Audacity won't import mp3's anymore

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Hello All:

Audacity stopped importing mp3s properly. I now just get a straight line on the y=0 position on x axis.

How can make Audacity import properly again?

Thanks,

Al

P.S. here is what my log says:

10:45:30: Audacity 2.0.2
10:45:31: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries...
10:45:31: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries from default path, 'C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavformat-52.dll'.
10:45:31: Looking up PATH environment variable...
10:45:31: PATH = 'C:Windowssystem32;C:Windows;C:Windowssystem32wbem;C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft SharedWindows Live;C:Program Files (x86)Common FilesMicrosoft SharedWindows Live;C:WindowsSystem32WindowsPowerShellv1.0;C:Program FilesWIDCOMMBluetooth Software;C:Program FilesWIDCOMMBluetooth Softwaresyswow64;C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft SQL Server100ToolsBinn;C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft SQL Server100DTSBinn;C:Program Files (x86)Common FilesRoxio Shared10.0DLLShared;C:Program Files (x86)Common FilesRoxio SharedDLLShared;C:Program Files (x86)Windows LiveShared;C:Program Files (x86)QuickTimeQTSystem;C:Program Files (x86)QuickTimeQTSystem'
10:45:31: Checking that 'C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacity' is in PATH...
10:45:31: Warning: FFmpeg directory is not in PATH.
10:45:31: Temporarily appending ';C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacity' to PATH...
10:45:31: Checking for monolithic avformat from 'C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavformat-52.dll'.
10:45:31: Error: Couldn't find symbol 'avutil_version' in a dynamic library (error 127: the specified procedure could not be found.)
10:45:31: avformat not monolithic
10:45:31: Loading avutil from 'C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavutil-50.dll'.
10:45:31: Loading avcodec from 'C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavcodec-52.dll'.
10:45:31: Loading avformat from 'C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavformat-52.dll'.
10:45:31: Returning PATH to previous setting...
10:45:31: Actual avutil path C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavutil-50.dll
10:45:31: Actual avcodec path C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavcodec-52.dll
10:45:31: Actual avformat path C:Program Files (x86)FFmpeg for Audacityavformat-52.dll
10:45:31: Importing symbols...
10:45:31: All symbols loaded successfully. Initializing the library.
10:45:31: Retrieving FFmpeg library version numbers:
10:45:31:    AVCodec version 0x342000 - 52.32.0 (built against 0x344802 - 52.72.2)
10:45:31:    AVFormat version 0x342400 - 52.36.0 (built against 0x344002 - 52.64.2)
10:45:31:    AVUtil version 0x320300 - 50.3.0 (built against 0x320f01 - 50.15.1)
10:45:31: FFmpeg libraries loaded successfully.
2

Here is an update:

  • I did some test recording of my voice. Audacity first would display a nice waveform of my voice and then after about 6 seconds the waveform would disappear!

  • I opened an existing project. Waveform did not disappear. I then imported the mp3 that I could not import earlier. It imported properly!

  • I checked the log file one more time. There were references to a --going from memory – “C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalTempaudacity_temp” directory that Audacity could not write.

I am suspecting that somehow Audacity is not able to create the files in that directory. When I open a project that has its files elsewhere, then Audacity is able to write to that directory and it works.

I need to find the root cause of this.

As a work around, I suppose I can change the settings and ask audacity write to a different directory. I think I saw a setting that would let me change where Audacity writes.

Any comments appreciated.

3

The first thing to check is that Audacity really is (not) doing what you think it is (not) doing.

Try opening this MP3 file - it’s a 3 sweeping second tone.

4

Your post arrived while I was typing my previous reply.

Go into preferences (from the Edit menu) and in the “Directories” section check the location of the Audacity temp folder.

5

Well, here is what I have there:

C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalTempaudacity_temp

And when I look at the log I see a bunch of errors:

[…]
12:47:29: Error: can’t open file ‘C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalTempaudacity_tempproject10637e00d00e0000bff.au’ (error 3: the system cannot find the path specified.)
12:47:29: Error: Directory ‘C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalTempaudacity_tempproject10637’ couldn’t be created (error 5: access is denied.)
12:47:29: Error: mkdir in DirManager::MakeBlockFilePath failed. (error 5: access is denied.)

[…]
12:47:29: Error: can’t open file ‘C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalTempaudacity_tempproject10637e00d00e0000d23.au’ (error 3: the system cannot find the path specified.)

So, somehow that directory is no longer available to Audacity. I wonder why Windows all of a sudden decided to limit access to that directory…

I am wondering if it will affect other programs, since they have folders within the same general area…

In the meantime I will change the temp directory to a place in my “documents” folder and see what happens.

Al

6

Is “user1” your Windows log-in name?

7

Yes, it is.

Al

8

and you are logged in as “user1” ?
Have you checked that “C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalTemp” is writeable ?

9

Yes, I am logged in as user1 as I always do.

I did check it earlier and it said something to the effect that it was “readonly for the files under it”. I made it read-write, but that did not help.

I am not sure why windows is changing things on me…

Thanks,

Al

10

I would suggest carrying out steps like these (with the appropriate changes for Vista/7 or whatever version of Windows you have):
http://www.askdavetaylor.com/why_is_everything_in_my_documents_marked_read_only.html .

So, right-click over “C:UsersUser1”, choose Properties and give yourself sufficient permissions, or replace and reapply permissions.

For “Take Ownership”, these links may also help:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753659.aspx
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/add-take-ownership-to-explorer-right-click-menu-in-vista/ .



Gale