Hi there, I’ve been having this same issue for several years on multiple different computers and versions of Audacity. Currently using Windows 10 and, with this computer, had this issue with both 2.3.3 and now 2.4.1. I’ve also had this occur on previous computers and previous versions of Audacity. It’s been a pain for several years now. While it’s manifested somewhat differently over the years, the end result is that using audacity occasionally causes my computer to crash. Currently, what’s happening is that when I unplug my interface’s USB-C cord, about half the time it will crash my computer. The stop code on the blue crash screen says “UNEXPECTED KERNAL MODE TRAP”. I’ve followed troubleshooting steps for this error, but nothing has helped, and since it only ever happens when I’m using Audacity, I’m sure Audacity is the problem. In the past, my computer has crashed while the USB is still plugged in but when I’m editing audio files (and once or twice while recording as well). Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
In modern versions of Windows, about the only thing that can cause a kernel crash is a bad driver. Normal applications (such as Audacity) are not allowed to directly access the kernel. You have almost certainly got a driver problem.
If you are using a branded computer, check on the manufacturer’s website for updated drivers for your operating system.
Please not that Windows 7/8 and earlier are now obsolete and no longer supported.
Audacity’s support for Windows 8.1 is severely limited as none of the Audacity developers or support team have Windows 8.1.