Audacity mutes my output

[JurviZ]

I have the newest Audacity stable (downloaded yesterday) running on XP.

I can record allright, but when I try to play back, there's no sound. In fact, there was no sound from any other program, either.

I did a little digging and found out that my output was muted from the windows mixer. I unmuted it and everything was fine. But when I started audacity again, the problem repeated. Apparantly audacity mutes my sound card whenever I start it.

If I unmute while audacity is on, it works normally, but still, I'd like to know why this happens, and how to stop audacity from muting my sound when I start it.

[kozikowski]

There is a setting that prevents Audacity from trying to change the machine.

Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O > [X] Do Not Modify...

Koz

[steve]

Apparantly audacity mutes my sound card whenever I start it.

If you are using a USB audio device, then that will cause changes to your sound system, or to be more accurate, Windows will change your sound system settings if it detects a USB sound card. Windows may change sound system settings in other situations too, for example if you have a sound card that detects when anything gets plugged in. Audacity on the other hand has no such abilities.

There is a setting that prevents Audacity from trying to change the machine.
Edit > Preferences > Audio I/O > [X] Do Not Modify...

Koz

I think that may be Mac only. As far as I know, Audacity on Windows or Linux does not have such an option because there is no means for Audacity to change sound system settings on these platforms (other than the "mixer tool bar" settings).

[JurviZ]

I do use a USB audio device, but have only ever had this problem with audacity...