Hey guys!
 
First time to post here: what an exciting little community.  I'm excited to check out some threads!  What's brought me here is a bit of a disaster!  Firstly, here are my computer specs:
 
Intel Core2 Duo CPU, E6550 @ 2.33 GHz
8GB RAM
4.5 TB HDD
Windows 7 64 bit
(yep, I need to upgrade!)
 
and I'm using Sonar X2 Producer.  I've been using it for about 1.5 years and love it, and am contemplating upgrading to X3.  I run a professional home studio in Melbourne, Australia and have just bumped into a problem I've never had before and I can't solve it.
 
I have started tracking a new project a few days ago and have pretty much completed one song for it with several vocal overdubs, about 4 midi instrument tracks (including full, detailed session drummer 3 sequencing), electric guitar, farfisa and a few more things.  The project initially didn't have a name, but when a name came, I changed the folder name and the cwp file name to reflect the new title.  The next day when I opened the session EVERYTHING WAS GONE!  Holy ****.  Not even a console window showed up: just an empty tracking window.  The only remnant left of what I'd done was the metronome time and signature!  I tried renaming it back to what it was, but the same problem.  Anybody got ideas how I can restore the session to how it was?!  I've lost about 3 full days of work.  I can redo it all, but probably will take me a full day (especially with several vocal takes with overdubs sprinkled all over), so seeing if I can avoid that.  Any help would be great appreciated!
 
warm regards,
 
Adam

Now THAT is a pretty weird thing to have happen - in fact, I have never heard of it occurring before.
 
I rename project files and project folders all the time, literally nearly every day and sometimes multiple times a day - for about 20 years or so, and have never had issue with folder contents.
 
Perhaps things somehow got deleted - in which case they should have gone to your Recycle Bin.  Please look there - just in case.  Unless there is a disk failure or a permanent delete requested, anything deleted would by Windows default end up in the Recycle Bin.
 
Are there any reported critical errors in the Windows Event Viewer from yesterday/today - (or whatever time period goes back beyond when you last saw things there)?
 
Bob Bone
 
 

Thanks for your reply, Bob!  There was nothing in the recycle bin.  As far as I know, there were no disc failures/blue screens etc.  I happily shutdown my PC, and this morning, voila, my cwp file is an empty shell!  I checked the event viewer (didn't know there was such a thing: thanks for the tip!), and there was one critical error in the last 7 days, which was relating to my network and a few errors that I can't point back toward this problem.  Totally bamboozled by this one!

Just checked to see if there are any restore points on the cwp file and unfortunately there is not!  I also noticed the cwp file is only 72kb in size, whereas the average cwp file seems to be much larger. Something really weird has happened.  Looks like I'm going to have to reconstruct the entire damn session!  Boooo!!!!!!!

Are the audio takes still in the audio folder?

Yep: all audio takes are still in the folder.  Basically, by losing the information in the cwp file, I've lost all my midi programming and the positions of all the vocal tracks.  All guitars added were loops which are easy to reimport.  I'm in the process of doing it now.  Gonna be a long day.  :(

Well, the timings of all of the audio clips should be maintained, if they are Broadcast Wave clips (which have the embedded time-stamp info in them).  There is a Preferences option that when set will import audio clips at their embedded time-stamps.
 
I ALWAYS make a backup of any project I am about to work on, so that no matter what happens I at least go no farther back than what I just started.  I also save frequently during any work on a project, and never leave a project open if I am going to go off and do something, like eat lunch or whatever.
 
Moving forward, developing and religiously following a backup process will ensure the highest level of success with preserving your data.
 
I wish I had some sort of idea as to what could have happened - I have no recollection of ever seeing any post where this sort of thing has happened - though I certainly could have missed them in the past.
 
Sorry this happened to you.
 
Bob Bone
 

Yes a classic case of no back up blues. Man, please back up at least at the end of your day to a second hard drive. If  you are doing this for clients at least 3 back ups! 
 
If you re named the file, then the original CWP icon should be still were it was untouched. 
RE naming a file creates a new icon. I think you have just not been keeping track of where things are stored. Use the search function with the original name to find the original CWP,,, it has to be there,, a 1 in 1,0000000 chance that it was erased. 

Could you maybe have accidentally dragged it into your audio sub-folder?
 
How did you rename it?
 
How are you looking for it?  Opening in Sonar?  Windows Explorer?
 
Bob Bone
 

Could it be the problem is you changed the filenames instead of using Save As? That could Mess the projects intrrnal paths, couldn't it?