Audacity 2.1.2 via the .exe installer
Lenovo Edge 15 Laptop using Windows 10 Home 64-bit
I realize that this issue is often addressed as a stereo vs. mono adjustment within an open version of Audacity. However, has anyone experienced this issue: having Audacity loaded on my computer causes one side (left) of my headphones to quit working.
At first I thought this was an issue with the headphones…so I tried several sets. No change. They all work fine on other devices. Then I though it might be an issue within the program. I made adjustments according to instructions I found online but to no avail. I uninstalled and reinstalled the program several times. During one of those times I was listening to music through fully functioning headphones when I installed the program. As soon as it installed, the left channel stopped working. I uninstalled the program…turned on the music again, again fully functioning headphones…reinstalled Audacity…no left channel.
It seems that the program itself is interfering with my headphones. If the program is not on the computer, they work fine. If it’s installed, they don’t work. Doesn’t matter if Audacity is open or not, just installed.
I’ve had the laptop for over a year now and with no other issues. I have listened to everything I can think of to test…Corel Video Studio x8, media player, groove, iTunes, YouTube…literally everything I can think of to use as a test. I have four sets of standard 1/8" plug-in headphones and one Bluetooth set. All have the same reactions. I have reinstalled on 3 separate occasions, each time checking the “reset preferences” box.
Thanks for your help. I’ve checked all the updates for my audio and sound drivers, both with Windows and with Lenovo, and both say I’m as up to date as I can be. And yes, the program doesn’t ever have to start or be opened after installation to create the issue.
Do the built-in speakers work? I’m finding you do not have a “normal” sound system:
Stereo Speakers With Dolby® Home Theater®
Experience full-impact 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound anywhere with Dolby Home Theater on your PC. All the power and nuance of the cinema, all the immediacy of live performance — now from a laptop.
So there is no such thing as straight, normal playback on this laptop. Everything is always going through very special, custom drivers and effects.
I don’t know that any of us have heard of this problem before. It almost has to be various conditions lining up on your particular machine or maybe the series. It’s no longer available for sale is the kiss of death.
If the installation of Audacity is the problem, then uninstall it and add Audacity back using the ZIP file. Extract to somewhere in your own user space, not to Program Files. I can’t imagine how that would affect the audio on your headphones socket.
Do you then get the problem when you run Audacity from where you extracted it?
As I understand it, DrDave does not even have to run Audacity for the problem to happen. I don’t think Audacity does any querying of the sound device during installation.
It never hurts to do a full anti-virus check though this sounds a little too specific to me to be a virus (unless installing any new audio application does the same thing).
I suggest DrDave tries the ZIP of Audacity instead.
DrDave could also click the Windows button bottom left of the computer, type “troubleshoot” (without quotes) then choose the search result “Find and fix audio playback problems”.