This is a similar problem I had before - and as a result I started saving more carefully: created a new folder just for a given project, and carefully saved everything for that in the same place - all on my desktop - all simply saved as "Normal". After a couple months when I tried to open the project, the Audio file folder was empty. Fortunately I had saved it in an external hard drive, and was able to retrieve it. But WHY do these Audio folders keep emptying or disappearing? I do nothing exotic or different that I'm aware of...just your basic "save", and often have then been able to go there several times and get the project in tact - until one time (often after a couple months or more) I go there and the file is empty. Thanks

how are you saving your projects ?
in a cakewalk projects folder?
.CWP

you should have all your files in one folder

Do you have Preferences-File-Audio Data - "Use Per-Project Audio Folders" checked?
 
Or is Sonar saving all projects' audio to one folder?

I have been saving each project in it's own folder which I temporarily keep on my desktop. I keep everything related to that project there - in that one folder. "Use Per-Project Audio Folders" is checked, and I have periodically checked and seen them there. They are Cakewalk Project Files (.cwp). And as I mentioned before, most of the time I don't have a problem, but then they abruptly disappear.

Veeeery odd.
This must be David Copperfield-magic. Statue of Liberty did not really disappear. Files don't disappear unless a malware is cutting off the path data (I've seen it happen).

If you keep Per Project Audio Folder temporarily on your desktop (why???), where do you move them later?
Have you checked all the save-path settings in the Preferences? IIRC as default the audio is saved in the project file in the Cakewalk Projects-folder. Are 100% sure you don't accidentally jump between two different folders?

You do not need to do all that. Its pointless. Sonar does this for you, automatically...

Just use CWP and per project folders and Sonar will Automatically save each project in its own folder. And when you want to back it up , just use the 'Save As' to save it to another hard drive. Its really really simple.

CJ

happened to me once in x1 when sonar crashed. no malware and no trace of files via 3 different hard disk recovery programs. hate the feeling when others report this issue.

The reason I do it is exactly because it has not been that simple. Many times I have gone to open a folder in cwp and then they aren't there. Then I have to go look. This is an attempt to simplify that search. This has always been an irritation for me, and it also happens in Sibelius. For no apparent reason - saving as I always do, nothing changed or exotic, the files aren't there. The easy search in Windows 7 helped finding files tremendously, but it's still a nuisance. I do nothing different...save the same each time, and some are there and often some are not. It has always been a mystery to me.

Same thing happened to me (I think). I just started using Sonar, so I don't have a bunch of projects, but I've got 7 songs I've recorded so far, all pertaining to one band. I tried to keep things organized by creating a folder named for the band, then moved everything to that folder.
When I opened a project in Sonar, I got some sort of message sayign that my audio files were gone and asking would I like to search for them. In a panic I answered 'yes', but the search yielded nothing! Now I started freaking out, thinking of all the work I had put into those 7 songs/projects. I went back to my folders and put everything back the way they were before I got 'organized' and thank heavens everything seems to be working fine now.
I learned my lesson - leave well enough alone!

Taller


Same thing happened to me (I think). I just started using Sonar, so I don't have a bunch of projects, but I've got 7 songs I've recorded so far, all pertaining to one band. I tried to keep things organized by creating a folder named for the band, then moved everything to that folder.
When I opened a project in Sonar, I got some sort of message sayign that my audio files were gone and asking would I like to search for them. In a panic I answered 'yes', but the search yielded nothing! Now I started freaking out, thinking of all the work I had put into those 7 songs/projects. I went back to my folders and put everything back the way they were before I got 'organized' and thank heavens everything seems to be working fine now.
I learned my lesson - leave well enough alone!

Instead of moving the files outside Sonar, use "Save As" in Sonar, and make sure "copy all audio with project" is checked.
 
By default, Sonar stores all audio folders in one location, something like: Cakewalk Projects/Audio.
 
Per project audio makes life so much easier.