I was working on a project on 2.0.3 on a public computer at my school (with OSX 10.8.4). I saved the data folder and the project file and put it on a flash drive and attempted to open the file on my home computer (2.0.3 with Windows 7 x64). I got this error message; this is what the LOG file said:
08:49:28: Audacity 2.0.3
08:49:28: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries...
08:49:28: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries from default path, '/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Checking for monolithic avformat from '/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavformat.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avutil from '/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavutil.50.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavutil.50.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avcodec from '/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavcodec.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavcodec.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avformat from '/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/Library/Application Support/audacity/libs/libavformat.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Error: Failed to load FFmpeg libraries.
08:49:28: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries from legacy path, '/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Checking for monolithic avformat from '/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavformat.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avutil from '/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavutil.50.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavutil.50.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avcodec from '/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavcodec.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavcodec.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avformat from '/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(/usr/local/lib/audacity/libavformat.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Error: Failed to load FFmpeg libraries.
08:49:28: Trying to load FFmpeg libraries from system paths. File name is 'libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Checking for monolithic avformat from 'libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(libavformat.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avutil from 'libavutil.50.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(libavutil.50.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avcodec from 'libavcodec.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(libavcodec.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Loading avformat from 'libavformat.52.dylib'.
08:49:28: Error: dlopen(libavformat.52.dylib, 1): image not found
08:49:28: Error: Failed to load FFmpeg libraries.
08:49:28: Error: Failed to find compatible FFmpeg libraries.
Audacity then detects the files that are IN the data folder as ‘orphan’ files and suggests I delete them.
I have had this problem every time I have tried to switch between computers and save the data folder and project file; does Audacity only work if you do the project on one computer, and if so why? Or is there a file in the application folder that I am missing? When I saved the data folder I MADE SURE that the data was the same in both folders because I have had this problem before.
The log tells us that Audacity is unable to load FFMpeg - probably because you don’t have FFMpeg installed, but that does not matter here. FFMpeg is an optional add-on that allows Audacity to import and export file types that are not natively supported by Audacity.
Are you trying to open the project directly from the USB drive? If so, try copying both the .aup file and the _data folder to the local hard drive.
If that still does not work, please post the .aup file so that we can look to see if there is anything odd about it to account for the problem.
The file name does not match the project name.
According to the becoming.aup file, the project name is: “becoming 7.16” which means that Audacity will be looking for a folder called “becoming 7.16_data” for the data files.
For Windows a dot can have special meanings, so should not be used in file names other than one dot as the separator between the “name” and the “extension” of the file. Also avid using < > : " / | ? * as these are illegal in Windows file names. Generally it is safest to sick with letters, numbers, underscore “_” and hyphen “-” especially when working across multiple platforms (different operating systems).
(Full details about file naming on Windows: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa365247(v=vs.85).aspx)
Open Audacity - if it offers to delete orphan files, say yes - then close Audacity. This will ensure that Audacity’s temp folder has been cleared before we start.
Create a new folder and put a copy of the data folder into it. Ensure that the data folder is called becoming_data
Put this file into the same folder. I have manually renamed the project becoming. becoming.aup (109 KB)
Cross your fingers and try opening becoming.aup with Audacity.
If you launch Audacity from the start menu, then Audacity will not be opening a project and the only orphan files that may be detected by Audacity are those (if any) that may be in Audacity’s temp folder.
If you launch Audacity by double clicking on an Audacity project (AUP) file, then yes Audacity will delete any files that are in the associated _data folder that it does not recognise as part of the project.
As insurance you can make a back-up copy of Audacity’s temp folder.
Launch Audacity.
If prompted about orphan files, select the “Continue without deleting…” option.
Edit menu > Preferences > Directories. Make a note of the Temporary files directory location.
Close Audacity
Find the location that you noted in step 3 and make a back-up copy.
Also, as you have the original project on a flash drive (you do still have that?) if the drive is not in the computer then there is no risk of accidentally damaging it.