---
name: Unsaved sessions are recoverable from transcripts
description: Claude Code transcripts let you rebuild a session log after a crash/close-before-save; a detector auto-recovers orphans and /recover does it manually
type: feedback
---

Claude Code writes every session live to a transcript JSONL at `~/.claude/projects/<slug>/<uuid>.jsonl` (slug = the claudetools repo root with `/`, `\`, and `:` each replaced by `-`; computed from `claudetools_root` in identity.json). A session closed or crashed before `/save` is NOT lost — the work is fully recorded in that transcript and can be distilled back into a normal session log.

Toolset (`.claude/RECOVERY.md`):
- `.claude/scripts/recover_session.py` — engine. `--uuid`/`--latest`/`--path` with `--print`/`--auto`/`--json`.
- `.claude/scripts/detect_orphaned_sessions.py` — scans idle transcripts, auto-recovers orphans (substantive AND not saved), commits + pushes, FYIs `#bot-alerts`. `--dry-run` to scan only. Ledger at `.claude/state/recovered-sessions.json` (machine-local).
- `/recover <uuid>` — manual reviewed path; Claude corrects the draft before writing.
- `.claude/scripts/register-orphan-detector.ps1` — registers the scheduled task (Windows).

Accuracy split: Ollama drafts ONLY prose (summary/decisions/problems/pending); Python extracts commands, file paths, IPs, SHAs, tickets verbatim. Auto-recovered logs carry a `[RECOVERED -- UNVERIFIED]` banner until a human reviews them.

**Why:** Mike wanted to never lose work to a crashed/unclosed session again. Manual `/save` is the only thing that wrote logs before; the transcript is a complete fallback record.

**How to apply:** If a user says a session crashed or work was lost, run `py .claude/scripts/detect_orphaned_sessions.py --dry-run` to find candidate orphans, then `/recover <uuid>` to reconstruct and review a clean log. Don't assume work is gone — check the transcripts first.