pre-loaded content (i.e. can be replaced by re-running an installer) reside in the following locations:
 
C:\ProgramData
C:\Users\[User Name]
[Drive Name]:\Cakewalk Projects
 
Those 3 directories (and subdirectories) should have the data backed up to another location for "just in case" purposes. Although blindly copying the entire directory works, you will end up copying 99% of the files again for no reason (and spend the time doing so). Any backup utility that allows for incremental backup (i.e. only copying newer/non-existent files) is the easiest method to make sure everything at location A = location B.
 
I personally use Windows xcopy/robocopy batch files I made more often than not (not "intuitive" to everyone), but there are utilities which will do the same incremental backup strategy for data files. I posted what I do here a while ago, but a utility for such might be simpler for you.

Hmm, somehow my post went into the ether when I tried to edit it, oh well:
 
I back up projects to the cloud with One Drive. I have Sonar's projects folder in the local One Drive folder along with audio folders, etc. If I'm working on a really large project I turn off synching while I'm working. It's easy and brainless.
 
My HD setup is as follows:

• C: - 500 GB SSD
  • OS
  • Program Executables
  • VSTs
• E: - 2 TB WD Black
  • Data
  • Projects
  • Audio
  • My Documents
  • Stuff
• F: 2 TB WD Black
  • Samples
  • Installers for Samples

C: 1TB WD 7200RPM Internal - Programs, OS & Plugins
D: 1TB WD 7200RPM Internal - Cakewalk Projects & Exports
E: 1TB WD 7200RPM Internal - Sample libraries
F: 2TB WD  7200 RPM External - Backups
G: 750GB Seagate External - Archived material

When you create a new project, pick a nice bit of "cover art" for it; an image of a great painting, a racecar, whatever. Add some text to the image containing the artist name, the file name and location of the project. Print the artwork out and place it in your project folder, or better yet, frame it and put it on your studio wall.

Zargg71
Hi. I have separate disks for os, samples and libraries (one for each). I have an external HD that I do backups to regularly. Have not had any problems with that.
Best of luck.

...What he said.
 

mettelus
 
I personally use Windows xcopy/robocopy batch files I made more often than not (not "intuitive" to everyone), but there are utilities which will do the same incremental backup strategy for data files. I posted what I do here a while ago, but a utility for such might be simpler for you.

Hey, thanks for the info... very useful.
 
Mel

Here is my HD structure
 
 
C:\ 250 GB Samsung Internal SSD for Windows 8.1, Sonar and other Audio applications installed.
D:\ 1TB WD Internal HD 1 for Sonar Projects Created, T-Racks Mastered Projects, and audio from clients
E:\ 1 TB WD Internal HD 2 For all Sample files, Midi files, audio dumped from Promotion CD's and the like.
F:\ 1 TB External WD Elements Travel HD for taking mixed down files with me for others to listen to.
 
Everything gets backed up to a 6 TB WD Red NAS Hard Drives on my network.

1. 250GIG SSD Win 8.1.1 all programs, plugins
2. 1TB 7200rpm SATA 3 Projects and other static data
3. 2TB 7200rpm SATA 3 All sample libraries
4. 1TB 7200rpm SATA 3 All installers

All backed up automatically nightly to a Win2011 sever. Also have project and doc backup to Onedrive.

I have 3 drives:
2Tb 7200 RPM - Windows, program files, downloads, etc. Cakewalk Content, Omnisphere samples.
2Tb 7200 RPM - Audio projects
256Gb SSD - Samples. Mostly Kontakt libraries and GForce stuff.
I'm thinking about moving the Omnisphere samples back to the SSD if there is room, it's a bit snappier loading from there.