Audacity 2.1.3 Won't open my projects1

Quick help needed please! I just updated my Audacity to the newest version, did everything as instructed but now, when I try to open all my previous projects (.aup) files, Audacity opens fine but there is NO DATA. I’m freaking out that I have no access to all my previous work.

Should I delete and try re-installing? Is there a way that I can uninstall this new version and go back to the old one?

Also…Any new recordings I do in this new version don’t save. I can save the file as .aup but when I close and re-open nothing is there!! Please help ASAP!!

Please see the pink panel at the top of the page. There is only one place Audacity ® | Download for Mac OS to download the latest (currently 2.1.3) release version of Audacity.

Might you have moved the _data folders? Move them back where they were.

Have you tried exporting them as WAV?

If you are not knowingly interfering with the saved _data folders please tell us exactly word for word what the error message says when reopening the saved project. You can show us an image of the error.

Press Shift-Command-4. The pointer changes to a crosshair.
Press Space. The pointer changes to a camera.
Move the camera over a window to highlight it.
Click your mouse or trackpad. The screenshot of the window is a .png file on your desktop.

Then see How to attach files to forum posts.

Also press Help > Show Log… after trying to open a project and show us the entire contents of the Log.

Where are you saving to, exactly? You could have an external hard drive that is failing.


Gale

Thanks, for your reply, Gale, this happened right as I was leaving for vacation so luckily I haven’t had to do a lot of work in it so far.

I did download from that exact site you’ve listed and used the mac link, I have updated in the past with no ill effects.

I did not move any folders, they’re in the same place they’ve always been.

I always export and save the files inside audacity as .wav or .mp3 depending on what my clients need so luckily, I still have those copies of my work however, I like to save the PROJECTS as .aup so when I have to do a pick-up, I can easily open up a particular job and have all my previous recordings available to reference. This is where the problem lies: all of my .aup files are blank. Even the new ones that I am recording in now, I save as .aup, and when I close Audacity and open what I’ve saved, no data (waveforms) can be seen in the project. There is no error message. Everything seems to save as it’s supposed to but the project is blank when I re-open. I’ve attached a screen shot of the log, apparently it can’t find the libraries but I honestly didn’t move anything or change anything before or after the new version.

I save all my files to my computer, there is still plenty of room on my hard drive.

Claire
Screen Shot Old Project.png

Saying the AUP file is empty is not the same as saying that when you reopen the project. there is no waveform just a flat line. Which are you saying?

What happens if you open these projects and then do Effect > Amplify… and OK?

Gale

All my previously saved .aud projects are empty when I open them. No waveforms. No recordings. Amplify isn’t even an option because there’s absolutely no recorded files.

I doubt we can help you with this. I recommend you run a repair in the macOS disk utility.

At your option you can save a project, quit Audacity, reopen the project then attach the AUP file. If you save AUD files then you are not using Audacity made by us.

Here is how to attach an AUP project file to your post:
how to attach files to forum posts.


Gale

I don’t “see” it…

Have you installed the latest OSX updates? There’s an update for audio because someone found a way to make malicious audio files. Maybe, just maybe that could be the cause. I haven’t had time to test these updates as my main machine is on Mavericks and there are no security updates for it anymore. Just Sierra and El Capital…

afclip
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.5
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to
arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved
input validation.
CVE-2017-7016: riusksk (泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform
Department

afclip
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.5
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to
arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved
memory handling.
CVE-2017-7033: riusksk (泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform Department

Audio
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.5
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted audio file may disclose
restricted memory
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved
memory handling.
CVE-2017-7015: riusksk (泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform Department

CoreAudio
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.5
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted movie file may lead to
arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved
bounds checking.
CVE-2017-7008: Yangkang (@dnpushme) of Qihoo 360 Qex Team

I think Gale’s advice is sound. Maybe you could even start up from the recovery partition to check you disk. That would enable more repair functions if needed. And how full is that disk?

BTW. Isn’t it time to add Sierra (at least) to the profile options? I see a lot of folk already running High Sierra beta’s. New system adoption is fast with most Mac users.

To be clear, the files are .AUP…my mistake in typing!

I’ve restored my computer now and everything is back to normal. There is over half disk space available on my laptop and it was/is up to date running Sierra 10.12.5.
Thanks for your quick responses but I won’t be doing an Audacity update again, that’s for sure!

Hello All,

I’m sorry to hear of Gale’s passing, I’m sure he will be greatly missed by the team and I will miss his expertise.

Further to this problem of a few months ago, I thought I would try one more time to get the new Audacity update now that my Sierra has updated again (10.12.6) and it is still happening:

I can open and record in the new Audacity. I can save the project as an .aup file. I can see the saved .aup file in my Finder with the correct name. But when I open it or ANY OTHER .aup project (double clicking on the .aup file name) it is a blank slate. The name of the project doesn’t show up at the top (it just says “Audacity” as the title) and neither does any wave form within the project HOWEVER, if I right click on the saved .aup project in Finder and open it with the OLD version of Audacity (2.1.2), it opens with the saved name at the top and the wave form shows up and I can play it back and all is normal.

My MacBook Air is up to date with Sierra 10.12.6, has half of the disk space still available, and is not giving me trouble with any other application. Any other update that I have had with Audacity (I’ve done at least 1 if not 2 over the last few years) has gone smoothly with none of this trouble.

This is kinda driving me batty… :smiling_imp:
Claire

This is a known bug in Audacity 2.1.3 that double-clicking on a AUP file will start Audacity with an empty project.

To work around this:
a) first start Audacity, then double-click the AUP file, or
b) start Audacity then use File > Open to open the AUP project file.

This bug is fixed in the upcoming 2.2.0 release.

– Bill