(windows 10, audacity 2.2.2)
First thanks to anyone who takes the tome to try and help. The (track shift after record) function has no effect on the snap back position of the newly recorded track
I believe you don’t get the alignment action if you don’t have Overdub selected. Without the overdub setting, you’re just ordinary multi-track recording without the timing correction.
Audacity > Edit > Preferences > Recording: [x] …overdub.
This is fuzzier, but I think you also have to have [X] Always record on a new track.
If you do all that and it still doesn’t work, deselect overdub > OK.
Restart Audacity. Open the panel again and select overdub > OK.
Let us know.
Koz
There is no effect on the first track in the project, and that is intentional. The shift backwards is intended to bring new recorded tracks in synchronisation with other tracks in the project, so it only has any effect if there are other tracks in the project.
Thanks. But That does go without saying. 
kozikowski thank you I will try that right now