Waveform present, playback silent

[radioswamy]

Hi, I appreciate any insight on this issue.

I'm using a PC laptop ASUS, 4 gigs ram, core 2 duo 1.3ghz(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XZ ... ss_product) with windows 7, audacity v. 1.2.6. I did just realize that I'm supposed to be using the beta version 1.3x with windows 7.

Yesterday, I imported a wav file that played fine on its own into audacity. When I first tried playing it, the file worked without problems. I saved the audacity file as such and quit out. Today, I open the audacity file and the waveform looks fine, but playback is entirely silent. Yes, my speakers are on, and I just imported a different wav file and saved as an audacity file and there were no problems. It plays back fine.

The data files for the project that is silent amount to less than 10mb. But I tested playing it once I imported it, and I saved the project right then, so I'm not sure where along the process I lost all of the data. As I said, the waveform looks fine.

This has happened before and I have lost valuable data because I've relied on Audacity. I have this file backed up, but I wanted to see if anyone else has run into this problem and if so, what a potential solution might be.

Thank you!!

[steve]

I wanted to see if anyone else has run into this problem and if so, what a potential solution might be.

The problem is probably due to using Audacity 1.2.6 - this version is known to have problems on modern computers and it will not be fixed as all current development is on Audacity 1.3.x which is due to become the new Audacity 2.0 version.

It is also highly recommended that you backup important recordings by Exporting them as audio files (use a lossless format such as WAV or FLAC).

[billw58]

The wav file that you imported, did you move or delete it? By default Audacity does not copy wav files into the project but instead stores a reference to the original file. If you move, rename or delete the file, you will get the symptoms you describe.

- Bill

[radioswamy]

Got it. I'll post if I run into any problems with 1.3, thank you!