Every producer has done it. You spend days on a mix, you do one more pass, you save, and then you realize the pass was wrong and the good version is gone. In Reaper it is the .rpp that got overwritten. In FL Studio it is the .flp. Either way, the sick feeling is the same.
The good news: sometimes there is a way back. The better news: there is a way to make sure it never happens again. Here is what I have learned from doing this to myself more than once.
How to try to get the file back
Check for backup copies first. Reaper can be configured to keep backups, and FL Studio has its own autosave options. Look for files with backup extensions next to your project, or check the autosave folder in FL Studio settings.
Check your OS file history. If you have File History or Time Machine style backups enabled, you may be able to restore the previous version of the file from the filesystem itself.
Check the recycle bin and temp folders. On Windows, the temp folder sometimes holds the previous state of files that were recently overwritten. It is a long shot, but it is free to look.
If you find an older copy, open it and check carefully. The version you restore might be a few saves back, so save it as a new file immediately and keep the current one untouched.
Why this keeps happening
Because autosave and manual saving write over the same file. There is no history. The version you needed is gone the moment the new save lands. No amount of discipline fixes that on its own, you need a restore point that exists before you make the mistake.
What actually fixed it for me
I stopped relying on my memory and started capturing every save automatically. I built a small local-first app called Sabes Pro that watches my project folder and takes a snapshot each time I hit save in the DAW. If I overwrite something, I step back through the take timeline and restore the version I want, or export it as a separate project file so my current work is never touched.
It parses Reaper and FL Studio project files deeply, so it understands the session structure, and it works alongside Ableton Live, Cubase, Nuendo and Pro Tools as well. Everything stays on my machine, encrypted, and because it only stores what changed, fifty saves barely take up disk space. The free tier covers the local tracking.
The one habit that saves you
Before you open a session to do something risky, save a versioned copy. ProjectName_v2, ProjectName_v3. It takes three seconds and it is the cheapest insurance in music production.
And set up automatic snapshots, because the day you forget to make the copy is the day you need it. If you want to see how I solved it, the tool is at https://sabespro.com. The beta is free, and I hope you never need to use it, but it is nice to know it is there.
