How to Recover a Deleted Ableton Live Set (.als)

Updated on Oct 20, 2026 | by Qiling

Quick Navigation:

Find the Live Project and Its Backup
Protect the Original Drive
Recover With Qiling Deep Data Recovery
Verify the Recovered Project
Frequently Asked Questions

An .als file is the Live Set, not necessarily a complete package of every sample it uses. Project backups and collected media should be checked together.

Find the Live Project and Its Backup

Look in the Live Project folder and its Backup folder for earlier set versions. If you previously used Collect All and Save, the project folder may also contain copies of referenced samples.

Note the deleted set's original path. Do not mistake an older set for the latest arrangement; compare dates and open a duplicate to check clips and devices.

A saved Live Set and the surrounding Live Project are different things: the ALS stores the set, while the project can hold collected samples and older backups. A set deleted before it was ever saved requires Live's own crash-recovery route, if one exists, rather than a normal deleted-file scan.

A recovered ALS may open with disabled devices or missing audio because plugins, licenses or sample paths changed. Check those dependencies before choosing between an older backup and a newer disk-scan result.

Protect the Original Drive

Stop saving, exporting and recording on the affected physical drive. Keep any remaining Project folder intact.

Prepare another drive for output. If a synchronized project folder is involved, review cloud version history before a local scan.

Recover With Qiling Deep Data Recovery

Qiling Deep Data Recovery provides a visual scan of storage that Windows can detect. In this case, scan the local drive that stored the ALS file; linked samples stored elsewhere need separate checks. A listed file is only a candidate until you open and verify its recovered copy.

Step 1. Check Live Project Backups

Inspect the Project Backup folder and available cloud versions. Copy a promising ALS to another drive and test it first.

Free Download
Windows 11/10/8/7, 100% Secure

Step 2. Choose a File Scan

Use Fast Scan for a recent deletion or Recycle Bin Scan after an emptied bin. Use Disk Scan only if the whole project partition disappeared.

Step 3. Select the Set Drive

Match the physical disk that held the ALS, using model and capacity. Keep recovery output off this disk.

Step 4. Compare ALS Results

Filter by .als and compare dates, paths and sizes. Keep several versions if the most recent one is uncertain.

Step 5. Recover and Test the Set

Save candidates elsewhere, open a copy in Ableton Live, and check scenes, clips, devices and missing sample warnings.

Verify the Recovered Project

If samples are missing, check the Project folder and the original sample library. A set may open while audio remains unavailable.

Save a verified Live Project with its needed media once the best version has been identified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an ALS contain every sample?

No. External samples may be referenced unless they were collected into the project.

Where can an older set be found?

Check the Live Project's Backup folder and any independent version history.

Can I restore a set that was never saved?

A disk scan cannot create content that was never written; check Live's own crash recovery first.