'Unable to export' error message

Audacity 3 Help Forum Windows
1

I’ve been using Audacity for ~ 6mths to record streaming music then export to mp3.
Was on ver 2.2.2 with no problems, in fact absolutely excellent.
Repeated again today and on export-mp3-tags got message box - “Unable to export”
Upgrade to ver 2.3.2 - same error.
Save project - no problem
Open project - no problem, export - same error message
Captured new 30sec audio - export - same error message
xxGB free on all drives
Tried as wav export - same error
Tried mp3 as variable - same error

Running windows 10
It did latest update just before error message started
Update: October 8, 2019-KB4524100

Help please ???
Would be gratefully appreciated
snip_20191010192152.png

2

Where are you trying to export to?

3

Running on desktop, exporting to internal disk

4

What’s the exact location that you are exporting to? Some directories are reserved by Windows for the system. You need to be exporting to somewhere in you “user space”, such as the Desktop, or your Documents folder, Music folder, or similar.

5

What’s the exact location that you are exporting to? Some directories are reserved by Windows for the system. You need to be exporting to somewhere in you “user space”, such as the Desktop, or your Documents folder, Music folder, or similar.

I have a separate HD for my music files.
Its a 2TB disc with 896GB free space.
I’ve been exporting to this disk no problems until yesterday.
Audacity runs from C Drive, it has 238GB free space.

Is it a coincidence this has happened after latest Windows 10 update I’m wondering

6

and that is an internal drive, not a USB drive?

What happens if you export to your “Desktop” or “Documents” folder?

7

internal drive, not a USB drive

Yes, internal HD

8

What happens if you export to your “Desktop” or “Documents” folder?

OK, just recorded a 20min sample and exported it as a tagged mp3 to “Desktop” and to “Documents” with no error!

9

That’s good. We’re narrowing down the problem.

Are you able to manually copy a file to the folder on your 2TB hdd? (the same folder that you were trying to export to)

10

Yes, saving other files no problem to the HD

As a backup I looked around and downloaded the ocenaudio (sorry Audacity) app
It recorded a 60min piece and it has successfully exported it as a tagged mp3 straight to the HD without errors

So, I’m still at a bit of a loss …

11

As a workaround, you could export from Audacity to your Desktop, then move the exported file to the 2TB hdd.

The problem that you are describing sounds like a permissions problem, but Audacity runs with the same permissions as the user, so if permissions are a problem for Audacity, they should also be a problem for you just copying files there. I can’t make sense of it, but if I think of anything I’ll post again.

12

thanks for helping, going for the Audacity-desktop-HD solution for now

13

Hi, I am having the exact same problem.
It worked perfectly for for a few months and now, all of a sudden, I am getting this ‘unable to export’ meesage. I have tried uninstalling and re-installing Audacity but to no avail.
Can anyone please help?
Thank you.

14

If it’s “the exact same problem”, then I suggest that you use the exact same workaround.

15

Steve or Good Folk,
As Re: above, “Export” & much else are greyed out. Unable to click on. Therefore, unable to save recording as mp3 as desired (worked in previous versions). May be defective copy of Audacity? I have 2.1 now.
Was supposed to record for blind colleague. “Record” worked but cannot export file. Tnx. suomilauluu (user ID)

16

Updating to Audacity 2.3.2 should fix it. You can get the current version (2.3.2) via the Audacity website: Audacity ® | Download for Windows