It’s possible for backup software to exclude hidden folders like AppData,
so best to check it has been backed up, rather than assume it has been included.
Need to have a copy of the Audacity folder which is in the AppData/roaming folder to restore your customizations of Audacity: e.g. your presets, your plugin settings. My Audacity folder is about a gigabyte (~1Gb) so you need an external drive with that kind of free space to store a copy.
If the money involved is comparable with the cost of a new computer, I suggest buying a new computer rather than reinstall Windows in the current computer and risk losing everything: your data, internet connection, email.
Trebor: Thank you for being so helpful. Now, I just want to confirm something, which I learned from you. I opened up my Documents Folder in my task bar. In the left segment of my screen, I opened up Windows. Eventually I found my way to Appdate. Then I found roaming. Then I found Audacity. Now I know I can open the Audacity folder right there to see what is inside (not much for me, just a few things are there), but I don’t open it. I right clicked my mouse button. Then I showed more options and found the Send To command. It was then and there that I realized that I could send that particular Audacity folder (with all the “good stuff” inside (again not much) to a flash drive. Now my question is: Is that exactly what you want me to save to my flash drive?
And bonus question (just for you Trebor): Once I reinstall my Windows 11, with the help of Microsoft, and I find my Audacity folder, like I explained earlier, then how do I paste the Audacity folder I saved to my flash drive earlier into the reinstalled Windows 11 Audacity folder? Is it just going to replace the Audacity folder already there from Windows 11? I never did anything like this before, and I certainly don’t want to mess things up.
Darn, I feel like I am graduating a Masters Course in Grad School on Computers after all I’ve been through the past week or so with this situation and other concerns in preparing for a Windows 11 reinstallation.
Thanks Trebor. Have a nice day.
Yes, the Audacity folder in AppData/Roaming. It contains your customization to Audacity.
If you want newly installed Audacity to behave as your current setup does.
On the reinstalled Windows, install Audacity, then delete or rename the new Audacity folder in AppData/Roaming, then paste the old version into AppData/Roaming.
Also check you have back-ups of the VST plugin folders used by Audacity …
I would strongly advise against a computer-novice reinstalling Windows.
Afterwards you have to reinstall all the software currently on your computer to return it to how it is now, and you risk losing your data.
And you have to download & install all the Windows updates which have occurred since you got the computer. (IIRC that took me half a day when I last did it : Windows updates had to be incorporated in digestible chunks, rather than all in one go).
There must be an easier solution to your Adobe problem, like repairing the app …
Trebor:
Look, the audacity folder in AppData/Roaming appears as Audacity.
So, forgive me for making absolutely sure that I know what I am going to do,
My current shows …AppData/Roaming/Audacity
All you want me to do is remove Audacity so it shows: …AppData/Roaming
Then you want me to put back the Audacity folder from my Flash Drive, so it shows:
AppData/Roaming/Audacity (which is what I saved to my flash drive).
I’m pretty sure that is what you want me to do. Again, I am just checking I’ll be doing the right thing according to your instructions.
Question: Why couldn’t I just highlight the Audacity shown after the Windows Reinstallation and just Paste right over it the Audacity I saved to my flash drive?
Question: If I had renamed Audacity after my Windows 11 reinstallation, that confused me because I’d still have to Paste the saved Audacity from my flash drive over the renaming of that part of the path or string?
Anyway, I think I know what and why you want me to do what you instructed me to do.
Now, believe me, I tried everything with Adobe tech support before I went through this entire almost week now of preparing for the reinstallation of Windows 11. Their tech support higher level people said this would be the only way to get around the original problem of getting back into my Adobe account. Yes, this has been a nightmare, but thankfully I am almost done with all preparations.
Because there will be no “audacity” folder in AppData/Roaming/ after a complete re-installation of Windows.
It does not matter - there will be no folder named “audacity” and also no otherwise renamed folder, after a re-installation.
A re-installation of Windows deletes anything on your computer which does not come from Microsoft. Also, for example, your Office registration licences will be gone.
“after the Windows Reinstallation” all the software you have installed on your computer is gone.
