Error Saving Project - Audacity Failed to write to a file.

Audacity 3 Help Forum macOS
1

I’m having same problem on Mac Mojave. error message reads:

Error Saving Project
Audacity Failed to write to a file.
Perhaps users/desktop is not writable
or the disk is full

I’ve worked with Audacity for several years and have never had this problem before. I have plenty of room on disk.

I have latest Audacity for Mac; Version 2.3.3

I can export to any audio format but can’t save the Audacity project file needed for future editing.

Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

2

I’ve split your post from the other topic as you are using a much later version of Audacity, on a later version of macOS, and have a different error message (so it is not the same problem).

Are you trying to re-save an already saved project, or is this a project that has not yet been saved?
How exactly are you saving the project?

3

Hi Steve – sorry for the late reply. I’m saving a new project the same way that I’ve always done successfully in the past. No matter what I try, saving to outboard disk, saving with very succinct name, etc… I get the same maybe disk is full error message.

4

Have you given Audacity full disk access? (this may help: https://macpaw.com/how-to/full-disk-access-mojave)

5

Thanks, Steve – I’ll give it a try and get back to you. I’m not sure it’ll work as I’ve tried to save a project directly to an external HD with the same error message. But who knows… thanks for your help in this!

6

OK, granted full computer access to Audacity in Security & Privacy in System Prefs – Audacity still won’t let save projects. It shows same error message as first mentioned.

7

However… just tried saving to an outboard HD – and it will save projects to other drives – just not on my iMac. I’ll still try other remedies you might suggest to solve this issue but at least I can save projects now! So I can abandon the overly complicated Abobe Audiction.

(BTW: I did restart the computer after granting Audacity full disk access. I also tried allowing Audacity to control my computer under “accessibility” – but no dice)

8

This seems peculiar. “users/desktop” is not a standard directory.

9

SOLVED THE ISSUE __ I CAN SAVE PROJECTS anywhere but on the desktop. This is weird and I never had to do this before, but it looks like under Mac Mojave you can’t save to any folder which resides on the desktop, but you can save Projects with no issue to “Users” folders on Mac HD, such as “Music”.

I usually create desktop folders to work with whatever current projects I’m dealing with, then generally offload them to outboard drives when I’ve finished to open up Mac drive space.

Looks like Mojave doesn’t let Audacity save to any folders residing on the desktop. No big deal now that I know that and have granted Audacity full computer access.

Thanks for your suggestions, Steve. Audacity is my favorite music editing app. and now I’m back in business!