I recently updated to 3.4.2, though I’m not certain my issues are related. I am using an HP 7th gen Intel i7 (7500U CPU @ 2.70 2.90 GHz) 8GB 64 bit with windows 10 home. Over the last few days i have gone from no issues to slow task generation to total toddler tantrum “I’m not moving until you make me” interface lag. I’m talking, FIVE MINUTES wait time for time shifting a 2 sec clip 6 seconds over. Only 4 tracks. Less than an hour of recording. I have done so many things to try to fix this, including only running audacity and its only gotten worse. I’m not very technologically adept though I’m not an imbecile either. Please. Before i need a new computer (BECAUSE I FLIPPIN THREW MINE INTO A WALL) … Help me. I’m tired of crying angry tears.
If you can do without non-destructive editing & VST3 plugin compatibility, try Audacity 2.3.2 … Old Audacity versions download
If you want Audcaity3 & Audacity2 on the same computer, unzip one version into its own folder to keep it separate, rather than install it as per usual, otherwise they will share the persistent Audacity folder hidden in AppData and will corrupt each other.
NB: Audacity projects are not backwards-compatible from v3 to v2.
Need to export v3 tracks as WAVs to open them in v2.
Will they still open as audacity projects? (i.e. my specific track layout and organization). Also, i had no issues with the most recent 3 version, whichever one that was. Can I just backtrack to that one and keep my audacity projects? I need to be able to keep my track organization or I’m screwed hard.
Any suggestions on a similar DAW? I actually have ableton but can’t figure out how to use it.
Yes: provided it’s Audacity 3.x.x.
Again if you want multiple copies of Audacity on the same machine don’t install them, unzip them into their own folder to keep them separate. Launch them from the Audacity icon in the folder.
One thing worth trying is to copy and paste all of your Audacity3 project into a new Audacity3 window. This removes the hidden data required by the “smart” non-destructive-editing which is bogging things down. The new copy of the project should edit faster.
NB: cannot paste audio between different versions of Audacity.
That’s a great idea. So great, in fact, i thought to do that before reading this, optimistic it would help. INSTEAD… I’m now getting an error message with everything i try to do in the new window
I seriously can’t endure this anymore. I’m so beyond frustrated and lost way more time than i could spare and EFF YOU MERCURY RETROGRADE
Here is a suggestion…don’t know if it will help…but worth a try…
- Reboot the computer…
- With an elevated Command promt run SFC /SCANNOW …this will look for and repair Windows files that may be damaged for whatever the reason…
- In the same elevated command prompt rim chkdsk /f …this will look for errors in the hard drive and repair them…
- Reboot…
- Uninstall Macrium…
- If you know how to back up the registry do it…
Then…REGEDIT…HKEY-CURRENT-USER - Scroll down to SOFTWARE…
- In SOFTWARE scroll down to MACRIUM…
- RIGHT CLI?CK? on MACRIUM folder and DELETE IT…
10 Close all the screens and reboot… - Reinstall MACRIUM
- Test with several of your projects and find out if the issue is gone…
- If you were using some plugins…reinstall them one at a time and test a couple of your projects…if good install another plugin…This will help you determine if a plugin is causing the issue…
Again…I do not now if this will work…but I think it’s worth a try…
GOOD LUCK…!!!
You might try Reaper…very cheap maybe free…not too hard to figure out…
I actually did the first 2 of those steps yesterday and SFC did find and repair corrupt files and i was able to go from being able to do nothing to doing some stuff. I will repeat those steps and the rest (assuming I’m able to follow the ones starting with Macrium- hopefully that isn’t above my pay grade) and hopefully that will resolve the lingering issues. I also uninstalled 3.4.2 and installed 3.3.3 but that doesn’t seem to have made any difference whatsoever. Thank you so much for taking the time to help!
So I’ve done all that up to the macrim step… i don’t have s Macrium file in any of the software folders as far as i can see
You have an Audacity error message, not a Windows error message.
stevem5000 may be confusing Audacity automatic data backup with Windows system/data backup.
