Workspace Question.

I recently installed R version 2.14.1. After a session (not my first) in 2.14.1, I
saved the 'workspace image'. I then opened earlier R versions, 2.14.0
& 2.12.0, and the only objects listed were from the 2.14.1 session.
All the work under those previous versions were gone, to my dismay. This did not happen when I was working in 2.14.0, as 2.12.0 objects were not affected when saving the workspace image in 2.14.0.

This has nothing to do with versions of R.  Whenever you start R,
     any previously saved image of the workspace is loaded (from a file
      called ".RData").  Your workspace/global environment will then include
     any objects that were in the workspace when you saved it.

     If you save the workspace when you exit R, then the previously saved
     image of the workspace (the ".RData" file) is overwritten.

     If objects that were in a previously saved image of the workspace are
     no longer present when you start R, then you must have removed them
     at some stage before saving the workspace.  Either that, or you removed
     the file .RData from the directory in which you are starting R.

     That's all there is to it.  The objects did not disappear by magic.

Are the 2.14.0 & 2.12.0 objects retrievable or permanently deleted?

If you have backups of your file system then a copy of .RData (one
     that was made when you were using 2.12.0 or 2.14.0) can be restored
     from the backup and that will have the objects that you are looking 
for.

     If you don't have backups, then I am afraid that you are SOL. Those
     objects are gone for good.

         cheers,

             Rolf Turner