I only start Audacity from the shortcut at desktop and it begins making crackling noise, as it opens. Any menu I come upon or I close, confirming it, makes a crackle noise, too. All my audacity tracks and projects are full of unexplainable clicks and crackles. I dont know what to do. Anyone help, please. The problem started a couple of weeks ago, as the entire audacity tracks began making strange rumble. I love your program and I cant replace it with another tool.
That is normal, because Audacity queries the sound devices.
Please start by giving us the essential Audacity and Windows version information from the pink panel at the top of the page.
Try to think of what changed with regard to audio drivers or audio programs a couple of weeks ago.
Crackles and rumbles could be bad or outdated drivers - see Updating Sound Device Drivers - Audacity Wiki.
Or you could have unmuted playback of a microphone so that it plays back whatever it hears, even if you aren’t recording.
Gale