Was always wondering why the clean audio folder took so long to find all the files. Anyway, I experimented and changed the main folder where it searches (audio path) to my D drive on my computer instead of C:Cakewalk, never thinking that it would search outside of the song folders. Now I have lost years of mixes because it deleted every .wav file in the folder. (yes, 100's and 100's of files). It does not send them to the recycle bin, or maybe because there were so many files it deleted them. 
 
I don't even know what this means yet. Yes, probably most  are backed up on another drive or have been published and I can rip off the CD's into Soundforge. Hmm... Now will go through everything and see what is not backed up--like my Simon Philips multi wav library which I know I didn't back up-duh! (but never used it at least.) (good news-it's a forever download-can retrieve them now. I hate to pay for things and not be able to have them-even if I don't use them. Ha.)
 
I would have never imagined this could happen.

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. I did the same years ago and decided that manual back up and deletion is the best way to tidy the house. I hope you find your stuff in the back ups. And thanks for reminding us that automatic cleaning isn't the best idea

Yes, a feature that should be removed probably.

im not sure I understand how that happens.
I use the clean audio folder loyally after every 8-10 projects.
and I've noticed it scans my external drives as well. but it always prompts me with a list of files to be deleted.
Note: Photo is older / Sonar 8.5

 
Typically after cleaning all my folders (before I archive them) I use the CWAF Tool. This helps me find redundant, useless files or files that no longer go with projects.
 
I would like to see an update to this tool though, its old and slow as molasses. However once you scan one project using the clean audio folder utility, Sonar remembers these folders so the next project scanned goes a lot faster.

ouch^3
 
two considerations: (1) backup everything frequently (system + projects) and (2) dont rely on tools like that CWAF
 
To clean up a project I simply use Save As to a newly created folder. To double check everything is there, just close Sonar, rename original source and open the cleaned up project. Sonar will find all required files in the new folder, all obsolete ones are gone (but still available in the original resource which I usually keep for a month just to be sure I don't need anything from a previous version of the project.)
 

Im willing to guess he may have hit delete without looking at the files.
Because Sonar doesn't delete anything without asking you first. However he is correct about one thing, these files do NOT go to the recycling bin. they are "86"d for good (as far as I know).
 
But typically I will have a peek at the list of found files before I hit "Delete all".
With that said, im sorry to hear of your projects being lost. a system restore might be able to bring these files back. if not, then a recovery software might.

If you haven't done too many changes since the files were deleted.  Try Recuva (the free version) to see if they might still be able to be recovered.  I've used it successfully to recover other deleted files.
 
Here's a link https://www.piriform.com/recuva
 
Hope this helps,
Paul

^^^^ Definitely do a recovery utility. "Deleting" a file only tells the computer it is available to be written on. If you have not written to it, it is still there. Once written to it is truly gone. You may lose a few, but the sooner you recover them, the more you'll save.

Wow, thanks everybody.
 
Here's what he did.
I have used this tool (Clean Audio Folder) so many times in the last however many years with great success. I did hit delete all without really looking.  I used to check years ago, but after the first 30 times (which was about 500 times ago) I stopped looking because all was always well. I must have never really understood how all recurse and folder thing worked. It seems to scan all my folders. Thank God it didn't scan my backup folder and delete those (external.) I am now in the throes of a 70 song project for a long standing client and the sheer amount of work can cause a soul to try shortcuts to save time. Ha! I lost so much time. Only 6 mixes out the 70 songs has to be re-rendered sop that wasn't so bad. But I am not sure if I lost anything that is hard to recover. I will definitely run the recovery tool.
 
WHAT I DID that time that was different is for the first time I changed the drive letter to a different place, and toggled the recurse. The combination must have given the program permission to delete every .wav file that was in that folder that was not part of a Sonar project. Fun!
 
I am very thankful for all your comments. Of course, system restore won't work as someone suggested as it doesn't touch your files.
 
Will be putting a some mixes up for the first time in probably 10 years in the song forum-not that I stopped music, but just stopped doing that. Looking forward to hear some of your mixes.
 
Best, Michael
 

Michael, Im guilty too.
Taking things for granite. I have been getting lazy lately when I clean my audio folder, been kinda doing the same thing. taking a quick peek and just betting that it is only removing the files I want it to because like you, I have used this utility 500 times + another 1000 times.
 
So thanks for the reminder. Hopefully a software recovery tool can get back most of them for you.