Has anyone ever successfully recovered a corrupt project file?

[alzado]

It's a tale as old as time. I put hours into this track. It’s just about done. Just need to make some final tweaks. But all the sudden it crashes Reason when I try to open it. I have several other song files that use all the same VSTs and those open just fine. It’s just this project. I sent a message to support with my Mac's crash log but I’m worried it’s gone forever.

Please say it ain’t so! Tell me about your success stories.

[joeyluck]

Somewhat recently, I had a project that I couldn't open that seemed to involve a certain instrument in Spitfire LABS. Support had no issue opening it though, so something was funky on my end. I had already figured out a workaround, so I didn't need them to provide me with a fix. I haven't encountered the issue since.

That said, whether support can open the file or they encounter the same error as you, chances are that they can pinpoint the culprit and recover it for you. I would also provide them with the Reason file, if you haven't already.

If you remember the VSTs that are used in the project, even if you aren't having issues with them in other projects, maybe try disabling them via Manage Plugins one-by-one to see if one of them might actually be causing an issue (such as my experience with a certain instrument in LABS).

[Reminiscence]

lots of brilliant compositions are lost daily, especially when you sing and dance in the rain...or shower...

[KGB]

Not one successful recovery. I know you don’t want to hear it but now is the time to invest in Time Machine or a Windows equivalent backup.

[Loque]

Not sure how it works on Mac, but if it creates a crash dump on Windows, you can open it with a debugger and with a bit of luck you can see what causes the crash. If it is a VST, it is worth trying to temporarily delete it and try to open the song.

[WeLoveYouToo]

i don't know how but there has been times when reason crashed and saved it, as well as a file becoming corrupt.
sometimes reason automatically reopened it, but my audio was all orphans and i had to reroute it all.

once i had a vst that would freeze reason anytime i booted it, it was an older one that was free, i dont remember what it was exactly, i think a rompler of some kind, i assumed it just wasn't apple silicon compatible, i moved all my vst files out of my vst folder and started reason which gave the "plugin missing" image and then added them all back one by one (manufacturer by manufacturer really) till i figured out what the culprit was.

but yeah, i have a separate folder of duplicate .reason files that i clone every so often just in cases like that now.