Yeah, get them all in one place Craig on a huge drive, one you'll NEVER fill up
 
Mine are organised similar to Bapu above. 1 Root Folder called "Cakewalk Projects" and every thing else in folders/sub folders below, nested where necessary.
 
Nesting never goes beyond 4 levels, including Root

C:\prog project june 2013
 
which turns into a real song
 
2016 - where's that f'ing song called 'X'
 
 

My method: every 10-12 years have your computer stolen along with backup drives. Clean slate. Things are much simpler now.

bitflipper
My method: every 10-12 years have your computer stolen along with backup drives. Clean slate. Things are much simpler now.

  I can relate...
 
But overall, my "method" is
H:/Music/
- Various Artist folders I've worked with
- project [+yyyy]
      Sub folders include:
           Work on this first
            Work on this later
            [name of finished project]
There is only one audio folder as I typically compose primarily in midi/vsts now.
 
 

bitflipper
My method: every 10-12 years have your computer stolen along with backup drives. Clean slate. Things are much simpler now.

 . . . but, you're the bitflipper, I'm stunned, no offsite back-up ? Tell me you didn't lose it all. Theft is always a recurring nightmare for me, no matter how you organize your projects, interlopers with nefarious intentions don't really care.
 
My method, like some others here, is tons of per-project audio folders, with a database to search, and it's all backed up in 5 different places, including my truck.

audio dir
cakewalk projects
-Songs
-Band
-Practice
-Studio
  -group/project name
i use a date for the initial song file name so it is filed sequentially... 20160908
after I have a firm name for it then I save the file with a name after the date... 20160908 Radioactive Dog
 
i also have these directories under audio and under the win10 quick access dirs
1 WAV renders       (where all sonar renders go)
  -album 1
  -album 2
  -xxx project
2 mastered wav flac 
  -album 1... like above
3 16 bit wav mp3     (VAR max bit rate for mp3s)
  -album 1... like above
4 mp3 128 bit          
  -album 1... like above
 

I guess I'm lucky in that for the most part I only have one type of project, i.e. my own original writing. I don't really get into covers and I don't really get into doing projects for other people and I definitely don't do development projects or gear demos or any of that other crap. 
 
So my file system is extremely simple.
2012 folder has everything I started in 2012, 2013 folder has everything I started in 2013 etc. And every new idea I stumble upon which I feel is worth saving is saved initially with a title that is simply that day's date. If I develop that idea and/or save additional versions, the file names all begin with that original date along with a more descriptive title. When I actually finish it into a done song with a name, the file name is <original date> <song name> <mix version>.cwp
 
That works for me because my needs are relatively simple. For what you're describing, sounds like you could use a database of some sort.

A picture would be easier to understand. 
 
I have a  1 TB data drive for all my Studio files, there are other data drives for back up etc. 
The studio data drive is what I point Sonar to always open and save to. Wave Lab also works from there. 
 
There are 20 or so main folders at the top of the tree. Some of these are what I call Album folders. They are named for either a band, solo artist , originals and the biggest one is all my solo performance backing track project files. 
These folders are dedicated to either Sonar projects, mix down files or live stereo recordings. 
 
The Sonar "album" folders contain a folder for each song on the album. in that folder is everything to do with that song, CWP, MID, lyrics, mp3 of original cover tune or rough demo. but  minus the stereo mixdown which I keep in their own top of the tree folder. Within the mixdown folders you'll find a WAVE and a MP3 folder of the album. 
 
My solo act performance folder has sub folders for midi files, sonar templates, drum machine midi and then a folder for each song ( project). Because there's over 150 folders ( songs) I put a number in front of the special folders = 1-Templates, 2- MIDI files. 3- Drum patterns,  so they show at the top of the list. 
 
So pretty easy for me to find any Sonar files.   
I back up and date the whole Album folders as I work on them with clients or myself. I might end up with 4 of those back up folders which I do not delete until the album is a done deal. What actually happens is I upgrade drives and those back ups are pulled and sitting on a shelf. I have a shoe box of HD's going back to 2000. 
 
I have a separate data drive that contains the masters of about 50 albums I've recorded. Once an album is finished it is stored in that drive.  I digitised and remastered most of my older analogue tapes. I also have countless stereo recordings from doing live sound.  Of course the contents of this drive is stored multiple times and sitting on shelves or in external drives. I have 6 external drives right now.. 3 old school and 3 newer TB's. I think I have 30 hard drives!!!
  

Zargg71
Hi. I do pretty much the same as Bapu (and several others). 
Cakewalk Projects, Year, Artist(s), Projects (in their separate folders).
All the best.

I like the Year idea...Haven't done this, but I am going to start! 
Thanks Ken!

noynekker
My method, like some others here, is tons of per-project audio folders, with a database to search, and it's all backed up in 5 different places, including my truck.

I like the database idea...Since I am a developer myself I can custom make one to fit!
Now off to design the database...Let's see Artist, date, etc.,  etc.