In what order are the mySong-01.bak, mySong-02.bak, mySong-03.bak, mySong-0 …n.bak added?
In what order are the mySong-01.cpr, mySong-02.cpr, mySong-03.cpr, mySong-0 …n.cpr added?
Seems kinda arbitrary to me.
Maybe there is a simple answer?
The .bak files are ordered so that the lowest number is the most recent (the un-numbered version being the most recent). So cubase renames all the backup files to increment the -xx.bak number until the maximum set in preferences (default =10). You can set this number upto a value of 1000, I would imagine an auto backup taking some time to rename all of these files, which is probably why 10 is used, it has always been enough for me.
The .bak files are .cpr files, so there is no auto incrementing .cpr files, the only time you’ll get an extra .cpr file is if Cubase crasahes and warns you to save your work under a different name.
Interesting. I always thought it went from ‘0’ to the the higher number, the higher number being the latest backup. Really, that’s not intuitive thinking, are you sure? Windows employs just the opposite system, ‘0’ is replaced by ‘1’ and so on. I typically ‘save’ my latest mix under a slightly different name and haven’t used the backups. Its nice to have them but they don’t really come into play for me, knock on wood.
Here’s another question: If you set your backup number to ‘10’, when that number is reached, does the whole group of the numbered backup files shift one digit? If it exist as you say, in this case 10-0, oldest to newest, as number 11 is stored (which would be the new ‘0’), is the first stored file deleted and now 9 becomes 10 and so on? Or does the last backup just delete the last backup?
Cubase does apply a bit of intelligence to the way it backs up, if you save your song regularily (as I do), then Cubase does not create backups, if the saved version is the same as the open one. But once it does decide to creat a .bak file, it renames xxxx-01.bak to xxxx-02.bak through to xxxx-09 which becomes xxxx-10.bak (assuming 10 is set in preferences) and then the old xxxx-10.bak is lost. Your most recent backup is always the .bak file without a number ( actually number 01), and the oldest is always the highest number.
ok
seems reasonable, thanks!
I think I will start using “A”, “B” & “C” to extend the project name if I do it from within Cubase.
Then Cubase can have the numbers for itself.
I might as well add a little description rather than “A”, “B” & “C” hehe.
Sometimes it gets messy in some project folders … 
Auto-backup has saved my butt more than a few times.
But I am also in the habit of re-naming/re-saving a project anytime I’ve made significant changes to it. I include the date in the file name (plus A,B,C,etc if I make more than one copy in a day). For example, a new project created today would be named “Name Of The Song 2016-03-06.cpr”. When I add tracks tomorrow I’ll re-save as “Name Of The Song 2016-03-07.cpr” (and possibly “Name Of The Song 2016-03-07B.cpr” later in the day).
This makes it easier to roll-back to an earlier version, if I totally screw things up, and to do A-B comparisons (eg, if a client wants to know why the guitar sounds different than last week).