mixer toolbar--Windows XP

[Pegi]

I am trying to record bird songs through an open window. I purchased a Vantage USB microphone, plugged it in, and recorded several times. I then closed Audacity. When I went back to it, the dropdown menu that listed "microphone" on the mixer toolbar had gone blank, and I could no longer select anything. Now when I record, nothing happens. How do I get the dropdown menu to be functional again?

[steve]

Don't worry about the drop down menu - because of how audio drivers have changed since Audacity 1.2 was written, there are frequently problems with it. Instead, try this method:

Plug in the microphone and ensure that it detected by Windows before you open Audacity.
Open Audacity and go to "Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O" and select the USB microphone as the recording device, and your sound card as the Playback device.
If you had to change either of these settings, you may need to restart Audacity to ensure that the changes take effect.