1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly backup
 

1) Save Copy In issue = I am trying to create a copy of my PT session in order to start make edits without affecting the original session. I am using the “Save Copy In” command AND I am check marking the option to copy audio files. But it is not making a truly complete copy…. In the original “Audio Files” folder of the project, it says that there are 514 audio files, but in the 2nd copy the “Audio Files” folder, it says there are only 498 audio files. Why is there a discrepancy of 16 files even though I tell it to copy the audio? It therefore seems that this command is not making a true complete copy. And I’m afraid to continue my work.

Some people have told me that this is because this command does not copy Unused Clip Files...But that is not the culprit in my case, because when I look at the Clip List and select Unused Files ….it highlights almost 100 unused files — NOT just 16!

2) What are the ways to make Backups = For example, I have the PT project folder that I am working on sitting on my computer. At first I thought that I could just, in Finder, right click on the project folder file — copy -- and then past that project folder file to my backup/archival drive. But then, EVERYONE and EVERYWHERE I read online says that is NOT the way to do it because sometimes the copy version will still try to link itself back to the original “Audio Files” folder instead of its own (therefore their back up is useless). They say to use the “Save Copy In” rout. But I have a couple reservations about that method 1-The copy/past method in Finder is less time consuming and 2-I’m not having a lot of confidence the “Save Copy In” method because of the problem I explained in question #1. So what is the proper way of making regular backups/archivals?

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

Orphaned files in the audio files folder are a common occurrence. Undoing some things doesn't necessarily mean the offending file gets deleted. Any file and region listed in the regions bin gets copied over into the new session copy. The proof is whether or not the new session copy works just fine.

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

XNA:
Can't answer your first question but there are options to number two. The easy and free way is to option click and drag the folder to the new destination. You can work on each PT session separately without altering the original or vice versa. The other way is to use Carbon Copy Cloner to do the backups. You can set it up different ways - to do the job manually or to do it on a regular timed bases. Plus having CCC will also make doing system backups easier - you DO make regular system backups right ;)
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Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

Thanks Musicman691! So there is no danger of making copies via just right-click and copy/past in Finder? I was training under a professional sound designer and I know that that is what he did, yet like I said in my question, EVERYONE on the internet said that that was not reliable was to. That's why I am so confused now! (yes I do system backups - Two different time machines and CCC clones)

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

Don't know what your 16 missing files are (and are they even necessary?) but if you want to be 100% sure you have everything, just choose the timeline, consolidate, remove unused files (don't delete!) and then save copy in another place. And dont save the session or you have to find a backup from before consolidate.

(you did know that consolidate creates new audio files to your current audio folder so whatever you can playback before consolidate are then stored in one place, didn't you?)

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

Because of course EVERYONE on the internet store audio files everywhere except on the session audio files folder. Copying session folder does not guarantee you are copying all audio linked to the session, which is why Save Copy In is there to begin with; and if you don't trust it, trust consolidate.

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

You completely missed what I wrote. You don't have to do the copy/paste routine - just option-click-drag the session folder to the new location. Just make sure you have all your files in the proper location - like the session folder.

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

If you don’t want to touch the original session, just save a copy of the session and work on that. There’s zero need to duplicate the audio files etc.

Having a backup of everything is a good idea, but duplicating the .ptx file and working on that won’t affect any of the audio.


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Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

That's the tough part.

If it was easy, there was no Save Copy In command to begin with. SOMETIMES it is sensible to have files here and there, but most of the time you should really only have one session folder which you could duplicate with OS commands.

Which is why when you really want to archive your session, you consolidate all tracks for the whole timeline, thus creating new audio files to your session folder. But with that said, I have never lost a file using Save Copy In method. Consolidate is just making it bulletproof (because of the new files created).

Re: 1) "Save Copy In" command does NOT make a complete copy! 2) How to properly back
 

Exactly, which means if your audio was a mess before duplicating session file it will also be a mess after.