The software outwith Windows OS that came pre-installed on your computer is also gone, (e.g. 3rd party antivirus, apps like Skype/Zoom, etc).
Your data can persist after Windows re-installation if it is on a different drive/partition than the Windows Operating System. But your data within the old Windows OS, (e.g. AppData folder, Downloads folder , Documents folder, etc), will be lost.
Passwords stored in your internet browser will be lost, as will your browser bookmarks.
If you did not realize that then you should not reinstall Windows. It really is the nuclear option.
Renaming a folder, (say, from “audacity” to “audacity-old”), can be preferable to deleting it.
It gives you the option to revert back to the original version. (Old version could contain useful information).
If you delete, (rather than rename), it’s usually irreversible: your data is permanently deleted.
Okay, so if I rename the current Audacity folder to Audacity-old, and I add Audacity (the folder I saved to my Flash Drive before I did the Windows 11 reinstall), after AppData/Roaming/ then I am going to have two different Audacity folders after AppData/Roaming/ So, how will the computer know which folder to go to when I run the program?
Please don’t make this any more difficult than it already is. Thank you. I am going to go through with the Windows 11 reinstall. I am going to copy my Audacity folder shown after AppData/Roaming. I am going to rename the orignal AppData/Roaming folder as Audacity-Old in the new reinstalled Windows 11 path while keeping whatever Audacity puts in the path after I reinstall Windows 11. So, when I save my current Audacity folder to my flash drive I will call it Audacity-old on my flash drive. Is that what you want me to do?
Oh crap, this situation is so complicated. I hope I am saying things right. Again:
The first thing I am going to do is:
Copy the current Audacity folder to my Flash Drive.
Once it is on the Flash Drive, I am going to rename it Audacity-Old.
I will then reinstall Windows 11 on my computer.
I will then find AppData/Roaming
Then I will see the new Audacity folder.
And after that Audacity folder, I will paste the Audacity-Old folder.
That’s what I think you want me to do, right?
The renaming is after you’ve reinstalled Windows and Audacity.
Audacity will use “audacity” folder, it will ignore “audacity-old”.
Unfortunately the reality of what you’re attempting to do is far more complicated that you appreciate. It’s increasingly apparent to me that you should not attempt reinstallation of Windows.
Good luck with that . Make sure everything, (OS and your data), is backed-up, so you can revert the computer to how you have it have now. If you’ve never restored an image of your computer from an external drive, have a computer-geek set it up for you, rather than DIY.
To all of you who have already participated in this thread and only those who have participated in this thread: #1 Thank you. #2 Please understand that I am still waiting for higher level Adobe CC all apps support to solve the problem I reported about not being able to sign back into my account at Adobe CC. The supervisor of the Adobe Illustrator team even had another supervisor on his level redo a second reset and install of my Windows 11 on my computer. I also completely understand the analogy shared about if a washing machine wasn’t working you wouldn’t tear down and rebuild the entire house just to fix it. Obviously that has been the troubleshooting efforts so far from the supervisory team at Adobe. The supervisor I was recently in touch with created something called computer logs: one of my computer system files and the other regarding the Adobe system files. I hope I am sharing this correctly, but what they are doing now is way over my head. I am typing this response to those of you at Audacity Forum to let you know I didn’t forget you. I value your opinion too. But I decided to give Adobe CC a solid chance to resolve my problem, no matter what it takes and what I have to tolerate. I’ve know of this company Adobe for well over 40 years. They are a good company with excellent products that are used all over the world. I’ve got to give them a reasonable opportunity to resolve this problem. Something caused this to happen. There must be a computer bug somewhere. I want them to have a chance to solve it. They already know I want to settle my claim against them and they said they will make things right by me. I am also very concerned about whether I should also make a claim against another popular company: WinZip because it was after running their program: System Utilities Suite, the problem began on my computer. Forgive me folks, but I can not–Cannot–use my time to continue to respond to any further posts in this thread. I will however post a progress report soon about this problem. Thank you for your understanding. But please refrain from using your time to continue posting in this thread. Again, I cannot continue to reply right now. I just don’t have the time.
