Cakewalk creates "Cakewalk Projects" folder on wrong drive [SOLVED]

[Mike Rainey]

I just installed Cakewalk by Bandlab and every time I open it it creates a new "Cakewalk Projects" folder on the wrong drive.

Cakewalk is installed on my D drive. In preferences I set the Projects folder to the F drive, and made sure the folder exists. I close Cakewalk, delete the folder on D, open Cakewalk and it creates a new "Cakewalk Projects" folder on D. I even restarted the computer, same problem.

I re-checked preferences, they look good (still has F for Project folder location. I searched the registry, every entry I can find shows F as the location for the folder.

Cakewalk creates the new folder on D as soon as I run it, before any project is opened or created, so it isn't just picking up a ghost path from an old project or anything.

I've been a Sonar user from v6 through Platinum, so I know my way around the program fairly well although it's been a couple years since I had Sonar installed. I did install Platinum  so I could access the plugins, and I installed the plugins from X3. I also made sure my installation of Platinum specified the F drive for project files (and checked the registry, everything there looked correct), but it too creates a new projects folder on D as soon as I start it.

How do I make it stop? In the scheme of things it's not that big of a deal to delete the empty folder, but when I get into a flow state I'm likely to accidentally save to the wrong location. Is there some registry key that isn't labeled with a friendly name that I'm missing?

Thanks for any ideas.

-Mike

Windows 11
Intel i7 11700K
32GB RAM
Asus ROG Strix z590E Mobo
Focusrite Scarlett 8i8 2nd gen

Edited March 6, 2022 by Mike Rainey

[tecknot]

Hi Mike and welcome to the Cakewalk forums.

Unfortunately you will have to stick with the Projects folder in its default location.  However, you can use a link or junction to redirect the path to your F drive.  Just type the following using Command Shell as administrator:  mklink /j "D:\Cakewalk Projects" "R:\Cakewalk Projects"

https://discuss.cakewalk.com/index.php?/topic/37647-save-files-to-new-permanent-drive/&tab=comments#comment-302700

Kind regards,

tecknot

[Mike Rainey]

Thanks tecknot!

[John Vere]

I’m not sure if I’m following the issue properly here so ignore this if it’s wrong info. 
 

I have always stored my Cakewalk projects on a second data drive. It’s as simple as setting that up in Preferences/ folders 

There is a default folder on C drive but it’s obviously empty and that’s after 5 years of almost daily use of Cakewalk

There’s no need for and complicated junctions etc. 

Ive never lost or miss placed a project ever. 

[Mike Rainey]

John, to clarify, I have set my preferences to the drive I want to use for "Cakewalk Projects", but Cakewalk keeps creating a new "Cakewalk Projects" folder on a different drive (the one the Cakewalk program is installed to) and using that as the default save location.

The location I have set in Preferences is being ignored.

[John Vere]

Mabey Cakewalk does not like the pathway  for some reason. Possibly you entered it manually by typing?  If you get it wrong Cakewalk will just default back to original location. 

To select the pathway are you using the icon my arrow is pointing at?  

I have mine set to the root of my Data drive because I have about 6 Cakewalk containment folders there.  I have different Albums, Bands and Clients in each. You can also see I have a folder there for exports.   

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by John Vere

[scook]

Rather than mess with preferences, I use a directory junction to relocate where projects are physically stored.

[Mike Rainey]

Ahhhh, I figured it out!

There's another preferences setting that affects this.

In Preferences, under the File > Audio Data section, there are entries to specify folder locations for the Global Audio Folder and the Picture Folder. These don't automatically direct themselves to the Cakewalk Projects folder location you specify in the Folder Locations section, they remain at the default drive/path until you explicitly change them. So that's why the Cakewalk Projects folder was still getting created on the drive I didn't want to use. I changed those to my preferred drive, and the erroneous folder is no longer being created.

 

Thanks for all the ideas.