Per Project Audio problem

 
Generally when I start a new project it originates as a template or blank CWP both which I have created and then used save as , There's no real difference between a Template or a CWP that looks like a template. .  
I open the template ( CWP)  and before I do anything I "save as" to the folder location I'm going to use and re name it. 
I always check the copy audio with project box. This is the best way for me and I've never lost audio this way. 
I have a folder for each album with all the song folders inside that.
Each song folder contains the Audio folder, the CWP and the midi file. I also store the lyrics and the original as an mp3 if it's a cover tune. 
 
I do have the Per Project box ticked in preferences but when you work like I do it's not even necessary. I'm more or less manually putting my projects in the folder I want it to be in. It's all in that crucial "save as" action. There's no difference in any software we use. Make folders and use them. Don't let software blindly stash things. 
 
Some of my projects start as MIDI files which I open by double clicking the file. This opens Sonar and loads TTS-1 so you can get started. I immediately perform the save as to a CWP and browse to the new folder it will occupy. Always checking that "Copy audio with project" box even when there's no audio involved yet. 
 
Did you make sure to check the advance option in preferences? The pre project box is there somewhere. But I don't trust it. 
 

The only time something like this has happened to me is when I was editing a project template and then decided to start composing a project by simply choosing "Save As" and then renaming the project and saving it as a normal Cakewalk project. The audio, however, was saved to whatever randomly named folder I had designated when I loaded the project template to edit. Hopefully that makes sense. 

I suspect this happens if you create a new project but do not name it. SONAR now allows this, but without that name it cannot create a project folder. If audio gets recorded the global audio folder is the only choice.

This is creating a major mess for me.  My workflow is to give generic date / descriptive names to tracks in my "Ideas" folder like "2016.08.07 introspective 125 bpm Abminor." Only when I decide a track is worth pursuing to completion do I give it a proper name and then move it into a folder of its own under my "Completed." I have never wanted to use per-project audio and have a centrally located wavedata folder as my default.  All of a sudden, when I render any audio within the ideas folder and subsequently move the .cwp file to the final destination folder, all of my audio gets orphaned. Turns out it is all still sitting back in the ideas/audio folder. I have no easy way to reattach these to the files in the completed folder (the rendered .wav names have no relation to the project's name).
 
I really want to disable Sonar from EVER using per-project audio (and thought I had).  I have my default audio folder set to my J:\cakwalk\wavedata folder but since some recent upgrade, Sonar (again) insists upon depositing it everywhere except where I tell it. 

I would add that for ME, I too will create snippets - projects that are just notions really, not a full blown project, but I still always want the Per Project Audio on.
 
When I decide to make a snippet project a full-blown one with a real name and all, I open the snippet project, (names like asgtasgle or whatever keys I drag my fingers across), and then I do a Save As and create a new project folder with a real project name - and I also make SURE to check the Copy All Audio option.  That way, any referenced audio clips are copied into the Audio sub-folder of the new project's named folder, and nothing gets left behind.
 
Would the above meet your needs for dealing with 'potential projects (snippets)', and keeping the audio with it, if and when it becomes a full-blown real project?
 
Oh - I also go back and delete the snippet project folder, once I complete the Save As when it becomes a real project.
 
Bob Bone