Earlier today, I was doing a bunch of test recordings. Every time I did an Export, it opened up in the same target folder, which was several levels down in a tree structure.
This afternoon, it stopped doing that. Now it always opens up in \Documents\Audacity. Is there some setting that I can use to get it to go to the last folder each time?
The only directory you can force is the folder location for temporary or “scratch pad” memory.
Simple Export defaults to the last location used. I think there’s a default Export location for fresh Audacity program installs, but I would have to look it up.
That was a sore point for a while because Audacity might try to save your work to System or Applications and
it might take special effort, an incantation or two, and a password to get the work out. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t do that any more.
I save all fresh work to the desktop and shovel it off to directories and folders as needed later.
I can think of one reason you would demand a specific folder. If you were opening up work, changing it, and then saving the corrections in place of the old file. That is insanely poor practice and not recommended. If the machine or Audacity does something unstable at the wrong time, you could lose both files.
a bunch of test recordings.
What sort of test recordings? Checking a new microphone?
Koz
Unless I am losing my mind (always a possibility), it was going back to the same folder earlier today. I saved 7-8 recordings and I did not have to navigate down several levels each time. Sometime this afternoon, it stopped doing that.
I can think of one reason you would demand a specific folder. If you were opening up work, changing it, and then saving the corrections > in place of > the old file. That is insanely poor practice and not recommended. If the machine or Audacity does something unstable at the wrong time, you could lose both files.
I am doing the recordings for a friend who is making YouTube videos. Each recording is a verse in a politically satirical poem. We will do 3-4 recordings of each verse, then listen to them and choose the best one. Then move on to the next verse. It’s a pain to have to navigate to the target folder each time. Most well-designed software these days remembers the last folder used and defaults to it for new files.
a bunch of test recordings.
What sort of test recordings? Checking a new microphone?
As explained above and also testing out the Samson mic and the myriad of Audacity recording options.
Sometime this afternoon, it stopped doing that.
I expect that to keep working.
I need to pick this up later.
Koz
I created a three-layer deep folder on my desktop, generated a short sound signal in Audacity, and File > Export > Export as WAV. Next to the Save As window there is a tick that opens up a file structure chooser. I drilled down to Desktop and all three file folder layers to save the work in the bottom folder.
Close everything.
Open Audacity, generate a new sound signal. File > Export…etc. and it automatically opens that custom, three-layer deep folder just like most well-designed software these days.
Koz
Well I’ll be damned. That works, but I think you meant the Save In: window, no? 
I mean Save As:
Koz
I don’t get that screen. After File | Export | Export as Wav, I see the image in this Dropbox folder:
Apparently I am also not allowed to post images – just one more of the many joys of being a newbie here.
There is a Save In dropdown at the top, but no Save As that I can see (other than the Save as Type).
But once I use the Save In dropdown, it seems to remember that and I don’t have to use it the next time.
With 2.4.2 Save or Save As will remember the last used Save location while that project is open. If you opene a new project or close Audacity and relaunch then it will use the \Audacity folder (on Windows - it just uses the documents folder on Mac for some reason).
This all changes with the upcoming 3.0.0 release.
With version 3 you have choices.
a) If you do nothing the default is for Audacity to always remember and reuse the last-used location.
b) alternatively you can set your desired target folder location for various actions (including Saves) in Directories preferences - then Audacity will always use that location
Here is an image of the 3.0.0 Preferences dialog
WC
Ok, thanks
Dang it, it stopped remembering the last save folder again. I cannot figure out what I am doing differently.
Here’s my procedure:
I then make the next recording and have to go through the whole process again.