> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://abletonlive.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Recover an Ableton Live Set After a Crash - URL: https://abletonlive.net/recover-ableton-live-set/ - Published: 2026-09-17T18:34:34.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-21T07:14:38.000Z - Description: Short answer: reopen the same Live version and accept the automatic recovery prompt first. If recovery does not start, quit Live completely, copy the version-specific Crash folder to a safe location, then follow Ableton's manual rename-and-move procedure using the files from the crash you want.… - Author: Daniel Chapman - Tags: Fixes **Short answer:** reopen the same Live version and accept the automatic recovery prompt first. If recovery does not start, quit Live completely, copy the version-specific **Crash** folder to a safe location, then follow Ableton's manual rename-and-move procedure using the files from the crash you want. Work on copies because replacing the wrong recovery data can remove the cleanest remaining path. **Scope checked September 17, 2026:** [current Ableton Help Center instructions for manual recovery after a crash](https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001878844-Recovering-a-Set-manually-after-a-crash?ref=abletonlive.net). This process is separate from startup-crash diagnosis, a deliberately discarded Set and repair of a damaged saved .als file. ## Choose the right recovery branch first | What happened | First route | What this guide can do | | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Live crashed while the Set was open | Open the same Live version and accept automatic recovery | Use the manual Crash-folder procedure if automatic recovery does not run | | You clicked No on the restore dialog | Quit Live and inspect the matching version's Crash folder | Re-trigger recovery from the moved recovery data | | You chose Don’t Save and Live closed normally | Check saved versions and any recorded files | No promise: crash undo data may not represent a deliberate discard | | A saved Set crashes Live on opening | Diagnose the Set, plug-ins and Live startup state | Manual crash recovery is not file repair | | Live itself crashes before a Set opens | Use the [startup crash guide](https://abletonlive.net/ableton-crashes-on-startup/) | Keep this article focused on recovering work after a crash | ## Try automatic recovery before touching files Live normally uses undo data in its preferences area to offer document recovery after a crash. Reopen the same version that crashed. If the restore dialog appears, accept it and immediately save the recovered Set under a new name in a proper Live Project. Do not overwrite the last known good .als while the recovered state is still unverified. Confirm that clips, devices, routing and recent edits are present, then use [Collect All and Save](https://abletonlive.net/ableton-collect-all-and-save/) if the recovered Project still references external media. ## Preserve the recovery evidence before manual changes 1. Quit Live. On Windows, confirm in Task Manager that no Live process remains; on macOS, use Quit rather than leaving the app active. 2. Locate the preferences folder for the exact Live version that crashed. 3. Copy the entire dated Crash folder and its contents to a separate safe folder. 4. Record the folder path, Live version and crash timestamp. 5. Perform all renaming and replacement on a working copy when possible. This preservation step is an editorial safeguard. Ableton's procedure replaces items in the parent preferences folder. A copy makes it possible to return to the original recovery data if the wrong timestamp is chosen. ## Find the version-specific Crash folder The [current Ableton recovery article](https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001878844-Recovering-a-Set-manually-after-a-crash?ref=abletonlive.net) lists these locations: - **Windows:** `Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live x.x.x\Preferences\Crash\` - **macOS:** `Users/[Username]/Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live x.x.x/Crash/` **Live x.x.x** is the exact version in which the crash occurred. Both AppData and the user Library can be hidden by default. Reveal the folder through the operating system; do not search and modify every Ableton preferences folder. ## Match one crash timestamp A Crash folder can contain several recovery sets from several crashes. Ableton identifies three required items: - `BaseFiles` - `CrashRecoveryInfo.cfg` - `Undo` Their names can include the date and time of the crash. Choose the files and folder that share the timestamp you need. Do not combine BaseFiles from one crash with Undo data from another. ## Re-trigger recovery using Ableton’s current procedure ![Instructional reconstruction of the Ableton Live recovery folder: BaseFiles, CrashRecoveryInfo.cfg and Undo with the same timestamp are copied to the parent folder beside Crash](https://storage.ghost.io/c/79/70/797096c5-3ec4-486a-b3e0-225d52409f26/content/images/2026/09/recovery-folder-v2-sunburst-20260919.webp) Instructional reconstruction of Finder: preserve the originals, copy BaseFiles, CrashRecoveryInfo.cfg and Undo with one timestamp, remove the prefixes from the copies and place them in the parent folder beside Crash. 