Of course that should not happen, so there is clearly some other problem on your computer.
This could be a strong clue.
It sounds very much like something is being automatically loaded and is then interfering with the sound system.
Try using MSConfig to run a “diagnostic startup”. You will find instruction on Google.
Use Google to identify all of the “Startup” items (startup tab) and disable all non-essential startup items. Then (after a reboot) test the sound system. If that works OK, re-enable the startup items one at a time to identify what is causing the problem.
That often does not mean much. There is still a chance that audio drivers are the problem. If the drivers are made by Microsoft, they are only generic drivers and they may not be robust against other programs doing “unexpected” things. As always, check on the web site of the motherboard or computer manufacturer for the latest drivers for your computer model.
How long did you wait? If it was after Windows settled to idle (all programs and services finished loading) then msconfig may have less chance of finding the problem. If you only waited a minute or so then msconfig may help, because programs and services don’t start in any pre-ordained order.
Thanks to everyone who helped me with this problem. It looks like a solution has been found. In short, it was a resource contention between too many microphone inputs. After I used System Configuration to shut down all the startup programs and nonessential services, both the Audio Properties window and Audacity launched OK (although they were, of course, of no use because the audio devices had not installed because the audio service programs were disabled). Then I added back in, a little at a time, the 140 or so Microsoft Services (whew!!) until I found that when the audio properties window came back up, it worked only for the playback tab, and hung when I switched to the microphone tab. That gave me a clue that it was a microphone input problem. I have several unused microphone inputs and a desktop USB mic that I normally use. I remembered that audio problems started happening about the time I did a Skype update, and I guessed that it had automatically enabled the Logitech IM/Connect webcam mic, which I had not been using (and perhaps had myself disabled sometime in the distant, forgotten past). When I disabled that microphone, everything started to work again. Just to check, I reenabled it, and again the audio problems recurred. Strangely enough, Windows warned me about reenabling it, saying that it might have been disabled due to competition for system resources! I wish it had been smart enough to tell me that when the system started malfunctioning in the first place! Anyway, summing up, “Too many cooks spoil the broth!”
This was the short version of the solution. If anyone from Audacity wants the loooooonnnnnng version of my debug process, I can email that to them, if it might be of any help.
It’s just as well you don’t want to use that web cam, but it shouldn’t cripple the audio system like that. Does it connect via USB, and if so are you connecting it to a spare USB port? I could believe Windows complaining if you connect it to a USB hub.
If the web cam needs special drivers, do you have correct latest drivers from Logitech?
Gale, I am disabling only the microphone part of the Logitech IM/Connect webcam, which is connected to a regular USB port in my computer, not a USB hub. Uniblue DriverScanner 2013 says that the webcam driver is up-to-date. The webcam video works OK (although it seems a little clunky, sometimes freezing when I use it offline with Logitech software – online has been OK, but I haven’t tried it lately). I am using my Telex USB microphone as my default microphone, and that works well (except for a little high-pitched background whine, but that’s another story!). David
