My Drive changes .cwb extension to .wav?

[Terry Kelley]

Has anyone noticed Google My Drive changing the extensions of .cwb to .wav when you go to download it? I think part of the reason is that My Drive has learned that .cwb contain wave files and has that associate. But I've never found where it happens. Even Google shrugged their shoulders at the question.

[Michael Vogel]

What happens if you change the extension back to .cwb ?  Give it a try. 

[Kurre]

Maybe there is some security settings where cwb should be acknowledged as a non security risk?

[msmcleod]

This is because cwb files store the track wav files first in the file.  Google is trying to be clever and identifying the file as a .wav, probably stripping out all of the project information too.

I'd avoid using cwb files with cloud storage - better to zip up your project directory and store that instead.

[Byron Dickens]

It really pisses me off when Big Tech thinks they're so much smarter and "fixes" things for me.

[Noel Borthwick]

Its because a CWB file is a RIFF file starting with a Wave fmt chunk and followed by a custom chunk for the project data. 
Most likely the google code sees the fmt chunk and assumes its a standard wave file as a result. Not exactly wrong because you can rename a cwb file to .wav and it will play something..
All you need to do after downloading the file is to force the extension back to cwb.

[bitflipper]

7 hours ago, Noel Borthwick said:

...Not exactly wrong because you can rename a cwb file to .wav and it will play something...

I got to wondering if you could say that about any file. So I saved your last post and loaded into Adobe Audition as raw audio. It plays, albeit very briefly. Here's what it looks like:

[Terry Kelley]

Thanks everyone, that's some detailed info.

As asked, when I download, I just change the extension to cwb. The file opens fine. If I forget to change it, I just rename it when it's done and it opens fine.

Interestingly, the extension isn't changed when I send bundles back to him. They stay cwb, It's like Google learned something on my side that can't be changed. The file will show as a .cwb on My Drive but when I go to download it, the file manager window shows it as .wav. So it's some association there.

I've never had an issue sending bundles around. If I ever do, I will certainly switch to zip files. But for backups I copy all of the files directly with no bundles or zip.

Edited November 18, 2022 by TBK

[Noel Borthwick]

7 hours ago, bitflipper said:

I got to wondering if you could say that about any file. So I saved your last post and loaded into Adobe Audition as raw audio. It plays, albeit very briefly. Here's what it looks like:

The audio will be nonsensical to listen to. Basically the bundle stores wave files of the same bit depth back to back in different chunks. Most wav file importers will grab just the first chunk and ignore the rest.

[Mark Peters]

I found the same issue with both Dropbox and Box, but it is only one-way in my case; cwb files my brother sends me get the wav extension, cwb files I send him don't.

[pwallie]

cwb format has been told to be "old format" and really not to be used these modern days, the advice is to open your cwb file and re-save it as cwp with the audio sub-folder (and then zip it, or whatever compressor you prefer, to share or archive it)

/goodluck

[Bristol_Jonesey]

And if you're using the new Sonar you can save it as a Cakewalk Zip file

[Mark Peters]

Thanks. Both valid suggestions, but it seems easier to just edit the extension, particularly since only I need to do this; my brother doesn't need to do anything different.