1. On the working copy, remove the crash dates from the selected names so they become `BaseFiles`, `CrashRecoveryInfo.cfg` and `Undo`. 2. Move those renamed items into the parent folder for that exact Live version. 3. If the operating system asks about existing items, use the replacement behavior specified in Ableton's recovery article. 4. Start that same Live version. 5. If the recovery dialog appears, restore the Set and save it immediately under a new name. Because this procedure modifies the recovery area, keep the untouched copy until the recovered Set has been opened, saved and checked. ## If recovery does not start First confirm the version, folder level, timestamp and names. A common mistake is placing the items back inside Crash instead of its parent version folder, or opening a different Live build. If the process still fails, [Ableton asks users to contact Support and send the latest Crash Report packs](https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001878844-Recovering-a-Set-manually-after-a-crash?ref=abletonlive.net), which normally contain relevant files. Do not repeatedly rename or mix recovery sets before preserving those reports. ## Look for unsaved recorded audio separately A recovered Set and a recovered recording are not the same outcome. [Ableton says unsaved recorded files may or may not be recoverable](https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001878844-Recovering-a-Set-manually-after-a-crash?ref=abletonlive.net) and points to: - **macOS:** `Users/Username/Music/Ableton/Live Recordings/Temp Project` - **Windows:** `C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Temp\` Copy candidate files to a safe folder before auditioning or renaming them. A file name or timestamp can help identify a take, but it does not prove that the file is complete or belongs to the wanted Set. ## What this procedure cannot promise - It cannot guarantee reconstruction after every crash. - It does not reverse a deliberate Don’t Save action with certainty. - It does not repair every corrupted saved Set. - It does not make an incompatible plug-in or damaged preference safe. - It may recover a Set while some unsaved audio remains missing. If a saved Set itself opens badly, preserve a copy of that .als and investigate the opening failure separately. If Live crashes before reaching the Set, follow the startup diagnostic rather than replacing recovery files repeatedly. ## Save the recovered work as a new checkpoint 1. Use Save Live Set As and a clear recovery suffix. 2. Open the new copy and inspect recent clips, automation, routing and devices. 3. Check recorded audio references and the Project folder. 4. Keep the prior saved Set and recovery-data copy until the new checkpoint is stable. 5. Create a normal external backup after recovery; the Crash folder is not a backup system. If the Set still will not open cleanly, continue with the symptom-led checks in the [Ableton troubleshooting hub](https://abletonlive.net/fix-ableton-live/). ## FAQ ### Can Ableton recover an unsaved Set after a crash? Live normally offers automatic recovery after a crash. If that does not appear or you declined it, the matching Crash folder may contain BaseFiles, CrashRecoveryInfo.cfg and Undo data that can sometimes trigger recovery when restored exactly as Ableton documents. ### Which Live version should I use for manual recovery? Use the same Live version that created the undo data and crashed. The recovery files are stored under a version-specific preferences folder, and using another version can prevent the process from matching correctly. ### Where are Ableton crash recovery files stored? Current Ableton guidance points to the Crash folder inside the affected Live version preferences folder: AppData\\Roaming\\Ableton\\Live x.x.x\\Preferences\\Crash on Windows and Library/Preferences/Ableton/Live x.x.x/Crash on macOS. ### What if I clicked No on the restore dialog? Ableton says the relevant files are moved into the version-specific Crash folder. Quit Live, copy that folder to a safe location, then follow the official rename-and-move procedure for the matching crash timestamp. ### Can I recover a Set after choosing Don’t Save? Crash recovery is built from undo data created around a crash. A deliberate Don’t Save action is a different event and may leave no applicable recovery state. Check saved project versions and recorded-audio locations, but do not assume manual crash recovery can reconstruct the Set. ### Can unsaved recorded audio be recovered? Sometimes. Ableton directs users to check the Live Recordings/Temp Project location on macOS and the user Temp location on Windows, but files may be absent or incomplete. Copy anything found before opening or editing it.