It feels like “Play” is waiting for something to get out of the way.
Is this machine used with an internet connection on all the time? Is it using an internet connected drive? Do you use Skype, Zoom, Meetings, Games, or other group activities?
Save your work so you don’t break anything. Disconnect your internet, however you have to do it.
Do a Clean Shutdown. Shift+Shutdown > OK > Wait > Start. Do not let anything automatically start when the machine comes up.
Launch Audacity and open some work or Generate some Noise. Does the Spacebar Play work?
We are looking for an improvement in the behavior, or any change in behavior. Also important, pay attention to whatever complains when you disconnect the internet.
It’s not just the spacebar. Chances are good the machine is doing Something Else and putting “Play” on hold for a while. Clear out the machine and see if that helps. If it doesn’t, you may have actual machine problems.
Thank you. I defragged, optimized disc, rebooted and didn’t start any other programs but Audacity.
It seemed to work! Spacebar and Play are functioning as before.
Audio editing and recording is like photo and movie editing in that they all take a lot of computer resource and often do quite tricksy things with the hardware 9and OS) - so usually it’s best, as you said, to be running just the editor in question.