You have an Audacity problem, not a Windows problem.
Performing what amounts to brain-surgery on Windows is risk without benefit.
MACRIUM is a waste of your time & money on this occasion.
OOOPS…I made a big mistake…Remove the word Macrium in my response and substitute the word Audacity…
I’m sorry guys…I did not realize it until reading Trebor’s reply…
In step #8…I don’t think Audacity makes any registry edits…so there is nothing to do in the registry…
So at this point uninstall Audacity…reboot…re-install Audacity…let’s see where that puts us…
I run Audacity 3.1.3…I suggest you download a FRESH version of Audacity rather than relying on Audacity that might be in your downloads folder from a previous install…
I do not normally update to the latest version of most any software for maybe a year…Try to avoid the possibility that there are errors in the coding and needs some patches…
Is the conputer workin OK for all other applications on it…???
Run CCleaner it will clear out the system and temp files etc.
Run Windows Task Master and check problem, Memory usage… have you plenty of it left when audacity running… Disk activity … is the system very busy or sitting doing nothing…???
Will all my audacity projects still be there?
Nothing we are asking you to do will have any effect on your Audacity project files…
Uninstalling Audacity will not remove your project files…
You would have to go into the folder and delete those files…
Questions…
- How old is the computer…???
- Which version of Windows…???
- How does your computer work on other programs…???
Yes, if your PC is working you should be able to close Audacity and go to the folders where you store your work and copy them off to an external drive or CD etc
The downloaded version CCleaner has a fairly safe setup run it first, then read some of the unticked options and you can tick them for a more thorough cleanout.
Is your PC choked up, did you check taskmaster and see.
CCleaner also lets you check easily what start up files you have running…you can clear some of that out as well…or do it in config.sys
[eyes glaze over]
•Computer is about 6 or 7 yo
•Windows 10
•Somewhat slow but nothing else is nearly as defunct as audacity has become
6 or 7 years old, probably running on a hard drive…Have you ever Defragged it…?
Got to File explorer see your drives listed…Right click your main drive probably C:…small box opens with list of options click Properties, then Tools… one option is to check drive…other option is to defrag.
It will tell you if it needs defragged.
Another thing could be your virus checker…could be playing havoc…You probably have icon on taskbar or desktop…if you click it it will tell you what it is doing…You could disable it for 15 minutes to see it helps…??
In my experience computer that are 6-7 years old NEED WORK…or replaced…
So to my mind there are 3 primary things that can affect computer performance…
- Windows gets corrupted…Win XP & 7 were pretty bad…10 not so much…and while I’ve worked on a number of W11 computers…I don;t have a feel on how easily W11 gets corrupted…
- Windows is filled with a lot of little virus’s of various types…most of them not particularly dangerous…a lot of them are designed to avoid virus checkers etc…adware etc…
- The hard drive becomes corrupted…missing file fragments…fragmented…Now W10 automatically defrags the hard drive as you use it…but that does not mean it CANNOT become fragmented…thgere are 3 basic types of issues that affect hard drive performace…Logical failures and this has to do with how the data is spread around the hard drive…Mechanical failures…and firmware failures…Logical failures can usually be fixed…maybe not completely…mechanical and firmware failures are not repairable…
- Put your ear next the hard drive in the PC…do you hear any kind of “clicking” noise…proabably rhythmically…if you hear any clicking I want you to shut the computer down…pull out the power cord…open the case and physically remove the bard drive…put it on your desk and leave it there…This clicking means you hard drive is going thru a mechanical failure…
If there is NO CLICKING…then I suggest you rebuild your computer from start… - Do you have a Windows Installation DVD…???..if not we have to get one…
We need to backup everything…we will use Macrium Reflect for this…
We need some type of installation media with W10 on it…we can get one…
We need a list of ALL programs you have on the computer…as after we rebuild the computer we have to reinstall all your programs…
You need to locate on your computer WHERE all your Audacity projects are saved…
So let’s stop here until we hear from you…