This is what is so strange - no additional libraries or plug-ins are required to import a standards compliant MP3 file. The test tone that I posted is a standards compliant MP3, so it should just import with no fuss and no messages of any sort.
Please try this, it may shed some light:
If Audacity is open, shut it down completely and then restart it.
Import the test tone that I posted previously.
“Help menu > Diagnostics > Show Log”
Click the “Save” button, and save the log to your Desktop.
Still the same, but there is the option for the window not to appear again, I checked it and tried again, and that message windpw does not appear now. log.txt Audacity.txt (1.67 KB)
I think I know what’s wrong, but I’m not sure what it looks like on Windows.
Please do this:
Launch Audacity
“File menu > Import > Audio”
Select the file “test-tone-1000Hz.mp3” but DO NOT click the “Open” button - stop at this point with the browser window open.
Take a screenshot of the file browser window (the file selection window)
You will need to use the Windows screenshot tool or some other screenshot tool because the Audacity screenshot tool will be unavailable.
I think that I see what you are looking for, my file type option, it was set to FFmpeg compatible files.
I had already disabled the first message window that we had earlier, so that one is not happening now, but the second message window is still active.
I have changed it to All Files and then tried mp3 files, but the initial file that I was trying to import still does not import. There are 4 tracks in the folder, 3 open, the one I want does not.
Yes. That’s why Audacity is attempting to import the file with FFmpeg first, and only when that fails (because you don’t have a compatible version of FFmpeg) does Audacity switch to importing with libmad (which succeeds).
That will be because those files are not strictly compliant with the original MP3 specification, and in Audacity 2.4.2, libmad is very fussy about files being strictly compliant (less so in previous versions of Audacity, and less so in the next version of Audacity).
If you install a compatible version of Audacity, I expect it will solve the problem.
To do so, follow these instructions exactly as written using the “recommended installer” Installing FFmpeg for Windows - Audacity Manual
(pay special attention to downloading the correct file - the download site can be a bit confusing.
The correct download link is a text link: “ffmpeg-win-2.2.2.exe”)
By default it will install to
\Program Files (x86)\FFmpeg for Audacity
so your current version (unless it’s for an old version of Audacity) will not be affected.
Thanks for letting us know.