I run Audacity on Win7 Professional. I just downloaded version 2.2.2. I am not impressed. Everything it does is slower than the previous version (importing files, saving project files). It has also added at least one extra step: I now have to “select” the entire file before applying an effect. Previously it just assumed you meant the entire file, unless you said otherwise. Gee, thanks, folks - not.
The old “select all if none selected” behaviour is still available as an option in Preferences. It’s called “Auto-select, if selection required:” and you can find it here: http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/tracks_behaviors_preferences.html
I don’t see any difference in speed, or know of any changes in 2.2.2 that would account for a difference in speed. Check that your anti-virus program is not running Audacity in a “sandbox”.
I have done some serious QA speed testing of 2.2.2 a couple of weeks ago versus earlier versions with a one hour project on my W10 laptop - and I found no evidence of 2.2.2 being slower (or faster).
WC
I run Audacity on Win7 Professional.
When was the last time you did a clean start?
Shift-Shutdown > Wait for it to finish > Start.
Regular shutdown doesn’t reset everything because nobody liked the extra time it took.
Koz