I have Audacity 2.0.3 on my computer, downloaded the .exe version a couple of days ago. MY OS is Windows Vista w. service pack 2. Problem: Audacity crashes my computer the instant I try to load it. This happens whether I try to load it from the application file or double-click an audio file. The previous version of the program had been working well until recently when it started crashing my computer for an unknown reason. I uninstalled the older version 2-3 times and downloaded the new 2.0.3. hoping that downloading the newer version would solve the problem, but it has not. None of the other programs does this. Any ideas how to fix this?
Do you know what the previous version was? The latest update to Audacity is 2.0.4 and that’s the one you would have gotten if you pulled down a fresh one. When you uninstalled the old one, did you do it from the Control Panel, of did you delete files? Audacity can be sticky and leave pieces of itself around to make upgrades easier. That would work less well when you replace a crashing system with another crashing system.
It causes Windows to restart? Audacity can do that when it can’t figure out the hardware or the driver software is poor, out of date or damaged. Did you put in any new hardware or do any upgrades when the last Audacity crashed?
There is a provision in the Audacity Windows installer to do a clean install, did you check that box?
Hi, Koz,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
I think my previous version of Audacity was 2.0.1. I downloaded it from the internet and installed it normally. The program worked very well for months.
Then I didn’t use it for 2-3 months, and when I returned to it is when the problem started. I have now downloaded and uninstalled Audacity several times and different ways, uninstalling from Control Panel, and also trying to uninstall and deleting all visible files from the Audacity folder. Instructions hint that there may be hidden files left behind; if so, I wouldn’t know where to look. I also restored the system to a point about two weeks ago and uninstalled a program called DIVx, which I downloaded recently. So far, nothing has worked. There is no new hardware involved. Where would I find the Audacity Windows installer? I’d be happy to try it.
Failing all else, is there a converter that would convert the .aud files to something another program could read? so far none of my players can play .aud files.
Are you quite sure you got 2.0.3 two days ago and not 2.0.4? Please hover your mouse over the “audacity.exe” in the installation folder and give us the file version.
The 2.0.4 installer is at http://audacity.googlecode.com/files/audacity-win-2.0.4.exe. You could run it and then check “Reset Preferences” halfway through the installation. But if you already have 2.0.4 that is unlikely to help - the problem is almost certainly that a new audio interface in 2.0.4 is conflicting with one or more of your audio devices.
Good afternoon,
Sorry to say I’ve had no success so far. As Gale suspected I downloaded ver. 2.0.4, but it made no difference. My most recent download is ver. 2.0.3, and I also checked ‘Reset Preferences’ this time. I should also make clear something that may have been overlooked earlier: the problem started BEFORE I downloaded a newer version. Audacity was working just fine for many months. Then I didn’t use it for 2-3months, and when I went back recently to use it again is when the trouble showed up. Could a firewall or other security program be responsible?
Is there a converter that you know of which I could use to convert my .aud files into something useable?
Thank you for your help. WhoCrashed suggested a couple of drivers that might be causing my problem. I will see about getting updated drivers. But if that doesn’t work, I’ll be SOL I guess. Too bad there are no converters that can convert Audacity files…
i just want to post this as there seems to be some incorrect assumptions here. I download audacity yesterday and later after i started my computer it hung (screen on but frozen) just after loading the desktop. after several restarts and trying to figure out what was going on it turned out that stopping utorrent would allow the computer to continue to run for a while. and on remembering i installed audicty i fully uninstalled it and boom back to normal utorrent or otherwise.
Ive checked this now with 2 installs and if audacity in installed and not started it conflicts with utorrent, however after unloading utorrent i also experienced a crash 10 minutes into my work. so there is some type of issue i dont have the expertise to work out.
Im on windows 10 and audacity is 2.3.3. ive posted here because this is the first google search for ‘audacity crashing windows’