Cannot record streaming audio with Windows 10

Up until about a week ago, I had no trouble recording any streaming audio to Audacity. My operating system is Windows 10. Audacity version is 3.1.3. The settings I consistently used on Audacity were “WASAPI”, “Speakers (2-hIgh definition audio device)” and “Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (2-high definition audio device)”. Start the audio, hit “Record” and everything was fine. I used this setup for well over a year and it worked perfectly. Suddenly, I am not able to record anything from a stream…all I get is a straight line on Audacity. I have tried every possible combination from the three dropdown menus without success. I’ve made no changes to anything. I have uninstalled recent Windows Updates, suspecting they may have had an effect. It was no help. I am totally befuddled and frustrated. I sure hope someone can help. Thank you.

As your Recording Device select the speakers/soundcard where the sound is coming out and make sure it says “(loopback)”. You may have to hover the mouse over the Recording Device box to see the whole description including “loopback”.

[u]Recording Computer Playback[/u]

Thank you. yes, the speaker selection is “loopback”.

DVDdoug…If I go into Control Panel, and click on ‘Sound’ and ‘Recording’…it shows only ‘Line In’ 2-High Definition Audio Device, and is marked as ‘Default Device’. The icon shows a pair of RCA jacks. The other is ‘Microphone’ USB Audio Codec…which is for my USB Turntable. There is nothing to indicate the speakers, which needs to be the selection for recording on Audacity. ??? I did open up the link you provided, ‘Recording Computer Playback’ went thru the motions and got nowhere. Seems to me ‘Speakers’ should be listed under ‘Recording’. Yes?

have to say, in 30 years, getting a windows PC to loop-back record what is on the speakers has been the #1 problem that keeps popping up, decade after decade. It should be known as the ‘Eternal Problem’, though it was trivially solved long before computers were invented, it remains the bane of digital sound recording.

Up until about a week ago, I had no trouble recording any streaming audio to Audacity. My operating system is Windows 10. Audacity version is 3.1.3. The settings I consistently used on Audacity were “WASAPI”, "Speakers (2-hIgh definition audio device)

Same thing just happened to me now. Working fine for years, but today something broke and now Audicity give an error message that wants to be emailed back to the devs everytime i click on record with WASAPI and speakers loopback. Guidebooks, flowcharts, rich histories and careers could be made on this one problem that would stand shoulder to shoulder with the history of Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science. It should be taught in schools, colleges and universities as an acedemic subject in its own right.

Anyone got a link to useful guide?

What changed? Windows update?

A professional IT friend of mine spent five hours trying to figure this out, analyzing, and whatever else he had to do. Unfortunately, his efforts failed. I must mention…a few years ago, I had the same problem…couldn’t record, and suddenly and for no reason, Audacity was able to record from a streaming source. Go figure. Maybe it’ll fix itself again.