Setting up Audacity Version 1.4 today. Test recording is very distorted as if too much input is happening. My Windows XP does not list “Sounds and Audio Devices” on control panel and I can’t find it on the computer so I can’t set up Voice Playback and Voice Recording as per set-up instructions. Don’t know if that’s the problem. Suggestions?
There is no such version (made by us). Please download the latest Audacity 2.0.5 properly from us at: http://audacityteam.org/download/windows .
The only version of Audacity you should have is 2.0.5 and the only instructions you should be reading are in our Manual ( http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/ ) or Wiki ( http://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audacity_Wiki_Home_Page ).
There are Tutorials in the Manual here for different types of recording: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tutorials.html .
If you want to record from a microphone, see: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tutorial_connecting_a_microphone.html .
If you would like some help setting up Sounds and Audio Devices, see Windows Sounds and Audio Devices .
Please be careful with Windows XP. Microsoft are no longer officially supporting it, so it will be unpatched against any new security vulnerabilities that appear. Ensure you have a good third-party
anti-virus application, but be aware that it will not give you complete protection against a previously unknown attack.
If it is not practicable for you to update to the much more secure Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can consider installing a Linux operating system instead. Most versions are free and all are very secure.
Gale