Clean Audio Disk and the Windows 95/98 Recycle Bin

Summary

Because they prevent files from being truly deleted, things like the Windows 95/98 Recycle Bin and Norton Protect have an impact on the Clean Audio Disk command in Cakewalk.

Description

If you are using Windows 95/98 Recycle Bin (it is on by default), then when you delete files using the Windows 95/98 shell, they aren't really deleted. Instead, they are moved to a RECYCLED folder on your hard drive. You may "undelete" the files, until you truly delete them by emptying the Recycle Bin.

The Norton Protect feature of Norton Utilities is even more "radical": It intercepts all file deletions, even those issued by programs, and puts the "deleted" files in a NPROTECT folder.

Cakewalk's Clean Audio Disk command works by searching for .WRK files. It builds a list of the .WA~ audio files they use. Whatever .WA~ files aren't used by any .WRK file are deleted.

As a result, if you have "deleted" .WRK files and they are still held in the special folder, Clean Audio Disk will still find them and regard them as "Not deleted, yet". Until you truly delete a .WRK file (by emptying the Recycle and/or Norton bin), Cakewalk still examines it and preserves any .WA~ audio files used by it. This is good: Otherwise, if you changed your mind and undeleted a .WRK file, you might find its audio missing!

What to do

There are several options:

  • Empty the Recycle Bin (and Norton's bin if you're using that) before running Clean Audio Disk. Since you're trying to reclaim disk space by running Clean Audio Disk, emptying the Recycle bin probably makes sense anyway.

    Also, because Clean Audio Disk may delete one or more .WA~ files, those will end up in the Norton bin (but not the Windows 95/98 Recycle bin, because the Recycle bin only handles files you delete using the Windows 95/98 shell). So if you're using Norton Protect, you probably want to empty its bin after running Clean Audio Disk, too.

  • Disable Norton Protect and/or the Windows 95/98 Recycle Bin. You may want to disable only Norton Protect, since only it causes you to have to empty a bin both before and after Clean Audio Disk. Windows 95/98 Recycle bin is less annoying in this respect, so you may want to leave it enabled. -OR-:
  • Leave Norton Protect enabled, but use its exclusion feature: Certain file type can be excluded from protection. Right-click the Windows 95/98 recycle bin and choose properties. Choose the Norton Protect tab and press the Exclusions button. Add the file type *.WRK. While you're at it, you may want to exclude *.WA~ files too.

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